Children's home run by Proactive Care in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 1 SC479776

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Proactive Care

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This independent children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is currently operating without a registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received a complaint on 2 June 2020. The complaint raised a number of concerns in relation to children’s welfare and safety and the standard of accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, inspectors found bedrooms unwelcoming, of poor decoration and in one case unhygienic. A child who has lived at the home since December 2019 has not had their bedroom personalised to their own style and taste. Inspectors found the room was bland and lacked any personal belongings. There was a pole missing in their wardrobe, which means that their clothes are lying in the bottom of the wardrobe. Furthermore, an inspection of their mattress revealed it to be heavily soiled with urine on both sides and a cigarette burn.

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This monitoring visit

Another child told the inspectors that her room was not tidy and the furniture in her bedroom does not match. She also said that she does not have sufficient storage for all her belongings, so she is storing some of her things in plastic bags.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found evidence that managers and staff have failed to take effective action to keep children safe. For example, staff are aware that some children are smoking cigarettes and cannabis in their bedrooms. There have been occasions when staff have taken no action to challenge this behaviour. This is a fire hazard and presents a risk to children’s health and well-being and staff’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 2 Children’s care plans lack sufficient detail about their support needs. For example, the care plan for one child with additional needs contained no reference to the impact of his disability or the strategies staff need to use to support him. Furthermore, important routines for this child are not recorded in enough detail, and this hinders consistent practice by the staff team. Another child’s plan did not contain sufficient detail about their substance misuse and the strategies staff should

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This monitoring visit

use to support them to manage and reduce this habit.

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This monitoring visit

There has been a lack of referral to specialist support services to help young people manage their health and personal care, for example the substance misuse service or continence management service. This does not ensure that children are provided with good emotional and physical support.

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This monitoring visit

The registered provider has failed to properly consider the needs of children and the staff team’s ability to meet those needs, prior to agreeing to admit children to live in the home. For example, one child with additional needs has been admitted to the home, and the staff team is not sufficiently equipped with the knowledge, skills and training required to effectively support them and enable them to reach their potential.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s risk assessments lack significant information about all known risk factors. For example, one child is known to have had suicidal thoughts. The risk this poses has not been assessed, and the strategies to manage this risk are not clearly recorded. This means that staff are unclear about what strategies they must follow when incidents occur. Furthermore, risk assessments contain out-of-date and inaccurate information. For example, one child’s risk assessment states that there are additional staff in place at night time to keep him safe. This additional support is no longer in place, and there is no evidence that its removal was risk assessed beforehand.

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This monitoring visit

Day-to-day care is poorly planned. Managers and staff have failed to put good routines in place for children during this period of restrictions due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As a result, children sleep in late, and daily activities are often repetitive, unfocused and lack purpose. For example, one child’s activity planner identifies going for a drive as a daily activity. As a result, children are not provided with stimulating activities designed to informally educate and engage them.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour management in the home is poor. Inspectors found that, on a number of occasions, staff have consistently used the same disciplinary measure to manage behaviour, despite it being ineffective. Additionally, staff do not always record the disciplinary measures used, and managers have not evaluated their effectiveness. Consequently, staff continue to use ineffective behaviour management strategies, and children are not learning to reflect on and improve their behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 3 The registered manager left in May 2020, and there is an acting manager in post. Inspectors identified that, between February and May 2020, six staff members had been employed and left the home. This has led to children being looked after by staff who are not well established in the home. As a result, children are not benefiting from consistent routines, boundaries and guidance.

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This monitoring visit

The home is not meeting the aims set out in its statement of purpose. It is not providing a safe, warm and nurturing environment with a high standard of care and accommodation for children.

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This monitoring visit

In Ofsted’s view, the shortfalls highlighted demonstrate poor leadership and management practice. As a result of these findings, Ofsted has taken compliance action and issued six compliance notices. Ofsted will continue to monitor the provider closely to ensure that improvements are made.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements and recommendations raised at the last full inspection have not been reviewed at this monitoring visit and therefore remain in place.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 25/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 15/09/2019

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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;

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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; 31/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 5 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)) The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a) and (d))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to removing the closed- circuit television (CCTV) on the top-floor landing of the home. 15/09/2019

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Requirement Due date

* The standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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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 (2)(a)(b)(vii)(c)(i)) 07/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

* The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 07/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 6 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)(ii)) * 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;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)) 07/07/2020

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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. 07/07/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 7 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(a)) * The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the behaviour management policy’) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b)(3)(a)(viii)) 31/07/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 11.4, page 56)  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)  Ensure that relevant plans are obtained from the placing authority. This

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Recommendations

relates specifically to obtaining an up to date copy of the young person’s Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 8 Personal Education Plan (PEP). (‘Guide to the children homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.1, page 14)

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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 address: 2 The Chase, Bolton, Lancashire BL1 5HL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Ashley O’Leary-Jones

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Inspectors

Michelle Bacon, social care inspector Sophie Thomson, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC479776 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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