Children's home run by Oldham Children’s Social Care in Oldham

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 1 SC035339

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Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

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 owned and managed by a local authority. The home can accommodate seven children and young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. At the time of this visit the home was in the process of a complete refurbishment. There are no young people accommodated at this time.

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This monitoring visit

On 17 July 2019, an interim inspection concluded that the home had declined in effectiveness. Two compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13 were issued following this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit was undertaken by Paul Robinson, social care regulatory inspector, on 19 August 2019. This visit concluded that the registered provider had taken action to plan the areas of improvement required. However, planned actions had not yet been completed. Because of this, the compliance notices raised under regulation 12 and regulation 13 had not been met and were therefore reissued.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit reviewed the registered provider‟s progress in meeting the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit on 19 August 2019, the local authority has employed an agency manager for an initial six-week period, and an agency assistant manager.

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This monitoring visit

A number of staff remain suspended while investigations into their conduct in the home take place. Several staff have left the service and some staff are on long-term sick leave. Inspectors identified that there are seven staff available to work in the home. The home is registered for seven young people. This means there is not a full complement of staff. The agency manager stated that there is a planned phased Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 2 integration of young people starting with the admission of two, until staffing issues are resolved. Inspectors reiterated that the home must have sufficient staffing and that young people must be looked after by a strong, secure and stable staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home‟s closure for refurbishment, staff have been redeployed to other children‟s homes and have not come together as a team until 21 October 2019. Consequently, inspectors found that staff have not received refresher training, specifically in the areas of safeguarding, physical intervention, behaviour management and self-harm, as identified in the previous action plan. Likewise, team meetings have not taken place to address the serious shortfalls in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that insufficient steps have been taken to improve the supervision of staff. Supervision remains inconsistent. Since the last monitoring inspection on 19 August 2019, four supervisions have taken place. There is some evidence of staff reflection on previous practice. However, the significant delay in providing staff with consistent and professional supervision serves to compromise how previous practice is challenged.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that steps to address the significant shortfalls in the risk assessment and risk management of young people have not taken place. Furthermore, staff have not received the support and guidance from managers to ensure that they have the skills, training and competence to manage complex safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The refurbishment of the home is incomplete. Because of this, the home is not yet ready to accommodate young people.

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This monitoring visit

The agency manager and assistant manager stated that because they had only recently been employed with the local authority and had not had access to the building until 21 October 2019, they are unable to evidence that sufficient steps have been taken to address the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

In conclusion, although additional time has been given to the local authority to meet the compliance notices under regulation 12 and regulation 13, they remain unmet.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/07/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 21/11/2018 Full Good 05/10/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

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—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the damaged freezer and dining chairs should be replaced or repaired. Redecoration of the home should be completed, including to marked and damaged walls, doors and ceilings. The greenhouse and shed should either be removed, or repaired so that they are safe. 16/08/2019

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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— 16/08/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 4 ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i) (ii)(iii)(iv)) 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—

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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. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)) 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 16/08/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 5 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i))ix)(x)) * The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(b)(d)) 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and 16/08/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 6 skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(h)) 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

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Requirement Due date

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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)) 16/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and 16/08/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 7 the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC035339 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UT

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Inspectors

Michelle Edge, social care inspection manager Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035339 9 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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