Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 1

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home is registered to care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A notice of restriction of accommodation was served by Ofsted on 17 May 2022 and is in place until 9 August 2022. This means that no children can move in to the home during this period.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were living at the home at the time of this monitoring visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since January 2021. There has been no interim manager in post since the last inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the action taken by leaders and managers to comply with the notice of restriction served by Ofsted on 17 May 2022 and compliance notices served on 20 May 2022. Notices were served in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children and regulation 33, the employment of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not admitted any children to the home since the notice of restriction was served. One child has left the home since the last inspection and has moved to secure accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

Insufficient progress has been made to address the lack of supervision of staff identified at the last inspection. Three of the six permanent staff currently working in the home have not had supervision in this period of time. These staff have not been given dates that their supervision meetings will take place. Only one record of supervision was available to review during this monitoring visit. No non-permanent staff have been supervised. As a result, staff are still not receiving the professional Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 2 oversight of their practice required to support them to undertake their roles and to ensure children are safeguarded effectively.

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This monitoring visit

The notice of compliance in relation to regulation 33, the employment of staff, is not met and a further compliance notice for regulation 33 has been served.

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This monitoring visit

Progress has been made in addressing the quality of children’s risk management plans. These have been reviewed and updated and provide information for staff to follow to reduce risks to children. It is unclear which staff have read these assessments as they are not signed by all staff who are working in the home. Only one non-permanent staff member has signed the assessments to acknowledge that she has read and understood the child’s plan. This means that leaders and managers cannot be assured that children are being cared for by staff who know and understand the individual plans in place to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Risk management plans are now accompanied by a graph, which will, over time, provide a visual aid for staff to understand how risks for children are changing and how practice needs to change in response to this. This is still in its infancy, and it is too early to assess any impact.

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This monitoring visit

Face-to-face ligature training has not been provided for all staff. Only three out of the six permanent staff team currently in work attended a planned training session. No date has been set for the remainder of the staff to receive training. Agency staff are not being offered the training. Leaders and managers do not ensure that only agency staff who have had ligature training are employed to work in the home. Some shifts still have no staff on duty who are ligature trained. On one occasion, a non-permanent staff member went out in the community with the child with no ligature training. This continues to place the child at risk.

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This monitoring visit

The training matrix has not been updated since the last inspection and there is currently no formal record of staff having completed the ligature training.

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This monitoring visit

Staff spoken to demonstrate their understanding of their role, but also said they do not feel that they have been equipped with skills to undertake these responsibilities effectively, particularly in relation to caring for children with complex mental health needs. Staff say that they need further training as they do not have the understanding and skills to effectively support children who self-harm by head- banging. As a result, staff do not feel that they are able to fully safeguard children. The interim deputy manager says that she has highlighted to senior managers that training is required to ensure that staff can meet the individual needs of children living at the home, but no actions have been taken to progress this.

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This monitoring visit

No team meetings have taken place since the last inspection. The next meeting is not due to take place until the end of June. This is seven weeks after the last inspection. As a result, the staff team have not had the opportunity to come together to discuss the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Leaders and Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 3 managers have not taken an early opportunity to meet with staff to make sure they have a collective understanding of the needs of the children in their care and are equipped to meet these needs.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have not ensured that other requirements made at the last inspection have been met. Serious incidents are still not being notified to Ofsted. This means the regulator is unable to have effective oversight of safeguarding practice in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual is not demonstrating effective leadership of the home. He does not have an accurate understanding of the lack of action taken to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. The interim deputy manager, who is in day-to-day charge of the home, is not getting the support and oversight she needs to undertake her role to a good standard. As a result, progress is not being made to improve the quality of care for children in a timely manner.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, Ofsted have served further compliance notices in respect of regulation 12, the protection of children and regulation 33, the employment of staff. It has also served an additional compliance notice under regulation 13, leadership and management.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted will be undertaking regular monitoring of the home to ensure that these notices are met within timescales.

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This monitoring visit

The restriction of accommodation remains in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 4

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 11/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/12/2019 Full Good 12/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 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— that staff—

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that staff, including non-permanent staff, have the skills and training to be able to identify and respond to safeguarding risks to children. In particular, all staff should have face-to-face training to respond effectively to safeguard children who self- harm with ligatures. The provider must ensure that all staff, including non-permanent staff, understand children’s risk assessments and their roles and responsibilities in protecting children. 31 July 2022

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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 promotes their welfare. 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must evidence that they have systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care in the home, and ensure progress is being made to meet the requirements made at the last inspection and new requirements arising from the monitoring visit.

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Requirement Due date

* The registered person must ensure that all employees— receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular, good-quality supervision of their practice from a person with the appropriate experience to do so. Staff should receive a written record of their supervision. 31 July 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children understand the home’s expectations in relation to children smoking, and staff have access to clear policies in relation to children who smoke. They should also ensure that arrangements are in place to demonstrate that all non- permanent staff have satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service checks, and have the training, skills and experience to care for children living in the home. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to sexual exploitation; 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 7 an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children are only admitted to the home when a comprehensive pre- admission assessment is in place, which considers the needs of all children living in the home and the numbers, skills and experience of staff. The ratio of staff to children should at all times meet the requirements of court directed orders, and the child’s placement plan. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 8 help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(viii)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that the registered person ensures that staff rosters clearly record the names of non-permanent staff working on each shift. 30 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 9 notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, in relation to the skills of staff, the registered person should ensure that staff have the training to understand and respond effectively to children’s mental health needs, including self-harming behaviours. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 31 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 10 *These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure each child is eating a healthy, balanced diet and is eating regularly. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33 paragraph 7.3)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s care records are collated in a way which makes them accessible to staff and children. Children should be actively encouraged to read their records and to add further information to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraphs 14.5 and 14.6)

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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: 1263766 11

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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

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 12 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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