Children's home run by Dynamic Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 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. It offers care and accommodation for up to three children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The children’s home has not had a registered manager since March 2020. The children’s home was suspended on 7 May 2020 as a result of significant safeguarding concerns.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted received a complaint raising concerns about the care practice of this home. As a result, a monitoring visit was conducted on 6 May 2020. The monitoring visit found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home, resulting in the suspension of the service for an initial period of 12 weeks. This monitoring visit will review the home’s compliance with the suspension.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not admitted any children to the service since the suspension was served on 7 May 2020 and therefore remains compliant with the suspension.

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This monitoring visit

A preliminary review of the shortfalls identified at the monitoring visit on 6 May 2020 was conducted during this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The home has employed a new manager since the last monitoring visit, and an application for registration has been made to Ofsted. However, the vetting procedures remain an area for concern. The responsible individual has not complied with the home’s policies and procedures to ensure that all checks on new employees are completed prior to them commencing employment, specifically the robust validation of an appropriate referee and confirmation of any previous disciplinary Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 2 procedures. This means that staff are employed without sufficient checks, which compromises the safety of children who may be accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

Disciplinary procedures remain deficient. Although the procedures have been updated, they have not been actioned by the responsible individual. For example, where the responsible individual has stated that staff have received a warning, there is no evidence of this taking place or a record held on file. Consequently, the home’s procedures are not applied, and poor practice remains unchecked.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual accepted that the previous manager did not have the experience and skills to conduct the children’s home and that there had been a significant level of complacency within the staff team and senior managers. This led to the poor oversight of the service being provided to children. The responsible individual and the newly appointed manager are working with staff to address the identified area of poor practice. For example, staff have completed a range of online training courses. However, managers have not yet tested out the staff team’s understanding of the training that they have received.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has reviewed and developed the matching process for children being referred to the home. The home will no longer offer care and accommodation for children who are placed on a deprivation of liberty order, where there is significant substance misuse or where they require in excess of one-to-one staffing. The responsible individual accepted that previous matching processes had not considered the skills and experience of the staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has reviewed and developed both the initial impact risk assessment and children’s individual risk assessments. Impact risk assessments now consider previous placement breakdowns and the potential risk to other children accommodated. Likewise, individual risk assessments include details of the agreed strategies for managing identified risks.

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This monitoring visit

Team meetings have taken place. However, the meetings have not demonstrated any challenge of staff regarding the shortfalls as identified at the monitoring visit on 6 May 2020. Therefore, staff are not provided with the opportunity to discuss shortfalls in practice, their role in these and their own accountability. This process is required in order to address and develop safe caring practice.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual stated that although a complete review of the home’s practice is under way, the home is not currently in a position to reopen. A further monitoring visit will be conducted at the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 22/01/2020 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 5 positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(xi)) 12: The protection of children standard The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 6 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;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(e)) 14: The care planning standard 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; 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 7 that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(c)(e)(i)(ii)) 32: Fitness of workers 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

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Requirement Due date

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 requirements are that— 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

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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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)(c)(d)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 8 any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32(7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(8)) 40: Notification of a serious event 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

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)) 05/06/2020

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard 05/06/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 9 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 a home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcome, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the staff work as a team as 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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the workforce provides continuity of care for 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;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 10

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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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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2490784 11 to achieve excellence in the care of children and children, 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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