Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 1

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Care 4 Children Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private organisation. It offers care and accommodation for up to three young people who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The registered manager left the service in February 2019. The new manager’s application to register with Ofsted is ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 30 May 2019. Inspectors found widespread shortfalls in practice and as a result, a restriction of accommodation notice was served on the home on 4 June 2019. In addition, three compliance notices were issued on 6 June 2019 in relation to: Regulation 11, the positive relationships standard; Regulation 12, the protection of children standard; and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring inspection was undertaken to review compliance with the notice of restriction and to review the progress that the home has made in addressing the three compliance notices. The previous requirements and recommendations were not reviewed at this inspection and will be addressed at the next inspection of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not admitted any young people and therefore is compliant with the restriction of accommodation notice. At the time of this inspection, there is one young person resident in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and responsible individual have worked hard to address the concerns raised under Regulation 11. Behaviour management systems have been developed and young people are now routinely involved in formulating their personal behaviour management strategies, which means that procedures are more effective and consistent. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 2 Behaviour management plans are clear. These documents identify potential triggers for behaviour and outline de-escalation techniques and simple methods of redirection as suggested by the young person. Since the last inspection, there has been one minor conflict in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff have developed a strong anti-bullying message across the home. Key-work sessions work alongside targeted workbooks to identify the signs of bullying and the impact that this has on a person’s emotional well-being. The young person has engaged well with staff. He has agreed to set the anti-bullying standard for any new young people being admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Young people’s relationships with staff and their engagement in the home’s well- being for life programme have improved. The current young person has significantly improved his engagement in education, his participation with activities and his general interaction with staff within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now provided with suitable and consistent support from the manager. There are clear expectations and staff understand their roles and functions within the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff have worked hard to address the significant shortfalls in relation to the compliance notice served under Regulation 12. Since the last inspection, there have been no issues with: young people being missing from care; young people being involved in drug taking behaviours; assaults; allegations against staff; involvement in criminal activity; or episodes of restraint. The manager has received an email from the police acknowledging the significant improvements made within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are further developed. Assessments are now completed with the young person and provide details of individual risks and the action to be taken to reduce risks. The young person now regularly engages in work with the home’s psychologist and in-house key-work sessions. This has helped them to have a better understanding of their individual risks and the impact on their lives. This wrap- around service ensures that young people feel safe and are safe while living in the home. Since the last inspection, the level of risk-taking behaviour has significantly reduced.

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This monitoring visit

The manager and staff have undertaken further additional training in order to suitably equip themselves to manage challenging and potentially explosive situations. In addition, the manager’s competency checklist ensures that staff’s skills in conflict resolution, including their roles and responsibilities, are routinely reviewed and monitored to highlight any additional training or support needs. Staff are now provided with regular opportunities to review and reflect on their practice and learning needs. Consequently, staff are now providing a consistent approach to the care of young people and the challenges that they may bring. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 3 The last inspection highlighted significant failings in the referral and impact risk assessment processes which should ensure that young people are suitably matched. The manager has reviewed and developed the referral and admission process, with

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This monitoring visit

the introduction of a new pre-placement assessment form and the collection of mandatory referral information, and both elements will be piloted with local authorities when a new admission is planned. The new formats clearly state that each referral accepted by the home based on the information provided by the local authority will be subject to an initial 28-day assessment. This means that any new admission to the home may be discharged if all pertinent information has not been initially declared. Consequently, the manager and staff are working hard to ensure that young people are suitably matched to those already resident and that their declared individual needs can be safely met within the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken suitable steps to address the concerns highlighted under Regulation 13. There has been a positive drive to embed the well-being for life programme in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. The current young person is now fully engaged and making positive steps forward.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has provided additional supervision and training for staff in order to address shortfalls in practice and to develop a consistent approach to the care of young people being accommodated in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Systems to monitor the practice within the home and the progress that young people make have been improved. The manager has produced a thorough review of the home’s practice and a golden hour checklist now provides the manager with a routine dip sample monitoring tool. This enables the manager to regularly assess staff compliance with the home’s policies and procedures and the quality of the work being undertaken in order to meet the assessed needs of the young people accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection and subsequent restriction of accommodation, some staff have been redeployed to other homes within the company. Consequently, opportunities for staff to come together for a team meeting have been limited. While staff are beginning to work as a team, the provision of regular whole-team meetings would benefit the group and promote consistent practice within the home. A requirement is made to address this issue.

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This monitoring visit

In conclusion, the compliance notices under Regulations 11, 12 and 13 are met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/05/2019 Full Inadequate 05/06/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 15/05/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 5

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff— understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose; protect and promote each child’s welfare; and treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; engage with them; and take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(e)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 31/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 6 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x)) The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose and that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs; the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(e)(i)(ii)(iii)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)) 31/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the 31/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 7 registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)) With particular regard to holding regular team meetings.

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Recommendations

 Positive relationships are those which are characterised by consistency and unconditional positive regard for the child on the part of the carer; and where the carer acknowledges the importance of understanding and responding to the child’s lived experiences of care. Positive, stable relationships help the child to feel secure and cared about. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 21, paragraph 4.3)  The registered person must ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children admitted to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12) Specifically, the consistent management of long-term or chronic illnesses.  Staff should be skilled in understanding the range of influences that friendships can have and discourage those with a negative impact on the children living in

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Recommendations

the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.8)  There may be circumstances where a child can be prevented from leaving a home - for example a child who is putting themselves at risk of injury by leaving the home to carry out gang-related activities or use drugs. Any such measure of restraint must be proportionate and in place for no longer than is necessary to manage immediate risk. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.52)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of the information from the independent and internal monitoring (under Regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively

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Recommendations

implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or being away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 8 an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting welfare and include feedback from stakeholders,

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Recommendations

children and where possible parents. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Pauline Yates, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240883 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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