Children's home run by Homes for Support

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 2592713 1

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Homes for Support Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated and was registered in August 2020. The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

During this monitoring visit, the inspector looked at activity against the compliance notice that was issued on 9 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit on 4 December, one young person has left the home. This young person had been missing for several days. He returned to the home on 4 December 2020. Additional staffing, such as waking night staff, was agreed once the young person had returned to the home. Due to a further incident on 11 December 2020, his placement ended.

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This monitoring visit

A multi-agency risk management meeting has taken place. The outcome of this meeting did not outline strategies to manage challenging behaviour, or agree clear guidance for staff to follow should incidents occur.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have undertaken additional training from an external provider who has direct knowledge of working with children who are at risk of criminal exploitation. This comprehensive training highlighted shortfalls in the implementation of safeguarding practice by staff and the home’s manager. Staff’s reflection on the training suggested that staff have found the training informative and helpful for their future practice.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has had the opportunity to reflect on her own practice and identify areas of learning. Staff have identified a need for further training in the use of electronic monitoring devices. The full impact of all safeguarding training will require ongoing evaluation by Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 2 Staff have regular supervision, but there is a lack of reflection and identification of learning points to help improve practice. Reflective supervision helps staff to develop their knowledge and skills. This is particularly important for new and inexperienced staff.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans to help manage risk-taking behaviours have been updated. However, risk management plans lack detail and specifics of how to manage behaviours. The manager provided a briefing to her staff team to manage any further missing-from-home incidents, but this lacked a detailed action plan and clear guidance for the staff team. Risk management plans will require further evaluation by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

A social worker reported good working relationships with the home and said that staff exercise a strength-based model of care with young people. Early communication and subsequent notification of incidents to the placing authority could be improved.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have been open and honest and recognise some of the challenges that the home encountered in the placing of one young person. They identified that the home could not meet the overall safeguarding needs of one young person who was subject to inherent jurisdiction instructed by the courts. Managers have identified significant learning points, including implementing risk management plans for complex cases. This will require further evaluation by Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

The inspector noted that relevant information was not effectively shared by the manager. This led to some delays in the evaluation of important and relevant information to assess against compliance requirements. As a result, the notice has not been fully met and a compliance notice has been issued.

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Recent inspection history

The home has not previously been inspected.

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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, the 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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 3 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 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)) 31 January 2021

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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

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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;

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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 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. 31 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 4 (Regulation 13 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(v)(vii)) 28 January 2021

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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; 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— 31 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 5 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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

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; or

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)(e))

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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: 2592713 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Cloister House Riverside, New Bailey Street, Manchester M3 5FS

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Inspector

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 7 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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