Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 1 SC064858

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Salford City Council

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority maintained home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides a police and criminal evidence bed for children and young people between the ages of 10 and 17 years.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2007.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home required improvement to be good at the last inspection in June 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, Ofsted has received several notifications of significant events that have occurred in the home. In addition, information was received which indicated that the home may be in breach of regulations relating to the protection of children.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring inspection was carried out. Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) government restrictions, the inspection took place using remote inspection methodology and a brief on-site visit to allow the inspector to speak to children and staff.

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This monitoring visit

The home has been through a challenging period due to the impact of poorly matched admissions to the home and changes to staffing due to COVID-19 related illness. This has resulted in some disruption within the home. Staff spoken with described a challenging period, due to a number of their team being absent and staff from other homes helping to fill gaps in staffing levels. However, staff feel that the situation is starting to settle down due to a recent decision by senior Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 2 management about placements to the home. Staff acknowledged that the impact on young people had been severe. One young person stated that they now feel safe and spoke favourably about staff who they have positive relationships with in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Key-worker sessions between staff and children have occurred at varying frequencies and are not always in line with children’s needs. This does not help children to understand their behaviours or how they can make positive choices to improve their life outcomes.

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This monitoring visit

Impact risk assessments for new admissions to the home are poor. At times, risk assessments are clearly indicating that an admission will impact negatively on the child in question and those already living at the home, yet the admission goes ahead. This places children at risk of harm and creates an unsettled environment in which staff sometimes struggle to meet the individual needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

At the home’s last inspection, it was identified that there had been concerns in relation to young people’s substance misuse. This continues to be a concern at this monitoring visit. Although staff understand the risks associated with this and have conducted room searches, staff allowed one child to keep substance paraphernalia in her room, so long as she had disposed of it before the next room search. This does not give children clear and consistent messages about the dangers associated with substance misuse. In addition, records in relation to room searches are poor with minimal information recorded; the manager does not use the recordings to document her decision on the appropriateness of staff actions.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, a compliance notice has been issued in relation to care planning for children. In addition, the authority has given Ofsted assurance that they will not admit any more young people to the home for a period of time.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 21/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/09/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 3

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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 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

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are provided with, and follow, clear risk management guidance at all times. 06/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children— (a) receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and (b) have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) 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; (b) that arrangements are in place to (ii) manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (2)(a)(b)(ii)) 06/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 4 Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. (2) The registered person must— (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

(b) ensure that the records are kept up to date; and (c) retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)(c)) With particular reference to the provision of detailed room search records. 06/08/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered manager must challenge (under regulation 5(c) the placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)

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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: 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Deborah Urry Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 5

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Inspectors

Julia Toller, regulatory inspection manager Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC064858 6 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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