Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1271998 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

The home is one of several homes operated by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children and young people who may have emotional or behavioural needs and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been at the home since September 2020, completing the formal registration process with Ofsted in December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was conducted on site. The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since the last monitoring visit, which took place in December 2020. There were concerns at that time about placement matching, staff training and a serious incident of fire-setting in the home. Following that monitoring visit, compliance notices were served under regulation 13, leadership and management, and regulation 14, care planning.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, a further young person has moved out of the home. Just one young person is currently resident. He is engaging well with staff and was out on the day of the visit, doing work experience with a local tradesman.

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This monitoring visit

The young person who moved on from the home recently did so in a planned way. He was able to visit his new home with a staff member he trusted and returned to the home giving positive feedback to the staff and the other young person in the home. Staff arranged a special meal for the young person to say goodbye and bought him a gift. This was a positive ending to his time here.

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This monitoring visit

While there have been no new admissions to the home, the manager has considered potential referrals. One possible admission was reviewed as part of this inspection. The registered manager had completed an impact risk assessment and gathered Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1271998 2 additional information on the young person. This had helped her conclude that he would not be a suitable placement for this home. Consequently, the compliance notice served under regulation 14, care planning, is assessed to have been met, as improvement is noted in this area.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, there has been a renewed focus on staff training. Staff have now completed refresher training in topics such as risk assessments, substance misuse, attachment and trauma, and fire safety. They were also scheduled to complete training the following day on the organisation’s well-being for life programme, and recording and reporting skills. Managers believe that this training will help to ensure that staff have the skills they need to care effectively for young people, improving the quality of their practice.

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This monitoring visit

The fire safety arrangements have been strengthened since the last visit to the home. In addition to staff training, work has been completed with young people on fire safety and a number of fire evacuation drills have taken place. This helps to ensure that staff and young people know what to do in the event of an emergency.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has successfully completed the Ofsted registration process since the last monitoring visit. She has taken decisive action to address concerns about staff performance and has worked hard to remind staff about their roles and responsibilities, producing memos and reminders for them. In addition, together with the responsible individual, she has completed a ‘lessons learned’ exercise in relation to the decision-making regarding the last young person admitted to the home. This concludes that a number of factors contributed to this placement only lasting six days. They plan to carry this learning forward to inform future decision-making.

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This monitoring visit

While some shortfalls remain in relation to detailed recording and the manager’s oversight of this, some improvements are evident. Similarly, the manager has recently completed her six-monthly quality of care review report, which shows some improvement in quality. However, it requires additional critical analysis and a focus on improvements required in the next six months for it to be an effective tool for improving the quality of care provided in the home. Consequently, the compliance notice served under regulation 13, leadership and management, is assessed to have been met. However, a requirement is made in relation to this regulation, to ensure that these issues remain a focus for further development. The requirements made in relation to the protection of children, fire safety and notification of serious incidents are assessed to have been met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/10/2019 Full Good 17/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1271998 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 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

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)(h)) 15 March 2021

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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: 1271998 4

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Children’s home details

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: Stephanie Hewitt

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Inspector

Mandy Williams, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1271998 5 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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