Children's home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 1 SC034012 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a local authority children’s home that offers care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since November 2021.

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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 SCIFF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 September 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/09/2019 Full Outstanding 24/04/2018 Full Outstanding 15/05/2017 Full Good 07/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their starting points across aspects of their welfare, as well as physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from warm and secure relationships with staff and sustain their positive attachments. Children have stability and consistency in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child said, ‘Before I came here, I had been quite unsettled. I was in crisis. After a few days I began to like it here. The staff are dead understanding.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medical consent is obtained so staff are clear about and familiar with the types of health decisions that are delegated to them. Children are registered with the relevant health services they need to keep them healthy. Staff encourage children to attend their routine health appointments. They secure specialist services for children in need of additional help and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A specialist worker reported, ‘The child has done really well engaging with us. As for the home, it is brilliant all round. Staff have always been helpful and supportive, and communication has been good throughout.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend school regularly. They work closely with the providers of the children’s education to overcome any educational barriers. Staff support children’s achievements and educational progress. A social worker reported, ‘Staff have advocated for [the child] with child and adolescent mental health services and with school. They have fought her corner.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their families and friends, so that they sustain their familiar relationships with the people that are most important to them. Children are encouraged to engage in positive and enjoyable activities, such as pamper nights, cinema, meals out and shopping. The home provides children with a warm, physically safe, comfortable and homely living environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have recently removed locks to communal areas to ensure that children’s movements are not restricted. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in accordance with their feelings, wants and wishes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Health and safety matters are managed effectively to ensure that the environment is safe for children, visitors and staff. The minor shortfall identified with the children’s accommodation is that a bathroom bath panel is broken and needs replacing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risks associated with children are well known and understood by staff. Staff have a good understanding of the specific needs and emerging vulnerabilities of the children and take appropriate action to address them. Children are kept safe and Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 4 feel safe. A child said, ‘I’ve always rejected people before they reject me. Believe me, I have tested the staff. I am so grateful to have staff like these in my life.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are trained in child protection, so that they know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Children are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm. The use of clear risk assessment and safe working practices promotes the safety and well-being of the children. Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to ensure that children are supported and protected from harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have exceptionally good relationships with the children. Staff promote positive behaviour and ensure that children’s positive behaviour is consistently acknowledged, praised and re-enforced. A social worker reported, ‘The key thing is the relationships they have built with her. She’s starting to trust staff and has really warmed to them.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The use of restraint is rare and, if used at all, it is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm. There have been no incidents of restraint for the children currently living at the home. The use of sanctions to address negative behaviour is kept to an absolute minimum. Children can record their views and opinions about the fairness of the sanctions used.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The frequency with which children go missing from the home has reduced considering their individual starting points. When children have gone missing from the home, staff actively look for them and maintain regular phone contact with them. Staff work closely with the police to locate children quickly and secure their safe return. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with all external professional agencies to ensure that children benefit from the best possible help and all-round support.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

One child reported, ‘They have stuck with me. You can tell they actually care. It’s like a family. They treat me like a normal kid with a history, and they’re so understanding of that. I know staff are not going to give up on me. Kids like me need homes like this.’

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good

The registered manager’s post has been vacant since November 2021, when the previous registered manager left the home. Additionally, the home has lost a deputy manager and two senior residential staff.

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good

There has been an overreliance on existing staff completing additional shifts and the use of both casual and agency staff to cover staff shortages. The use of agency staff is kept to a minimum, with the same agency workers used to promote consistency of care for the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 5 An experienced senior worker has recently been promoted to the post of interim homes practice manager. He is well liked and respected by children and staff and demonstrates good management oversight. However, staff and the interim practice manager have not received regular, practice-related supervision.

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good

In the recent past, and due to the operational needs of the service, some staff were moved to work at other homes at short notice. This impacted on staff morale and affected the children, who didn’t appreciate their staff team members being moved from their home.

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good

The home’s six-monthly quality of care review does not include or consider the views of staff or the home’s stakeholders. Furthermore, the most recent review has not been submitted to Ofsted within the required timescale. Additionally, the home’s development plan has not been reviewed annually to secure the home’s improvement.

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good

The home’s safe location review does not consider the impact of the other care provision that is situated next to the home. As a result, there is no reflection of its impact on the home’s staffing and performance. Requirements are made in respect of these issues. Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 6

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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, the 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 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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 4 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 7 there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)) 31 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality-of-care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 4 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 8 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person (Regulation 46 (1)(2))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to assessing the impact of the other care provision located near to the home. 4 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the damaged bath panel is replaced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they review the home’s annual team development plan to secure the home’s continuing improvement. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24) Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 9

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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 for children’s home: SC034012 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Town Hall, Market Street, Hyde, Tameside SK14 1AL

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC034012 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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