Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 1 SC394283 Registered provider: Salford City Council Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is a local authority setting registered to accommodate up to five 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 2012 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/10/2017 Full Good 25/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 3

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home required improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has been more settled and there have been no emergency placements. Three young people who have moved into the home have done so in a planned way. This has enabled a brother and sister to live together and maintain their attachment with each other.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are some weaknesses in the leadership and management of the home. The registered manager and deputy manager are both off work, due to long-term sickness. A senior member of staff has been in day-to-day charge of the home. Ofsted has not been notified of the registered manager’s absence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The senior staff member has had some support from the service manager and a manager from one of the authority’s other homes. However, she told the inspector, ‘We are still catching up.’ A recommendation made at the last inspection in relation to staff not receiving regular supervision has not been met. A requirement is made to address this matter. A recommendation raised at the last inspection to improve the staff training records has not been met. Therefore, this recommendation is repeated.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the best efforts of staff, some young people continue to go missing from the home. Records show that staff follow agreed protocols and safeguarding plans to ensure a young person’s prompt return to the home. There have been no incidents of physical intervention since 2018. Staff have appropriately challenged incidents of bullying whenever they have occurred. Staff work with young people to raise their awareness of, and deter them from, bullying behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake direct work with young people in key-work sessions to support them to effect positive changes in their behaviour. Young people have clear and consistent boundaries and know what is expected of them and what is unacceptable. Staff ensure that young people have access to information about their rights and how to complain. However, the inspector was unable to verify if their have been any complaints because the staff could not locate the records.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is meeting the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. The senior in charge has demonstrated commitment and the capacity to improve the quality of care. However, key documents have not always been secured by managers or staff. Examples include an education, health and care plan, minutes from a planning meeting and an up-to-date local authority care plan. That said, this has not compromised the care and support that the home provides for young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 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 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

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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. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 06/03/2020

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

if the child dies before attaining the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of the child’s death;

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth; 06/03/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 5 securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there;

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Requirement Due date

and in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)) If the person who is in day-to-day charge of the children’s home proposes to be absent from the home for a continuous period of 28 days or more, the registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI of the proposed absence.

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Requirement Due date

Except in the case of an emergency or unforeseen absence, a notice under paragraph (1) must—

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Requirement Due date

specify with respect to the proposed absence—

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Requirement Due date

the arrangements which have been made for running the home during the absence;

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Requirement Due date

the address, name and qualifications of the person who will be responsible for the home during the absence; and

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Requirement Due date

in the case of the registered manager, the arrangements that have been, or are proposed to be, made for appointing another person to manage the home during the absence, including the proposed date by which the appointment is to be made. (Regulation 48(1)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 06/03/2020

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can full fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule one (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 the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 6

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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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Salford City Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Chorley Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 5DA

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Inspector

Michelle Bacon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC394283 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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