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

Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 1 SC035492

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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 four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since May 2019.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of an inadequate judgement at the last full inspection on 27 and 28 August 2019, the local authority was issued with three compliance notices in respect of regulation 12, the help and protection standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 23 September 2019, a monitoring visit was undertaken by Michelle Edge, regulation inspection manager, and Lisa Mulcahy, social care regulatory inspector, to consider the action taken by the provider to meet the steps within the compliance notice relating to regulation 12, the help and protection standard. The inspectors found that insufficient action had been taken to address the notice. This resulted in the compliance notice being reissued.

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This monitoring visit

On 22 October 2019, a further monitoring visit was undertaken by Michelle Edge, regulation inspection manager, and Maria McGranaghan, social care regulatory inspector, to consider whether suitable action had been taken to address the serious shortfalls in practice with regard to regulation 12, the help and protection standard.

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This monitoring visit

Since the visit on 23 September 2019, the two remaining young people have been discharged from the home. One young person returned to their family and another young person was placed into foster care. Decisions to move young people from the home were made quickly. Inspectors found that the transition planning for both young people is poor. Records do not include a planned integration, a summary of Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 2 visits or how the young person would be supported once the move had taken place. This lack of effective planning serves to compromise the success of a new placement and is contrary to the care planning standards.

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This monitoring visit

The local authority has employed an agency manager to oversee the development of practice in the home. At the time of this visit, the manager had been in post for less than 15 days. The manager is employed on a short-term basis and does not intend to make an application for registration. The local authority has been unsuccessful in recruiting a permanent manager for this home.

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This monitoring visit

The provider had revised the risk assessments for young people. However, the documents still failed to include effective strategies for staff to follow when and if young people are at risk of harm. In addition, records about the progress and experiences of the young people were of a poor quality and failed to evidence the direct work that staff said that they had completed with young people. This is a missed opportunity to demonstrate the work completed with young people to enable them to achieve positive outcomes.

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This monitoring visit

A review of the supervision of staff since the inadequate judgement in August 2019 was undertaken. Inspectors found that supervision is of a variable quality and does not take place on a consistent basis. Furthermore, supervision is not used to reflect on the poor practice identified at the home or how staff can improve their practice.

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This monitoring visit

A review of the team meetings was also undertaken. Although it was reported and recorded that meetings are taking place on a two-weekly basis, this was not evident in the records. The records of meetings that have taken place highlight that staff remain angry and frustrated by the Ofsted judgement. This means that staff have not taken responsibility for the severe shortfalls in practice identified at the full inspection in August 2019. This continued failure of staff to understand the impact of poor practice on young people in their care has been left unchallenged by managers. Consequently, this limits the progress required in order to improve the overall practice of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff undertook safeguarding refresher training on 21 October 2019. Inspectors spoke to one staff member regarding this training and how this will benefit their future practice. The staff member failed to identify any areas for improvement as a result of this training and said, ‘I haven’t learned anything I didn’t already know.’ This does not demonstrate that staff are learning from the refresher training provided as a result of the significant shortfalls in staff practice. There was limited evidence of any other training provided to staff to understand their roles and responsibilities in caring for young people.

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This monitoring visit

The provider had failed to ensure that a hole in a fire door in the kitchen had been fixed prior to this visit. The agency manager stated that a repairs request had been submitted to the local authority in the previous week. However, this was later confirmed as inaccurate, as the staff member had failed to follow the request of the Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 3 agency manager and had not reported the door. This meant that staff using the building had potentially been left at risk. The agency manager did take immediate action to rectify this at the monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors were informed by the agency manager that they had not had sight of the Ofsted inspection report that highlighted the concerns found during the inspection. The agency manager was asked by the inspectors what information she had been provided with prior to her taking up the position at the home. The agency manager stated that she was aware of the inadequate judgement but had not been given specific detail about the inspection, nor had she been supplied with the report. She had started to review all of the documentation in the home and look at staff practice. However, insufficient action has been taken to address the steps in the reissued compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, it was evident that the provider had again failed to take effective action to meet the compliance notice issued in respect of the protection of children and young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/08/2019 Full Inadequate 18/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/12/2018 Full Good 17/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 4

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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 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)) 11/10/2019

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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 skills to meet the needs of each child; 11/10/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 5 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))

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Requirement Due date

*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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)) 11/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them; 11/10/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 6 medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Paragraph (2) does not apply to medicine which— is stored by the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it; and

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Requirement Due date

may be safely self-administered by that child. (Regulation 23 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, an assessment of the suitability of children to self-administer medication should be completed. Children should have an appropriate place to store medication so that other children cannot use it. If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

An assessment of the fire safety of the home should be completed on an annual basis. 11/10/2019

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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

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home,

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice 11/10/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 7 of— the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b)) 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;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this should include copies of local authority care plans on all children’s case files. 11/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, there should be a record of any children who have moved into the home or who have left. 11/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

If the independent person becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest (whether under regulation 43(3) or otherwise) after a visit to the home, the independent person must include in the independent person’s report—

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Requirement Due date

details of the conflict of interest; and the reasons why the independent person did not notify the registered provider of the conflict of interest before the visit.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the 11/10/2019 Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 8 home is located; the placing authorities of children;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (6)(a)(7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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.

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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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Inspector

Michelle Edge, social care regulatory inspection manager Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report for children‟s home - monitoring visit: SC035492 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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