Children's home run by The Together Trust in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 1 SC025740 Registered provider: The Together Trust Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to six children, who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This home is run by a charity.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 2

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children 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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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children are making progress in the home and are attending full-time education. One child has started a part-time timetable and is starting to engage in education. The manager has advocated for the child to ensure that an appropriate school placement was accessed. Children are receiving additional support from other relevant professionals. This is having a positive impact.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are concerns around episodes of going missing and substance misuse for one child. On occasion, this has led to the child requiring medical support at hospital. Professionals’ meetings have been held and additional risk assessments put in place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The physical environment is homely. Certain areas of the home have been adapted to meet a child’s sensory needs and to create a safe space. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. One child refuses to allow staff to clean or tidy their room and will not do this themselves. This had led to incidents in the home. This bedroom is dirty and has graffiti on the walls and clothing on the floor. Staff are working with the therapy team and looking at strategies for managing this and supporting the child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

During one incident of child-to-child interaction, a third child picked up and removed a peer from the room. This was not appropriate and could have led to harm being caused to both children. The management oversight of the report did not consider the risks or appropriateness of this action by a child or the staff response.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incident reports are handwritten and at times do not contain enough information. The standard of handwriting is poor, and parts of reports are illegible as a result. This has an impact on the oversight and reviewing of reports. Children’s plans are not always reflective of the children’s individual needs. They contain a lot of generic and irrelevant information rather than focusing on the specific needs of the child. Risk assessments are not kept updated and do not always accurately highlight the level of risk for the child in question.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The voice of the child is not always evident in the home. Children do not participate in regular get-togethers to discuss the home and its development. Children do not always contribute to their plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Management monitoring and review systems are not fully effective. The independent visitors’ reports do, at times, contain inaccurate and insufficient information. This has not been challenged by the manager. The manager is looking at implementing new systems to improve the quality of monitoring in the home. Sufficient progress has not been made in meeting the requirements set at the last inspection. These requirements have been reset, along with additional requirements. Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2019 Full Good 24/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/11/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 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 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

understand the impact the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(f)(h)) 01/06/2020

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person’s report should be specific and tailored to the individual home. Information 01/06/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 5 should be accurate and updated at each visit. Any summary or opinion about the safeguarding arrangements in place should be reflective of the observations and information obtained at the time of the visit. 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 that staff—

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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; ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(d)) 01/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child.

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child— any measure involving a child imposing any measure against another child. (Regulation 19(1)(2)(i)) 01/06/2020

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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 kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 01/06/2020

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Recommendations

Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Due consideration should be given to the child’s cognitive ability in the development and implementation of any consultation processes. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11). Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 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: SC025740 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Together Trust Centre, Schools Hill, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1JE

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Inspector

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC025740 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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