Children's Home run by Your Chapter Holdings Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 1

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Care 4 Children Holdco Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was arranged due to an escalation in safeguarding notifications. This was in relation to safeguarding practice within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted found shortfalls in safeguarding practice. The registered manager did not follow safeguarding procedures when a child made an allegation against a member of staff or notify all relevant professionals in a timely manner. The failure to present a strong and effective management response, with suitable guidance for staff, is a barrier in managing and reducing significant risks.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, further shortfalls were identified in relation to staff speaking to children about incidents within the home. This means that there are missed opportunities for staff to act on any potential safeguarding information. The responsible individual provided an action plan that identified the same safeguarding concerns, but explained that she had not yet had the opportunity to address the concerns.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors found shortfalls in some risk assessments and risk management plans. Children’s risk assessments are not always updated. This means that staff do not have access to the most up-to-date information in respect of children. Furthermore, staff do not consistently follow children’s risk management plans, for example when staff suspect that children are under the influence of substances.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to as part of the visit understood the children’s current risks. However, staff report different strategies in relation to how they manage children’s behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 2 This means that children are not always provided with a consistent message, for example in relation to supervising children when they access the internet.

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This monitoring visit

The conditions in children’s bedrooms are poor. There are broken window blinds and broken furniture in children’s bedrooms. Staff told inspectors that the damage had been reported to the provider’s maintenance service. However, immediate action had not been taken to ensure that the environment is safe for children. The provider took action to address this during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

There are gaps in the monitoring and review systems, which reduces the true analysis and evaluation of the care provided to children and how this impacts on outcomes for children. This includes an oversight of safeguarding incidents, physical intervention records and risk management plans. This is necessary to ensure that the manager can make improvements in the care that children receive. The registered manager accepted the shortfalls identified.

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This monitoring visit

Recording within the home needs to improve to ensure that all relevant details are recorded in children’s case records. For example, staff need to ensure that all records are accurate and include all actions taken.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not submitted an updated statement of purpose to Ofsted as per regulation. This is necessary to ensure that Ofsted has the most up-to- date information about the children’s home.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s social workers are generally positive about the progress that children have made. This is in relation to children’s education and a reduction in missing-from- home incidents. However, some social workers commented that on occasions there has been a delay in the manager and staff sharing safeguarding information in a timely way. This can cause unnecessary delays in the safeguarding process.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors spoke to children during this visit. The children provided generally positive feedback about the home and the care that they receive. One child said that it was better than his previous home. Another child said that he gave the home 8 marks out of 10 (with 10 being the best). Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 04/06/2019 Full Good 12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 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 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;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered manager needs to ensure that he acts on safeguarding information and shares this information with the relevant professionals without delay. 27 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 5 The manager needs to ensure that children’s risk assessments are up to date and include all known risks, with strategies included to reduce risk.

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Requirement Due date

The furniture in children’s bedrooms needs to be repaired without any further delay. 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

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

This is particularly in relation to the registered manager’s oversight and evaluation of children’s plans and any incidents within the home. Furthermore, the manager needs to ensure that he reviews and evaluates children’s plans to identify any triggers/patterns to children’s behaviour. 27 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

Notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. 27 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 6 (Regulation 16(1)(3)(a)(b)) The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 27 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 7 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to incidents of physical intervention in the home. The registered manager needs to ensure that the records are completed as per regulation and he must act on any information that children may share with him or any other members of staff. The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 27 April 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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Amy Moulton Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 8 Registered manager: Neil Raby

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Kathryn Grindrod, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: 1240753 9 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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