Children's home run by Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited

Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 1 Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This independent home provides care for up to two young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in August 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2018. The home had employed an acting manager, however their employment was terminated in December 2018. The acting manager‟s time was divided between this home and another setting that they were responsible for. Consequently, the post-holder did not spend sufficient time at this home and the home was not managed effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A new acting manager has now been employed, who is in the process of completing their application for registration for only this home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

It is evident that there has been a degree of staff turnover in the home, and there have been occasions when agency staff have had to be used to cover for staff shortages. Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 2 Both young people who live at the home are new admissions. They have settled in well and have been made to feel welcome by staff. Young people reported, „It‟s all right. The staff are well mannered and they‟re like normal people, aren‟t they. It‟s like you‟re in a normal family… best things are the activities and the food.‟

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A risk impact assessment was completed prior to the home‟s most recent admission. However, the assessment is insufficiently detailed and does not demonstrate how this young person‟s assessed needs have been considered in terms of the likely impact that their admission may have on other young people at the home. As a result, there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that young people placed are appropriately matched.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Both young people attend education, and one receives home tuition on a part-time basis which is currently less than 25 hours a week.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is evidence to show that young people‟s complaints are investigated and taken seriously. There has been a complaint from a young person concerning the inappropriate conduct of an agency worker. Staff took appropriate action to address the young person‟s concerns, including reporting the agency worker for unprofessional conduct.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that young people are supported and kept safe from harm. However, one significant incident was not reported to Ofsted due to lack of management oversight at the time. On this occasion, this did not have a negative impact on young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff actively look for young people if they go missing. They follow and implement the home‟s procedures to locate young people quickly and promote their safe return. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police and all other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well-being of young people. However, the original log of missing episodes has gone missing from the home. This means that vital information may be overlooked when the manager attempts to track any patterns and trends in the occurrence of missing incidents.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff confirm that they receive regular supervision. However, some supervision records are missing from the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The performance of the home is scrutinised by an independent professional each month. This enables the independent person to form an impartial judgement of the home‟s arrangements to safeguard young people and promote their well-being. As a result, staff can act on any shortfalls identified to secure improvement for the home. The responsible individual has recently employed two additional quality assurance auditors to complement the home‟s existing monitoring arrangements to improve the quality of care provided for young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has met and addressed both recommendations from the last inspection. Relevant plans are in place for young people and they are registered with all appropriate healthcare services to ensure that their health needs are consistently met. Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the „Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‟s home if–

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider– is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of– the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27(1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii), (2)(a)(b)) 03/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees–

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)). 03/06/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 4 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if–

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation; an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious; there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; a child protection enquiry involving a child– is instigated; or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 04/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which–

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child. Case records must be kept– securely in the children‟s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36(2)(c)(d).)

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to the log of missing from home incidents. 03/06/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child‟s assessed needs as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. („Guide to children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  Ensure that children are in full-time education whilst they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plan contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full-time attendance at school unless the child‟s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. („Guide to children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 28, paragraph 5.14)  Sufficient staff means a home having enough suitably trained staff (including

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Recommendations

Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 5 someone in a „management role‟) on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home, and that those staff are able to respond to emergency placements, where accepted. The registered person must demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing so that children‟s attachments are not overly disrupted, including ensuring that the employment of any temporary staff will not prevent children from receiving the continuity of care that they need. („Guide to children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 51, paragraph 10.1) Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children‟s home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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‟.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Proactive Care (Manchester) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 The Chase, Bolton BL1 5HL

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1255800 7 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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