Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Telford and Wrekin

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 1

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Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for up to four young people. The home specialises in caring for girls who have been subject to child sexual exploitation. A private company owns and operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has resigned and is working her notice. A new manager has been appointed.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged good at the full inspection on 18 to 19 November 2019. The effectiveness of leaders and managers was judged as requires improvement.

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This monitoring visit

On 23 July 2020, Ofsted completed a monitoring inspection of the home in response to safeguarding concerns and incidents that occurred at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector identified a number of concerns at this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

There have been a number of serious incidents where young people have placed themselves at risk. The manager has notified Ofsted of some, but not all, concerns. This leaves the regulator without a clear oversight of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s response to incidents is poor. Not all serious concerns have been recorded as such and some have not been investigated sufficiently. This means that the manager can not be assured that appropriate action was taken to safeguard young people. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 2 Documentation is poor. For example, incidents are not clearly reported and contain little information. In addition, staff do not always receive a debrief following a serious incident. This prevents staff from reflecting on their practice and considering what could have been done differently.

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This monitoring visit

Staff purchase and provide young people with smoking vapes and liquids that contain high levels of nicotine. This inappropriate practice is not risk assessed and is without the consent of social workers or parents. In addition, not all risk assessments are updated following incidents. This leaves staff without the full information to inform their practice and reduce risks.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have failed to ensure that staff complete key training in areas such as child exploitation, understanding self-harm, COVID-19 (coronavirus), how to change behaviour, social development and regulations and compliance training. This means that staff lack the knowledge to meet the needs of the young people placed in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that young people are offered an independent return interview after periods of missing from home. This oversight means that young people do not have the opportunity to reflect on why they have placed themselves at risk.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has resigned and is working her notice from home due to an injury sustained at work. The responsible individual has day-to-day responsibility for the home while they wait for the new manager to commence in post.

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This monitoring visit

Following this inspection, one compliance notice was issued under Regulation 12. In addition, three new requirements were raised. Requirements raised at the full inspection in November 2019, will be reviewed at a future inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/11/2019 Full Good 02/10/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)) 14/09/2020

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 09/08/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 4 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)) * 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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(c)(e)(h)) 14/09/2020

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(e)) 14/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person ("the independent person") to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider. 14/09/2020 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 5 If the registered provider carries on more than one home, the registered provider may appoint the same person as the independent person for all or any of those homes.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), the registered provider may not appoint the following as an independent person if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider is not a local authority, a person who is employed for payment by the registered provider.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 43 (1)(2)(3)(b)) The registered person must use reasonable endeavours to 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 must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (1)(4)(a)(b)(7)(a)) 14/09/2020

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 Children should be provided with appropriate furniture, such as a lockable cabinet or drawers to securely store personal items, including any personal information. Children should have separate bedrooms and should not share a bedroom with an adult. It may be appropriate for siblings of the same sex to share. Children should be given a choice about how their personal space is decorated in accordance with regulation 7(2)(a)(i). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  All managers working in a children’s home must have the qualification in regulation 28(2) within the relevant timescales listed in regulation 28(3). All staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff has not

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Recommendations

worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 6 or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing

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Recommendations

risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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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Information about this inspection

Ofsted is aware of the challenges that COVID-19 is currently posing to those we inspect. During this visit, the inspectors took into consideration the impact of any measures being taken to slow the spread of COVID-19 by the home. This has included the effect these have had on staffing arrangements.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Children’s home Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 7 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Millward

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Inspector

Debbie Holder, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1250186 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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