Children's home run by Thrive Childcare Services Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2590832 1

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Thrive Childcare Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home. It is one of two homes operated by the provider. It is registered to care for up to three children who have suffered neglect and trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in September 2020 and has not previously been inspected. The registered manager has worked in the home since it opened and holds a National Vocational Qualification at level 4 in leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place as the home had not been inspected since registration and safeguarding notifications identified concerns regarding children’s behaviour. Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the visit was completed remotely. The inspector spoke to the registered manager, staff and children and gained feedback from other stakeholders. The registered manager was also asked to provide documents electronically for the inspector to review. Three children have lived in the home since registration. At the point of this visit, there were two children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always follow risk assessments and supervise children adequately. As a result, two children were able to engage in an inappropriate relationship, despite being subject to high staffing ratios. Neither the registered manager nor the staff team were aware of two incidents where children engaged in inappropriate behaviour. As soon as the registered manager was made aware of this, she acted quickly to safeguard children and reinforce the need for staff supervision. Despite this, one child’s risk assessment and placement plan were not detailed and did not clearly identify the strategies staff are to take to safeguard children. This does not adequately support staff to safely care for children and has the potential to place children at risk of harm and leave staff vulnerable. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2590832 2 The registered manager does not demonstrate that she has considered the needs of

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This monitoring visit

the existing children living in the home before agreeing that new children can move in. Furthermore, she does not evidence that consideration has been given to whether staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to safely care for children who move into the home. Even though there are restrictions placed on face-to-face training due to COVID-19, the registered manager has not been proactive in sourcing alternative training to ensure that all staff have the skills and understanding to support children who display serious self-harming behaviours, such as ligature use. Although there is always one staff member working in the home who has completed ligature use training, not all staff have received training in this area. This also has the potential to leave children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

However, despite these concerns, there are positive practices in the home. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the registered manager and staff have continued to work in partnership with health and other professional stakeholders. This partnership has helped the registered manager and staff to support children with very complex and challenging care needs. Feedback from professionals is positive. One placing social worker is happy about the support staff gave to their child during the time she was living in the home. She expressed her gratitude for the extra support staff gave while caring for the child throughout the time she was in hospital.

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This monitoring visit

Some children in the home are making good progress and are settled. One child is engaging well with his education and making positive plans for his future. He feels happy and safe in the home and has built up good and trusting relationships with staff.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2590832 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 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s risk assessments are clear, and staff have the necessary skills to manage children’s behaviours. 5 March 2021

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff supervise children and follow children’s risk assessments in order to safeguard them. 5 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2590832 4

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Recommendations

 The registered manager should only agree that children can move into the home where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs and where they have comprehensively assessed the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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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: Thrive Childcare Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 72 Oakdale Drive, Heald Green, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 3SW

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sureeta Nayyar-Abassi

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Inspector

Sue Young, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2590832 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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