Children's Home run by Homes for Support in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care on a short-term basis for up to eight children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2021.

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Date of last inspection: 14 December 2021

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 16 March 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Four of the five requirements from the last inspection have been met, with one being raised again. Appropriate actions have been taken in response to five of the seven recommendations. Further shortfalls identified have led to an additional requirement being raised.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection. Another child had moved in and then out of the home. The experiences of children have been mixed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The assessment completed in advance of one child moving to the home did not appropriately consider the needs of the child already living in the home and their compatibility. Furthermore, a lack of curiosity from managers also led to some information relating to the risks for the child going unexplored. Some significant information was not made available to managers until after the child came to live in the home. Managers escalated their concerns about missing information appropriately.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments are variable in quality. Some provide clear and detailed strategies for staff to support children and manage risk effectively. However, some risk assessments are missing significant information, including, for one child, risks around them having previously carried a knife and displaying aggression towards adults. This means that these risks were not appropriately considered.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of children’s needs. They build trusting relationships with children, and this allows them to undertake direct work with children to help them understand their risks. Staff respond appropriately to incidents of children going missing and are proactive in looking for them. However, one child is at risk of exploitation. There have been delays in appropriate action being taken and the manager has failed to escalate concerns in a timely way.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff manage behavioural incidents appropriately and in line with children’s plans. Staff respond to children in ways that help them de-escalate at times of high anxiety. Plans are reviewed following incidents and updated to include any learning that is taken from them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have attended additional training in relation to children with autistic spectrum disorder and refresher training in behaviour management and physical intervention. This has helped equip staff with a better understanding of children’s needs and increased their skills in managing children’s behaviours. However, some newer staff have not been completing their induction training in line with the organisation’s Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 3 policies. This has meant that some staff have not completed some of their mandatory training, despite having been working with children for significant periods of time.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff support children in their education. One child has recently moved to the home and the tutor said that the staff support the child’s education. When the child would not engage with the tutor, the staff and tutor worked together and came up with a solution which has provided additional support. Consequently, the child is now taking part in the education package.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children take part in a good range of activities. For some children, this has included attending clubs and groups outside of the home. This helps give children a wide range of experiences and helps them to build appropriate peer relationships.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff seek children’s views about the home and respond to them appropriately. However, the manager has not taken steps to ensure that children have access to independent advocacy. A lack of advocacy means that children are not always helped to have their views heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 5

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that children’s risk assessments reflect all known risks for children;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that impact assessments consider all children’s known needs, how these will be met and the impact they may have on children already living at the home; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that concerns relating to the safeguarding of children are escalated appropriately. 18 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)) 13 June 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible, this should be provided by a person that Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 6 the child chooses. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the standards,’ page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2647770 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Cloister House, Riverside, New Bailey Street, Manchester M3 5FS

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Inspector

Joe Cox, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2647770 8 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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