Children's home run by Salford City Council in Salford

Assurance visit report: SC065067 1 SC065067

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:  children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Findings from the visit

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit: Assurance visit report: SC065067 2  incidents of fire-setting by young people in the home  poor risk management following the incidents of fire-setting  poor relationships between young people, and incidents of bullying  incidents of verbal and physical aggression  young people smoking in their bedrooms, which has gone unchecked by staff  poor care-planning arrangements.

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The care of children

Impact risk assessments are of poor quality and the matching process is weak. This has placed young people already living at the home at an increased level of risk. There have been incidents of challenging and disruptive behaviour and some young people have been victimised and assaulted. This has impacted on the welfare and safety of all the young people.

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The care of children

Staff have tried to build relationships with young people. However, it is evident that there have been some challenges with this, often due to the group dynamics. Relationships between staff and the young people fluctuate, and one young person is resistant to positive engagement with staff.

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The care of children

Staff understand the importance of education and encourage young people to attend. When young people experience difficulties with their attendance, staff liaise with education professionals to try to overcome any barriers to young people’s learning. Some young people have poor attendance in education, while others attend reasonably well.

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The care of children

Staff encourage and support young people to engage in leisure activities. However, most young people prefer to spend their time away from the home, with their peers. During lockdown, staff bought a range of outdoor games for the young people to enjoy.

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The care of children

Staff promote and support young people’s contact with their families. Where difficulties have arisen, staff have discussed this with the placing social worker to try and find a resolution. Young people were supported to keep in touch with their families during lockdown.

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The safety of children

At the full inspection, a shortfall was identified in fire-safety practice in the home. The fire risk assessment had not been updated following young people’s attempts at fire-setting in the home. There have been further incidents of fire-setting in the home since the last inspection. The fire risk assessment has not been updated to reflect this behaviour. The acting manager has requested some resources from the Assurance visit report: SC065067 3 fire and rescue service to educate the young people on fire safety and awareness, but due to lockdown restrictions there has been a delay in this work being done.

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The safety of children

Young people are known to smoke in their bedrooms. Staff have failed to implement risk management strategies to prevent young people from doing so, for example, undertaking daily room searches and removing any lighters or tobacco. It was clear during the assurance visit that young people had been smoking in their bedrooms. This was not identified or challenged by the staff on shift. This creates an unacceptable level of risk to all young people who live in the home and to staff working on the premises.

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The safety of children

Poor relationships in the home have led to several serious incidents in the home and community. For example, one young person was subject to homophobic abuse and threats of violence from the other young people. On two occasions, the neighbours have complained about being disturbed by the young people’s negative behaviours.

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The safety of children

Shortfalls were identified in relation to the quality of direct work carried out with the young people. The majority of key-work sessions with young people are not planned or measured for their impact on the young people’s identified areas of need.

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Leaders and managers

The home has been without a registered manager since August 2019. At the last inspection, the deputy manager had taken on the role of acting manager. A new manager has recently been appointed.

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Leaders and managers

A number of members of staff have been off work due to COVID-19 shielding and long-term sickness. Gaps in the rota have been filled by the use of regular bank staff to help try and maintain consistency in the home.

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Leaders and managers

Strong relationships with partner agencies have continued. Strategy meetings and care planning meetings have taken place via video link. A social worker confirmed that there is good communication between them and the home.

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Leaders and managers

The home strives to meet the aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. Consistent efforts have been made to maintain the physical environment of the home in the face of ongoing damage inflicted by the young people.

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Leaders and managers

On two occasions young people have accessed the sloping roof at the back of the house. Inspectors observed broken crockery, two empty alcohol bottles and other debris on the roof. The landing carpet is badly damaged as a result of young people setting fire to it. The acting manager said that a replacement carpet has been ordered.

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Leaders and managers

A number of requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have not been met. They are repeated with additional requirements. Assurance visit report: SC065067 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 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; ensure that staff—

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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

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 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(i)) 25/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

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

mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(b)) This is a repeated requirement 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC065067 5 *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— that staff—

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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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(b)) 25/10/2020

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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; and promotes their welfare.

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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; 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; 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC065067 6 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) This is a repeated requirement. 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)) 06/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 06/11/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership; does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home. 06/11/2020 Assurance visit report: SC065067 7 If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and the date on which the appointment takes effect.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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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Inspectors

Michelle Bacon, Social Care Inspector Tracy Mese, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC065067 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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