Children's home run by Proactive Care in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 1 SC479776 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 is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager for this setting.

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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 sustained 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 previously employed an acting manager. However, their employment was ended in December 2018. The responsible individual is in the process of recruiting a new manager, and they are also overseeing the day-to-day running of the home in the absence of a permanent registered manager.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Prior to a young person’s admission, a risk impact assessment is completed to ensure that young people living at the home are appropriately matched. However, the contents of the assessments do not always demonstrate how the needs of the young people already living at the home have been considered in the placement compatibility decision. Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 2 Significant events are reported to the appropriate authorities. This ensures that the right action is taken by suitable professional agencies to protect young people and keep them safe from harm. However, a significant incident in which a young person was involved in a car accident was not reported to Ofsted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from harm. Consequences for addressing unacceptable behaviour are fair and proportionate, when used. Staff actively look for young people if they are missing. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the police to locate young people quickly and secure their safe return. Young people know how to make a complaint and their rights are promoted effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are encouraged to attend school or other alternative educational provision. However, not all young people are attending education in line with their personal education plans, and this restricts their educational achievements and learning.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is evidence to demonstrate that staff maintain effective partnerships with other professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from good help and all-round support. However, key-work sessions do not consistently evidence the levels of support provided to young people in relation to internet safety and substance misuse. Additionally, some records of key-worker sessions are lacking the signatures of staff and, where appropriate, those of young people.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are numerous occasions on which young people have been allowed free time unchecked. This means that they are not constructively or regularly involved in positive activities in the wider community. Therefore, young people lack opportunity to: promote their social skills; improve their ability to form relationships and friendships; and develop their own specific interests and hobbies. This issue was also raised by the responsible individual with care staff in a recent staff meeting.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A social worker reported: ‘They are providing nurturing opportunities for her [young person] within the home within parameters that she is able to accept.’ A young person reported: ‘It’s all right, you know. It’s a good home and one of the best ones I’ve been in, to be honest.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent person visits the home each month to review the quality of young people’s care and the arrangements that the home makes to safeguard the young people and promote their well-being. In addition, the responsible individual has employed two experienced, independent quality assurance auditors to scrutinise the performance of the home and to plan for and monitor service improvements. Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2018 Full Good 24/10/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/03/2017 Full Good

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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)) 22/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

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 04/03/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 4 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)) The registered person must ensure– that staff– help each child to attend education and training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(2)(a)(x)) 30/05/2019

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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 the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to take part in school trips, out of school and other clubs, volunteering and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)  Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further

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Recommendations

information to them. They should be regularly reminded of their rights to see information kept about them and be given information about how they might be supported to access their records in later life. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 14.6). This relates specifically to ensuring that key-worker session records are signed by staff and, where appropriate, young people, evidencing the support provided to young people in relation to substance misuse and internet safety. Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 5

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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) Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Michelle Bacon, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC479776 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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