Children's home run by Dynamic Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 1

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Dynamic Childcare 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 company. The home offers care and accommodation for up to two children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is managed by a registered manager and children were spoken to as part of this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

An urgent inspection took place at the home on 7 May 2020 due to a complaint made to Ofsted about the safety and well-being of children. At the time of this visit, there were two children accommodated on a one-to-one basis at the home.

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This monitoring visit

As part of this monitoring visit, the recruitment, selection and vetting procedures of all staff employed at the home were reviewed. It was confirmed by the registered manager that he is not involved in the recruitment process. The director and responsible individual have responsibility for this task. Recruitment files evidenced that over 50% of the staff team do not have previous experience of working with vulnerable children. In addition, not all references had been received from previous employers; verification of references did not address concerns relating to previous disciplinary measures, and not all employees’ proof of identity was robustly assessed. This means that children are cared for by a substantial number of staff who do not possess the relevant experience and skills and who have not been suitably vetted. During the inspection, the registered manager contacted the responsible individual and requested that he attend the home to clarify the

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This monitoring visit

recruitment process of staff. The responsible individual did not attend. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 2 The home’s rosters demonstrated that there are adequate staffing levels in the home. However, when the home’s logbook was reviewed, it was unclear whether appropriate levels of staff are in the home during the night time shifts. For example, rosters state that there is one waking night staff member and one sleep-over staff member. However, on one occasion a waking night staff member refused to collect a child who had been reported as missing, saying that he could not leave the home unattended. On another occasion, staff were recorded as completing the shift; however, they were on annual leave at that time. This brings into question the validity of the rosters provided and does not evidence that the home has sufficient staff to meet the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager stated that there were some concerns about staff being out of the building for long periods and gave examples of when staff had done this. He has installed an electronic fingerprint register that staff are required to use when working in the home. However, this relies on the honesty of staff and does not address the issue of staff not being in the home when they are rostered on shift to care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Discussions took place with the registered manager about children being taken out on activities with staff during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) government restrictions on travel. The registered manager stated that he had become aware of this and challenged the staff member. However, there was no record of this challenge. This member of staff was then moved to complete other duties outside the home. When asked about disciplinary procedures, the registered manager stated that any concerns are raised with the director and the responsible individual and that they move the member of staff to complete other duties outside the home. The current procedures for the management of the staff team are deficient. The lack of a robust response to concerns about staff practice, honesty and integrity serves only to place the children they care for at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Missing from care records demonstrate that staff do not take appropriate action when children are missing from home. On one occasion, a child who had been reported as missing contacted the home and requested to be collected. Staff refused to collect the child, and he remained missing until the following morning. The registered manager stated that the child was in the habit of ‘messing staff around’, and not being where he said he would be. The registered manager had not challenged the staff member’s decision not to collect the child or reviewed the circumstances around this. Consequently, the safety and well-being of this child were significantly compromised.

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This monitoring visit

In February 2020, two children were reported as missing after they stole the home’s vehicle. One child was able to enter the office in front of staff and removed the keys for the vehicle. Two children then left the home in the vehicle. The registered manager stated that the children had then crashed and caused damage to the vehicle. The manager was unable to demonstrate what action had been taken after the incident but informed inspectors that the staff member involved does not work at the home any more. The manager was not aware of the discrepancy in the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 3 reporting of this incident to Ofsted. This example of ineffective safeguarding demonstrates the lack of experience and skill within the staff team, which serves to compromise the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments are completed and updated for all children. Assessments reveal that both children have accessed and smoked cannabis while being accommodated at this home. The registered manager was asked to explain how children were accessing cannabis when they are reported to be supervised on a one-to-one basis. The manager explained that children are allowed free time to go to the shop, but that staff attend with children on most occasions. The manager stated that he was alerted to a concern that children may be purchasing cannabis from a local shop. He further stated that he had visited the shop and made the owner aware of his concern, and, since then, there have been no further incidents of children accessing cannabis. However, the registered manager could not provide any evidence of this meeting occurring or that he reported the matter to the police or the children’s social workers as a concern.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager was asked about a social media group that is used by staff. This group contained confidential information about the children, including photographs and shift management arrangements. The registered manager stated that the group had now been closed on the advice of the responsible individual. However, there is a failure of the registered manager and staff to understand the impact of the violation of children’s privacy and dignity in using such a social media group.

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This monitoring visit

This urgent inspection found a number of shortfalls in the leadership and management, including the organisational management of staff and the management of the children’s home. Because of these deficits, children’s care, safety and well-being are not consistently or robustly managed by experienced or a skilled staff team. Consequently, two compliance notices were issued, and three requirements are made to improve practice in this children’s home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 30/01/2020 Full Good 14/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 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;

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)) 08/06/2020

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 08/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 6 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) * 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 08/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or 08/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 7 if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, ‘the appropriate person’ is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(3)) 08/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 8

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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: Dynamic Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 11 Retiro Street, Oldham OL1 1SA

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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Michelle Bacon, social care inspector. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1264696 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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