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Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC394463 1 SC394463

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Cornerstone Children's Homes Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Information about this children's home

The registered manager left the home in October 2020. A new manager took up post in January 2021. She is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out due to the manager leaving the home in October 2020 having been registered for less than one year. In addition, notifications were indicating that children were going missing together to places a significant distance from the home. The visit was conducted using both on- and off-site methodology due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. The home was last inspected in November 2019. At the time of the monitoring visit three children were living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit found that practice in relation to children who go missing-from- care is strong. Two children, one of whom is no longer living at the home, have over a prolonged period gravitated to the home area of one of the children. Staff from the home have made considerable efforts to keep both children safe. They have regularly travelled to the other side of the country to find the children and return them to the home. Staff have taken time to understand the children’s friends and family networks and build relationships with them in order to make an informed assessment of risk and safeguard the children in their care.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the effective responses from staff when children go missing-from-care, children are not routinely being offered independent return home interviews by their local authorities. As a result, opportunities may be missed to gain information which would contribute to safeguarding the children in the future. The lack of provision of Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC394463 2 independent return home interviews has not been escalated by the manager with the responsible local authorities.

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This monitoring visit

Two siblings have recently moved to the home. This is their first experience of being cared for away from their family. One child told the inspector the home was much nicer than expected and that the food was ‘lovely’. The children were given the choice to share a bedroom as they did within their family home. However, they chose to have separate bedrooms. The children’s mother has had an opportunity to spend time with the children in the home. This is helping to build relationships with the children’s family who live a significant distance from the home.

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This monitoring visit

A child told the inspector he was happy with everything in the home. However, he was not able to say how he would make a complaint if he was worried about anything about his care. Whilst the manager told the inspector both children had been given the children’s guide, sufficient attention had not been taken to ensure that the children understood information given to them on their admission to the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to by the inspector welcomed the approach of the new manager. They expressed the view that she has re-established routines and boundaries which support them to undertake their roles effectively. After a short break in formal supervision after the previous registered manager left, the interim manager has quickly commenced her supervision of staff. Records of supervision are detailed and clear. The interim manager is providing a good balance of support and challenge to staff at all levels of responsibility within the home. This helps to ensure that children receive care from suitably skilled and knowledgeable adults.

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This monitoring visit

Visits undertaken by the independent person do not always provide a clear statement as to whether children are safeguarded effectively. For visits completed off site due to COVID-19 restrictions the independent person has not always used video or other remote technology to review the environment of the home. This impacts on the quality of external scrutiny of the home.

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This monitoring visit

A recommendation made at the last inspection in relation to care planning has been met. A recommendation in relation to consent for administration of medication was not addressed on this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/11/2019 Full Good 04/04/2018 Full Good 01/11/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC394463 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child has permission for staff to administer first aid and non-prescription medication from a person with parental responsibility for them recorded in their relevant plan. For looked- after children, this permission should be sought and arranged by the child's social worker. Where appropriate, the child's family should be involved in supporting their child's health needs as well as in providing permission for treatment. (Guide to the children homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 35, paragraph 7.12)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (Guide to the children homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a complaints procedure. Children must be aware of this procedure and be reminded of it as necessary. (Guide to the children homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 22, paragraph 4.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home's arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home's care. This is with specific reference to the premises being seen and a statement being made about safeguarding arrangements on each visit, including visits conducted offsite due to COVID-19 restrictions. (Guide to the children homes regulations, including the quality standards, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: SC394463 4

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cornerstone Children's Homes Limited

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: City Heliport Liverpool Road, Eccles, Manchester M30 7RU

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC394463 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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