Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271213 1

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Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the setting in September 2020, following the assurance visit.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance visit on 23 and 24 September 2020, inspectors identified a number of significant shortfalls in safeguarding practices and procedures within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders, managers and staff did not respond appropriately to incidents that required safeguarding action to be taken and they did not implement effective strategies to safeguard and protect the children living in the home. In addition, poor risk- management, a lack of appropriate boundaries and structures, and unsafe practice placed the children living in the home at risk of harm. During the assurance visit, staff raised concerns about poor safeguarding practice in the home and about the practice of the registered manager. Staff had not reported these concerns to anyone else in the organisation and they had not followed procedures to escalate these serious concerns. This left children at risk of harm. Following the assurance visit, an emergency suspension notice was served.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring visits were carried out on 3 November 2020 and 10 December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit carried out on 10 December 2020, the provider failed to demonstrate that sufficient action had been taken to ensure that children will be kept safe. This was despite significant safeguarding concerns being raised at the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271213 2 assurance visit and subsequent monitoring visit around staff practice and ineffective whistle-blowing procedures. A further suspension notice was issued.

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This monitoring visit

At this visit, which took place on 19 January 2021, the inspector found that the provider had complied with the emergency suspension notice and there are no children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has remained closed and the staff team has been redeployed across the organisation. There are no plans for the staff team to return to the setting when it is back in operation.

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This monitoring visit

The whistle-blowing policy was reviewed and amended. This was shared across the organisation with all staff. Staff have received information and training about the policy and procedures with regards to whistleblowing. The updated policy will encourage a safe working environment and an open culture where staff will feel able to speak up and promote a transparent dialogue with the management team if concerns arise. Staff said, ‘What is good about the new policy, is that this is now a much clearer process. We can raise and discuss our concerns openly and understand that the manager will look at it even if no further action is needed.’

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager left the setting in September 2020, following the assurance visit. There are no plans for the home to reopen at this current time. The date proposed for reopening is April 2021. This will enable the organisation to safely recruit a new manager into the vacant post and recruit and train the new staff team.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements set previously were not considered as part of this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection visit. There were no new recommendations or requirements set from this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/05/2019 Full Good 15/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271213 3

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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: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Michelle Edge, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271213 4 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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