Children's home run by Care 4 Children Holdco Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 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 home is one of a number of homes operated by a large, private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in January 2021 and the home closed for refurbishment on the 10 February 2021.

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This monitoring visit

An on-site monitoring visit was carried out on 11 February 2021. During this visit, inspectors identified significant failings in the management of the home, care planning and the safety and well-being of children. Senior managers have taken decisions without due regard for children’s welfare. These have had an extremely detrimental impact on the experience and outcomes for at least one child.

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This monitoring visit

Since July 2018, the home has had three registered managers and a succession of acting mangers. Currently, the home does not have a registered manager. At the time of the visit, a responsible individual was not in place, but this has since been rectified by the organisation.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager of the home left the organisation in January 2021. An acting manager was then appointed. However, they were then suspended on the 7 February 2021. Therefore, it is unclear who has management oversight of the home, which compromises the safety and well-being of children who live there or who may be admitted to the home.

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This monitoring visit

One child moved into the home on 11 January 2021. Referral information for this child identified significant risks in relation to going missing from home and criminal exploitation. However, the impact risk assessment completed prior to his admission, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 2 assessed him as low risk in these areas. Furthermore, the impact risk assessment failed to consider any potential risks relating to the local area for the child and whether these risks would make his admission inappropriate.

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This monitoring visit

Another child moved into the home on 29 January 2021 in emergency circumstances. The impact risk assessment for this child did not relate to this home but was an impact risk assessment completed for the child’s previous placement. The impact risk assessment failed to consider the needs of the two children already resident at the home and whether they may negatively impact each other’s progress.

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This monitoring visit

Ultimately, the organisation’s impact risk assessments failed to assess each child’s needs effectively and demonstrate that this was an appropriate move for them.

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This monitoring visit

Following a decision by the organisation to close the home urgently for refurbishment, children’s placing authorities were given notice that children would need to leave the home. When one child arrived at his new home, he was involved in a serious incident, resulting in his arrest. Consequently, poor decision-making on the part of senior managers in the organisation to close the home urgently, led to poor outcomes for children.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of the home’s closure, one child has been placed in a short-term rental property until he moves into another home in the organisation. However, inspectors were provided with conflicting information about the reason for this placement as well as how long the child is expected to live in the temporary accommodation. This is unacceptable for the child who has no clear plan moving forward.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors asked to see the transition plans for the children, the consultation with the placing authorities and the decision-making process regarding the closure of the home. Transition plans and evidence of consultation with the placing authorities or children were not in place for two of the three children living at the home. As a result, children were moved quickly without adequate preparation or consideration for their emotional well-being.

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This monitoring visit

Care plans for two of the three children living at the home were not available for inspectors to review. Staff said that the care plans may be on the acting manger’s laptop, but they were unable to access this. Consequently, children have been placed in the home without effective plans in place to inform staff about how to support children or how to keep them safe.

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This monitoring visit

A compliance notice was issued under Regulation 13 in October 2020. This was due to poor oversight and management of the home. In particular, there had been a failure to address poor standards of cleanliness at the home. Poor oversight and management of records had failed to ensure effective oversight of incidents at the home or to identify areas for improvement and learning. Although a monitoring visit in December 2020 demonstrated that the notice was met, this visit once again Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 3 identified poor standards of cleanliness at the home and poor management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, three compliance notices have been issued and the home’s registration has been suspended. In addition, previous requirements have been reissued as they were not considered as part of this visit.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 24/09/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/04/2018 Full Good 31/10/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 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

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 purposes 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)(b)(d)) 28/03/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the 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)) 28/03/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 5 *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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)) 28/03/2021

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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—

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 28/03/2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 6

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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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Inspectors

Chris Scully, Social Care Inspector Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240803 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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