Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of several homes operated by a large private organisation. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that care is provided for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and who may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in May 2018. There is no registered manager in post.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 6 and 7 October 2021. Further to the inspection, five compliance notices were issued under regulation 8 (the education standard), regulation 9 (the enjoyment and achievement standard), regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 14 (the care planning standard). Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 2 A monitoring visit was carried out on 18 November 2021. The provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices. The report is published on the Ofsted website. Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/10/2021 Full Inadequate 15/10/2019 Full Good 17/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 4

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection, one child has left the home following a period of crisis. After the child moved out, the provider made the decision not to have any new children living at the home for a length of time. The decision was made to ensure stability in the home.

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. They both spent time talking to the inspectors and sharing their views about the care that they receive and their relationships with staff. Children say that they are happy in the home and can both identify key adults who they can talk to if they are worried or upset. They both talk about the differences in their care, including more structure and routines, since the new manager has taken over.

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improvement to be good

Children’s engagement in education has improved. Both children now attend tutoring in their home on a regular basis. However, there is not a clear plan on how this will increase further to support children’s educational outcomes. Furthermore, managers and staff are not aware of the local offer which sets out the support available for each child with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a missed opportunity to access specialist resources for children.

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improvement to be good

Health is promoted for children, and they attend appointments with medical professionals. Staff talk to children about living a healthy lifestyle, but menus do not show that healthy food is readily available. Although staff say that they talk to children about substance misuse and the risks to their well-being, this is not evident in children’s records and children continue to misuse substances. This was a requirement at the last inspection and is therefore not met.

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improvement to be good

Family time has increased for children. Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families and work hard to establish positive relationships. This is helping children to retain a sense of belonging with the people who are important in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they are safe in the home. They understand how to make a complaint and say that they would talk to the acting manager, who will help and support them.

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improvement to be good

When children have not returned to their home, staff have taken immediate action to try and locate them and support them to safely return home. Procedures have been followed and records of missing-from-home incidents are detailed. When local Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 5 authorities have not arranged for return home interviews to be conducted, the acting manager has escalated and challenged this.

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improvement to be good

The acting manager has reviewed care plans, placement plans and risk assessments. Changes have been made to improve the quality of records. However, staff do not consistently update documents after incidents in the home or community. This means that risk management strategies are not always effective or appropriate. This was a requirement at the last inspection and is therefore not met.

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improvement to be good

Staff use incentives and consequences to support children with their behaviour. However, the manager has not consistently reviewed all documentation to ensure that measures used are appropriate. This was a requirement at the last inspection and is therefore not met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The management arrangements in the home lack stability. There has not been a registered manager in the home since June 2021. A new manager was identified. However, they left the home after the previous inadequate judgement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Several previous requirements remain outstanding and do not show that significant improvements have been made to support the progress and experiences of children. They have been repeated as a result of this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

In December 2021, the deputy manager took on the role as the interim manager. He is child centred and committed to his new role. However, he is only working at the home for three days each week. Although he has brought about changes in the home, and staff are complimentary about his management style, he is not managing the home on a day-to-day basis. This is a breach of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff members report that they feel happy and supported. They feel that they work in a safe, supportive working atmosphere. They talk positively about the changes that the interim manager has started to introduce. However, staff still do not consistently follow the boundaries in place. This includes challenging children when they use inappropriate and racist language and following the company’s policy on the use of personal mobile phones.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have access to training and support. Supervision has improved, and all staff have attended a team meeting to discuss the new routines, boundaries and structures in place. The interim manager has developed a detailed handover process. However, despite the expectation that staff complete key documents fully, they are often left with names and key information missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have not ensured that records contain up-to-date information. Records are not consistently evaluated or signed off by management and can be confusing and contradictory. This was a requirement at the last inspection and has not been met. Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 6 The quality of the records maintained in the home varies significantly. Not all records demonstrate the progress or experiences of the children. This was a requirement at the last inspection and has not been met. Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 7

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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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children’s health plans are updated and include all identified health needs. 25 March 2022

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 25 March 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 8 manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that risk assessments are updated and reviewed in a timely way when incidents occur.

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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—

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(d)(f)(g)(h)) 25 March 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 9 The provider must take effective and timely steps to appoint an appropriate permanent manager within a reasonable time frame.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that any sanctions given are consistently evaluated and discussed with children in a timely way. 25 March 2022

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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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 25 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have, and ensure that staff have, an understanding that there is a high proportion of children in children’s homes with SEND who require specialist support to be able to engage positively and achieve in education. They must be aware of the details in the education, health and care plan for a child with SEND. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)  The registered person should ensure that managers and staff encourage children to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’ and support them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19) Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Inspectors

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report children’s home: 1271998 11 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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