Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 1 SC442864 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home, which provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. All three children were spoken with.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 21 January 2025

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Good 14/03/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good 10/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All three children have made significant and substantial progress since they moved to the home. They receive high-quality individualised care from staff they have built trusting relationships with. This has been achieved through the strength, resilience and dedication of staff. By being consistent in their approach and quickly addressing any issues when they arise, staff have created strong routines, boundaries and expectations and a safe environment for each child to thrive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s health is paramount in the care they receive. Their health needs are met by staff actively promoting healthy eating, exercise, sleep and self-care routines. This has resulted in the children adapting their lifestyle to incorporate these changes. When faced with resistance, staff are quick to engage the children in educational conversations around the issues, promoting best ways to keep healthy. Staff ensure that children attend all routine appointments and, when necessary, support them to access specialist services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s education is prioritised by staff. All the children are in education, following long periods of not attending. When some children have been waiting for their education placement to start, staff have bridged the gaps in their learning with in-house education. When it is deemed that an education provision is not meeting the needs of a child, staff are tenacious in advocating with the appropriate professionals for a placement move. They continue to communicate directly with the school to promote effective consistent practice so that the child is safe and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Therapeutic care is an essential aspect in the progress made by the children. The manager and staff work closely with the in-house therapist to ensure a joined-up approach to applying the children’s therapeutic programmes. The language the staff use is therapeutic in nature. Staff also attend monthly consultations with the therapist to further embed their understanding and knowledge of the therapeutic needs of the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are committed to ensuring that children have the best experiences. They strongly promote and encourage children to access activities in line with their interests. These new experiences create long-lasting skills and memories for the children and allow them to find new hobbies and ways of having fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals and families speak highly of staff and the home. One professional said, ‘The staff are absolutely fantastic. Their dedication is amazing.’ One family member said, ‘They go above and beyond for the child. They [the child] could not be in a better home for them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 4

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

Staff implement clear boundaries, structure and routines for the children. This is a crucial factor in keeping children safe and helps them to feel protected. Staff have an exceptionally good understanding of the children’s needs, experiences and any risks that affect them.

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

Incidents have significantly reduced in the home. When incidents occur, competent staff manage them effectively. Staff are skilled in the identified individual de-escalation techniques for each child, to prevent incidents increasing in severity. Physical interventions have also significantly reduced since the last inspection. When they have been used, the manager is adept at quickly identifying the reasons behind them and puts plans in place to prevent reoccurrence. Discussions take place after all incidents, helping children to adopt effective ways to manage their emotions, which prevents future incidents arising. This approach has been central to the reduction of incidents in the home.

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

Although incidents of children going missing are rare, when children do go missing, staff follow the missing-from-home protocol, are proactive in searching for them and do not stop searching until the child is found. There is effective collaboration with relevant professionals, families and friends to find the child and return them safely. Children are always offered an independent return home interview. Staff attempt to connect with children on their return to the home and conduct one-to-one discussions that focus on the risks and dangers of going missing and how children can keep themselves safe.

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

Staff work with children to enable them to take age-appropriate risks. Any relaxation of restrictions is done in a considered way, taking account of children’s ability to manage increased freedoms, with a primary focus on safety education and children’s well-being. When there are concerns and restrictions need to be reinstated, this is a short-term measure. The manager continuously assesses any risks and makes changes to best fit the needs of the children.

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

Recruitment checks and verification processes are completed before new staff start work. This provides the necessary assurance that staff are suitable to work with children. The recruitment procedures that are in place help to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and children benefit from strong leadership in the home. The manager and leaders have high aspirations for the children and consistently strive to improve their outcomes. They provide clear direction, which helps to ensure that children make continued and sustained progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands each child’s needs and what they require to make progress. They listen to the views of the child and ensure that their voice is included in decision- making. The manager confidently advocates for the children and challenges external Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 5 professionals when necessary. They also work collaboratively with other professionals to ensure the care of the children is consistent across different settings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager maintains good oversight of training. Staff training is up to date and in line with the organisation’s requirements. When necessary, additional training is sourced, based on the specific needs of the children. For example, staff have had self-harm, exploitation and bereavement training to help them understand and manage the children’s behaviours and risks more effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and meaningful. There is an emphasis on the progress of children, as well as ensuring consistency of staff practice in the routines, boundaries and expectations of the home. The manager uses creative ways in meetings to engage staff and enhance their knowledge of their roles. They ensure staff are always learning and improving their practice in line with the changing needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions and appraisals are held regularly. Managers prioritise the children in their discussions, with an emphasis on how staff can support the children to progress. However, staff development opportunities and their wishes highlighted in supervisions and appraisals have not been actioned appropriately by the manager and staff have not been given suitable time frames for progression.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have good oversight of the home, with effective monitoring and auditing tools. Any shortfalls are immediately identified and rectified. However, one child’s risk assessment contained historical information that is no longer relevant. Established staff know the children well, but inaccurate records do not help other staff understand the particular needs of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they understand the key role they play in the development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that children’s case records are kept up to date. In particular, they should ensure that risk assessments are updated to reflect the current risks of each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have 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: SC442864 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Egerton House, Wardle Road, Rochdale OL12 9EN

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Inspector

Deirdre Silkstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC442864 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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