Micklemoss House is Outstanding!
Our 3-bed residential children’s home ‘Micklemoss House’, which is located in Bradford has recently been inspected by Ofsted and received an overall rating of ‘Outstanding’. The home was graded as Outstanding in all 3 areas. This is an amazing outcome for Ben the registered manager and the dedicated care team at Micklemoss House.
- The effectiveness of leaders and managers
- How well children and young people are helped and protected
- Overall experiences and progress of children and young people
The effectiveness of leaders and managers:
Children benefit from the strong leadership and management of the home. The manager ensures that the home achieves the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose to ‘create a home that the child or young person can identify with as a safe, family unit, through permanent, consistent, and child-centred care’.
The manager understands the strengths and challenges of the home and works creatively to provide the best possible care to the children. He has high expectations of staff, who consistently exceed the standards set for them. Staff morale is high, with staff describing their team as ‘resilient’ and ‘supportive’. Staff commented that, ‘Management are supportive and reflective and also put a lot of focus on staff development.’
The manager recognises individual potential and provides opportunities for individuals to rapidly advance their careers. This encourages staff to stay with the company, which in turn is a massive benefit to children.
Investment in staff in terms of supervision, training and development is a significant strength of the home. An extensive training programme ensures that children are looked after by adults who are confident in their role, with bespoke training provided to meet children’s specific needs. A good deal of informal learning is undertaken, with the manager using resources such as Ofsted webinars to draw on the regulator’s information, expertise, and inspection framework.
How well children and young people are helped and protected:
Children say they feel safe at the home. One parent noted that their child ‘is kept safe here’.
Robust safeguarding is routine and embedded in day-to-day practice. The manager and staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities that children face. They respond decisively to any concerns that arise, escalating these to the appropriate professionals if required. Staffing ratios are high, so children receive the supervision and support they need in line with their individual risk assessments and plans.
The quality of the relationships between children and staff is key to children becoming safer during their time at the home. Staff treat children with dignity and respect, and with warmth and affection. Children’s positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded. Staff are skilled in using a variety of de-escalation strategies to help children manage their emotions. They do not give up on children when things get difficult, but take a restorative approach to respond to negative behaviours.
Overall experiences and progress of children and young people:
One professional said, ‘The relationship staff have with my young person shows that they really care.’
This security and stability helps children to build trust with the adults looking after them and gives them a sense of permanence and belonging. Children say that they love living at the home and want to stay here until they are 18 years of age. They say that the best things about living here are ‘being listened to’ and ‘having fun’. One parent said that their child is ‘progressing well’ and that the home ‘excels in everything they do.’
Children enjoy a range of opportunities that enrich their lives, provide shared experiences and embed them in their local community. Children participate in all the things their friends and peers enjoy. For example, they go abroad on holiday and attend large-scale music events. They support their favourite football and rugby teams, go to Boys Brigade, and try new hobbies such as rugby and cycling. One child has achieved their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.
Children spend time on the computer, have their nails and hair done for special occasions and decorate their bedrooms to their own unique tastes. Children are made a fuss of on their birthdays and at other special times of the year.
Children receive highly effective therapeutic support from staff, supplemented by direct work from an in-house psychologist. Staff are experts at using opportunities as they arise to help children explore their emotions, to gently focus on specific issues and to help build up resilience and self-esteem.
Everything about the physical environment demonstrates to children that they are valued. One professional commented on ‘the homely, warm and welcoming environment where the children are given unconditional positive regard in the care and support offered’.
This is a fantastic Ofsted inspection report and outcome with comments the manager and whole team can feel proud of in their drive for excellence in children’s social care.
Well done and congratulations to Ben and the care team at Micklemoss House.