Children's home run by Social Care Services Limited in Stockport

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 1 SC357133 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately run children’s home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2013.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

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

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person who was living at the home at the time of the last inspection continues to experience placement stability and consistency of care. Another young person who was living at the home at the time of the last inspection was discharged after a prolonged period of being missing. A young person who came to live at the home in October 2018 has settled well and is making good progress from their initial starting point.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff value the importance of good educational attendance. One young person is fully engaged in their educational placement and has 100% attendance. However, one young person who was attending regularly is now refusing to attend. Staff Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 2 are liaising with teaching staff and have arranged a meeting to look at how they can support the young person to re-engage in their education.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people build positive and trusting relationships with staff that help them to feel safe and secure. Young people are encouraged to take part in a range of activites that reflect their interests. For example, one young person is an avid football fan and, since coming to live at the home, they have been to watch their favourite team with staff. They have also joined a local football team. During the recent school holidays, the young people enjoyed a series of days out together with staff. Consequently, young people participate in a range of activites and experiences that help them to improve their social skills.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work proactively with family members to promote safe and meaningful contact. One young person’s parent comes for tea every week. Staff regularly transport another young person some distance to see their family. This helps young people to sustain important attachments.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff take appropriate action whenever they have concerns about a young person’s welfare and safety. They work with partner agencies to share information and manage safeguarding concerns. However, at a strategy meeting a recommendation was made for work to be done with a young person in relation to sexual exploitation. This work has not been done and the manager has not escalated this to the placing social worker. A requirement is made in respect of this.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positive behaviour is promoted and there is a strong emphasis on the use of rewards and praise. There have been no physical interventions and very few sanctions since the last inspection. Staff maintain contact with young people when they are spending time with their friends. Staff drop young people off at suitable locations to spend time with friends, and collect them afterwards. Staff also maintain contact with young people when they are having time unsupervised in the community. If a young person is not where they should be, or is late home, staff take appropriate action to try and locate them and report them to the police in line with agreed protocols. This promotes young people’s swift and safe return.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is maintained to a good standard. A new bathroom has recently been fitted and new fencing erected outside. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms in styles of their choice. Young people also have access to a computer.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, two requirements and three recommendations were made. The manager has addressed all but one of the recommendations, which relates to a workforce development plan. Therefore, this recommendation is repeated. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2017 Full Inadequate

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d) 01/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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 differences 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: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Raymond Ashton Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 5

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Inspector

Michelle Bacon: social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC357133 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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