Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report children's home: 1240843 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. He registered with Ofsted in May 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine inspections on 12 April 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 1 Mar 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: a compliance notice was issued in January 2021 under regulation 32. The provider met this in March 2021. Inspection report children's home: 1240843 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Full Good 12/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: 1240843 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Two children live at this home. One child recently moved out and one child recently moved in. Children’s plans are individualised although some plans are not always up to date. Therefore, staff do not have the most up to date information in relation to children.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children told inspectors that they have good relationships with staff. Children describe staff as supportive and say that staff listen to them. Children are relaxed at home with staff, and inspectors observed positive relationships between children and staff.

p.3

improvement to be good

The progress that children make is variable. One child recently moved out of the home into semi-independent living accommodation. This was a positive move for this child, and he has maintained contact with staff. Staff work at trying to engage children in daily plans, for example education and activities. However, when children refuse to attend education, staff do not consistently support children to engage in educational activities. This is a missed opportunity to help children understand the importance of education.

p.3

improvement to be good

Not all children are actively supported to engage with the organisation’s therapeutic programme. This does not ensure that all children receive the specialist support identified as part of their care package. Furthermore, staff need to find activities and opportunities that children like, to help children to build on their skills for their future.

p.3

improvement to be good

The sleeping accommodation for staff does not provide them with privacy or allow children to have access to all rooms in their home. Leaders and managers immediately acted on this to put sufficient arrangements in place.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s moves in and out of the home are managed well by the staff team because they are welcomed sensitively. Staff are in contact with a child who recently left the home. However, the registered manager needs to ensure that he robustly assesses all children’s needs before children move into the home. This is to ensure that staff have the necessary skills to meet children’s individual needs.

p.3

improvement to be good

The approach to managing risk is not consistently strong and proactive. Risk management is reactive rather than proactive. This means that staff do not consistently implement effective risk management strategies to reduce the risk of harm to children. Inspection report children's home: 1240843 4 Children’s relationships with staff are a strength. Children can identify a trusted adult they can talk to, and they told inspectors that staff listen to them. This is an effective safeguard because children talk to staff about things that are worrying them.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are not up to date. They do not address all known vulnerabilities and what action staff should take to reduce risks, such as those associated with social media and children’s relationships with each other. The registered manager needs to ensure that strategies in risk assessments clearly set out what action staff should take to support children and reduce risk.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff do not demonstrate professional curiosity. There have been missed opportunities from the registered manager and staff to take a proactive approach when they are managing potential safeguarding incidents. For example, there has been no professional curiosity in respect of potential information that children have shared with staff. In another example, when a child went missing from home, there was no professional curiosity about what the child was doing and who they were with.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have used physical intervention on two occasions since the previous visit. Records demonstrate that interventions are appropriate to keep children and staff safe. However, one intervention was not managed in line with regulation. Therefore, the true effectiveness of the measure is not evaluated within the necessary timescale.

p.4

good

There is a registered manager in post. He registered with Ofsted in May 2021. This is his first experience as a registered manager. He is approachable, and staff spoken to at the inspection were positive about his leadership.

p.4

good

There are gaps in the registered manager’s overall monitoring and review systems. This reduces the true analysis and evaluation of the care provided for children and the impact on children’s outcomes.

p.4

good

The registered manager has not consistently ensured that children’s plans contain sufficient information regarding children’s goals and how staff can help children to achieve their goals. This means that staff do not always know what goals children are working towards, so it is difficult to consistently measure progress to know that children are achieving their full potential.

p.4

good

Rotas do not include the actual hours worked by the staff team and the registered manager. This does not ensure that accurate records are available if there are any safeguarding concerns.

p.4

good

Staff have completed relevant training to meet children’s individual needs. Staff told inspectors that training is helpful and supports them in their roles. One member of Inspection report children's home: 1240843 5 staff has not completed his residential child-care qualification within timescales. This is a breach in regulation. Inspection report children's home: 1240843 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with the children;

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents of bullying and how to deal with them; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(vii)(ix)(xii)(xiii)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to staff helping children develop amicable relationships. 24 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 1240843 7 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

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;

p.7

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))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to the registered manager ensuring that he reviews and evaluates all known risks in relation to children, and develops clear strategies to reduce the risk of harm for staff to follow in practice. 24 February 2022

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to the registered manager ensuring that he consistently reviews and evaluates all incidents in the home to ensure that he can consistently improve the care provided to children. 24 February 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 24 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 1240843 8 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.8

Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only of their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to the registered manager ensuring that he completes robust pre-admission risk assessments that address all children’s known risks and needs and staff’s skills to manage children’s individual needs.

p.8

Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

p.8

Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

p.8

Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

p.8

Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to staff sleeping arrangements. 24 February 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 24 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 1240843 9 The registered person may only—

p.8

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.9

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

p.9

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.9

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.9

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.9

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

p.9

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

p.9

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.9

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.9

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual— Inspection report children's home: 1240843 10 does not work, or has not worked, in a care role for a prolonged period; or

p.9

Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

p.10

Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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—

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

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;

p.10

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and 24 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 1240843 11 a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.10

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")—

p.11

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.11

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.11

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

p.11

Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

p.11

Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

p.11

Requirement Due date

The provider needs to demonstrate all hours that all staff have worked on rosters, including the registered manager. 24 February 2022

p.11

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children's home: 1240843 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco Limited

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

p.12

Inspector

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 1240843 13 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.

p.12

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.13