Children's home run by Meadows Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 1 Registered provider: Meadows Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this home. The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Three children were spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision at this site.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Dates of last inspection: 12 and 13 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2024 Full Good 11/10/2023 Full Good 11/10/2022 Full Good 24/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and three have moved on. With support from the home’s therapeutic team, staff planned and guided each child’s move, providing practical preparation and emotional support. For one child, managers extended this preparation time to ensure that the child was moving to somewhere suitable. When children move into the home, this is planned and managed effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children feel happy living at the home. The other child was also positive but spoke about an experience of feeling bullied by a child who no longer lives at the home. Significant work was undertaken by staff and managers to support the children and encourage and restore positive relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a home that is warm, welcoming and nurturing. The environment supports their well-being and sense of belonging. When there are issues affecting the environment, managers are proactive in ensuring that these are resolved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality care from a committed and developing staff team. Staff demonstrate an understanding of each child’s needs and emotional vulnerabilities and take proactive steps to promote their well-being. For example, staff remain alert to changes in children’s moods, and sensitively encourage children to express their worries, provide timely support and reassurance, and actively advocate to secure access to additional services when needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress with their education. Two children attend school and one child attends college. Staff have successfully supported one child to return to school following a period of non-attendance. Another child has completed school and has positively transitioned to college to pursue a childcare course. Key events and achievements are recognised and celebrated. For example, one child’s school prom was promoted, and the child proudly showed the inspector photographs of this celebration with friends and teachers, which will hold lifelong memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a range of activities both within the home and in the wider community. They attend dance clubs and day trips, and during the summer, one child enjoyed a holiday abroad, while another chose a day trip to a London attraction. In keeping with their individual interests, children are also supported to access personal experiences, such as trips to purchase a book of their choice or attending beauty appointments. These opportunities contribute positively to the child’s personal development, promoting their interests, confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop and maintain relationships with the people who are important to them. Staff manage complex family dynamics with sensitivity and professionalism, ensuring that family time arrangements are carefully planned and reviewed. A parent said that her child has made significant progress since living at Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 4 the home and described communication with managers and staff as generally good; however, she said staff did not share prom photographs with her, which left her feeling excluded from this important milestone.

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

There was an increase in incidents linked to changes in children’s circumstances. Managers and staff quickly identified the shift in dynamics and took appropriate action to safeguard all children. Robust safeguarding systems provide managers with clear oversight of concerns. This supports reflective practice and enables learning that helps staff to reduce risk to children. As a result, safeguarding protocols and staff practice are well-informed and consistently applied. Staff are responsive and proactive, promptly challenging unsafe situations to ensure the safety and well-being of all children.

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

The home’s therapist supports managers and staff to develop their understanding of children’s behaviours, and staff often spend time talking with children to learn about how they are feeling and how best to support them. Staff regularly undertake focused work with children to improve their awareness of risk and to promote their safety. One child told the inspector that they felt safe living in the home and that their door alarm had been deactivated following a review in which a decision was made that the alarm was no longer needed to be used.

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

Staff are appropriately trained in physical intervention, and when staff have had to hold a child, this is proportionate and appropriate. Staff respond with a nurturing approach and seek to repair relationships quickly. When a child is held, both the child and the staff member are spoken to after the event to allow for reflection and learning.

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

When consequences are given to children by staff, these are not always fair and balanced. For example, one child received a consequence that lasted for four weeks. In addition, the quality of behaviour management records is variable.

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

Manager and staff have a good understanding of why children self-harm and what to do to reduce the risk of this happening. When children have shown signs that they may potentially self-harm, staff respond promptly and effectively to increase children’s safety. Medical advice is obtained when required.

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

Overall, the management of medication is safe. Medication is appropriately stored, and staff are trained in the safe handling of medication. However, on one occasion a medication error occurred due to staff not following dispensing guidance. Managers took appropriate action to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence.

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

Managers have ensured that all complaints and allegations made by children and the important people in children’s lives are acted on. Managers have alerted the relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer, and have followed the home’s policies and responded well to resolve the issues. Consequently, children and those people involved in children’s lives feel valued and listened to. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 5 Safer recruitment processes are thorough. This helps to ensure that adults who are deemed safe to work with children support and care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been away from the home for some time, having taken planned leave. She returned just prior to this inspection. In her absence, the home has been managed by two consecutive managers. The home’s experienced responsible individual has provided support. Changes in managers and staff have had the potential to impact children’s overall day-to-day experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite the changes in personnel, managers and staff have ensured that children have been advocated for and have made decisions to ensure that children have been kept safe and receive the care they need. One child’s social worker highlighted how well her child got on with staff and commented on how the care the child had received contributed to significant progress in areas the child had previously struggled with prior to living at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a range of good-quality training, which supports their understanding of children’s needs. Their professional development is actively encouraged through regular supervision. New staff benefit from structured support and have regular probation meetings to monitor progress and provide the necessary support and guidance. Staff confirmed supervision is used to identify gaps in their knowledge and strengthen practice. For example, senior staff have received specific supervision training to help them when delivering supervision to staff. As a result, staff grow in confidence and understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff are consistently supported by the organisation’s therapeutic team, whose members provide guidance on the approach to therapeutic care. This supports staff in helping children develop the skills necessary to navigate adverse experiences and emotions, promoting children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ oversight of the operation of the home is generally effective. Learning and reflection are actively used to improve shortfalls in practice that impact the quality of care children receive. However, there have been missed opportunities to ensure that both the quality of record-keeping is consistent and that consequences given to children are fair and balanced. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 6

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, the registered manager should ensure full information with regard to what has happened during incidents is included in reports so all required information is available for the reader to understand what actions have been taken by staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).  The registered manager should ensure any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In particular, the registered manager should ensure consequences used are fair and balanced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38).

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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: SC480161 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, Lancashire OL12 9EN

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Inspector

Sharon Douglas, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC480161 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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