Children's home run by Northwest Child Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 1 Registered provider: Northwest Child Care Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who may experience social or emotional difficulties and children with learning disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2024 Full Outstanding 16/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children have built good foundations and feel loved. They view themselves as a sibling group in a family home. One child said, ‘All the staff at [Name of home] are my family.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are making exceptional progress. This is because the staff and managers are ambitious and committed to providing the best care. The children spoke positively about the care they receive from staff. One child said, ‘It is like a wonder world.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children’s relationships with staff are central to the progress children are making. One child has previously struggled to build relationships, but staff understand the reasons for this and have sensitively worked with the child to develop their trust. As a result, the child is also now developing relationships with family members.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are making amazing childhood memories. They take part in a variety of activities, such as waterboarding, trips to the farm and days out at fairgrounds. The children also have access to an allotment. Children’s weekly routines include taking part in clubs, and one child has been on a residential holiday with their club. Children’s artwork is displayed throughout the home and memories are captured in monthly memory books, which children can contribute to.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff support children to get involved in local community events and raise money for charity. The children know their neighbours and help them with jobs in their gardens. One professional said, ‘We are a small community, and the children are part of that.’ This enhances children’s sense of belonging and pride.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children’s education is a priority, and all children attend the same local school. The children benefit from structured routines before and after school. All children are making exceptional progress from their starting points. One child has been reading to staff every day after school and has moved up two reading levels in 6 months. When children move into the home, the manager acts quickly to secure a place for them in the local school. An education professional said, ‘They have the children’s best interests at heart; they are amazing.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children are supported to see their loved ones. Since moving to the home, family time for two of the children has moved from being supervised to them enjoying unsupervised time and overnight stays. Staff also provide support to parents, and for one parent, this included helping them setting up their new home. This parent said, ‘My children are so lucky to live there and because of them, I can have my children here.’ This practice demonstrates to children that they and their loved ones are important to staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 4 Children are supported to attend health appointments. Staff work closely with professionals to ensure that children get the right emotional support. As a result, children are in good health.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Safety planning is thorough and accurately reflects children’s needs. Staff respond effectively to risk, and as a result, children feel safe. Incidents in the home are rare, and children’s risk assessments include photographs of people that would be unsafe for them to be around.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff understand how to keep children safe online. Children’s devices have parental controls in place to ensure that children stay safe when online and leaders and managers regularly review the strategies in place to address any vulnerabilities. Staff educate children about how they can stay safe online. As a result, children are now able to talk about the risks they may face online.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff respond in a nurturing and therapeutic way when children self-harm. This means that children seek the support from staff when they have harmed themselves or are feeling low in mood. Children have emotional health tool kits to manage their emotions, these include items such as soothing patches, mood teddies and elastic bands. When needed, children will be referred by staff to specialist mental health services.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Children can talk to staff about their life experiences and past trauma. Staff will ensure that children have opportunities to talk to professionals who can offer them additional help and support. This shows that children trust staff.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

The local police service works with children and staff to support the children’s safety and understanding of risks. The local police community support officer visits the home every month and takes part in discussions and activities with the children and staff. This, for one child, means they no longer have a fear of the police.

p.4

How well children and young people are helped and protected: outstanding

Staff understand safeguarding procedures and what steps they should take if a child is missing from home or makes an allegation. The manager has ensured that the staff have clear strategies to respond to incidents should they occur.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers dedicate themselves to delivering an exceptional level of care to children. The manager leads by example, and his aspirations for the children filters down to staff. As a result, children are making remarkable progress.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff welfare is important to the manager. Staff receive regular and meaningful supervision, which is reflective. The manager has an open-door policy and is sensitive to any personal difficulties that may impact on staff. Staff feel supported and enjoy working in the home. One staff member said, ‘I have never felt as valued and appreciated in a job as I do now.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 5 The staff team is stable, and turnover of staff is low. Staff are skilled and experienced, and leaders and managers ensure that the training provided equips staff to meet the individual needs of children. For example, staff received bereavement training to enable them to better support two of the children who lost a loved one.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is actively involved in the day-to-day care provided to the children. He ensures that he works directly with the children at least once a week, which shows children how important they are to him. He gets involved in children’s activities and has gone on holiday with them. He role models the high standard of care that he expects of staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals say children receive a high level of care. They are complimentary of leaders, managers and staff, and they say that children are making wonderful progress. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] is the happiest he has been; his face lights up now, and I wish I moved him here sooner.’ Another professional said, ‘[Name of child] is blossoming and she is a social butterfly.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s monitoring systems and processes are effective in helping him evaluate incidents and events in the home. This has helped him to develop tools that support staff in being more professionally curious with children. The quality of record-keeping is high, and a consistent triangulation of information is evident.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a robust assessment process when children move to the home. This includes contacting a variety of different professionals to gather information, which is cross-referenced for accuracy. Children living in the home are consulted with and can share their views, which means that children live together harmoniously. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 6

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Northwest Child Care Ltd

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 82 Lowerhouse Lane, Burnley BB12 6JA

p.7

Inspector

Laura Roberts, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2688689 8 regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8