Children's home run by Homes for Support

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to five children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that they provide care for children with emotional and behavioural difficulties (social and emotional difficulties). The site consists of a main house and an annex.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has decided not to return after maternity leave. Therefore, the registered manager position is currently vacant. Following the full inspection on 10 May 2022, the interim manager resigned, and a new temporary manager has been in place since 13 June 2022.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 10 May 2022. Compliance notices were served under regulation 12, regulation 13 and regulation 14. A restriction notice, under which no further children can be moved into the home, was also issued.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently two children living in the home. There have been no new admissions since the last full inspection. One child has left the home.

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This monitoring visit

A substantial redesign of the interior of the home has taken place. This has provided noticeable improvements to the living area for children. The annex building is now used solely as a recreational and educational space for children. There are no plans to use the annex as alternative sleeping accommodation for children. Managers have relocated their office to the main building. The layout in the main building has changed to accommodate a larger and more suitable living room. This has been enhanced by the removal of an internal wall. Carpet and curtains have been fitted to Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 2 create a homely environment. The dining area has noticeably improved, with evidence of communal living. Breakfast dishes and cereal boxes were laid out on the dining table ready for when children get up. Steps have been taken to address the overall living space to ensure a communal area for children and increase the

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to demonstrate that sufficient action and intervention have been made in a timely manner to address the compliance notices in relation to safeguarding and the protection of children standard, and care planning for independence and transition arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

There have been recent changes to the management structure. An interim manager was appointed on 13 June 2022. The manager has applied to Ofsted to be registered. The manager provided an outline action plan to address concerns from the previous inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The manager plans to improve the skills and experience of the team under new leadership and management. Refresher safeguarding training is scheduled to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding children. A review of safeguarding policies and procedures is planned. Risk assessments and behaviour management strategies are under review. However, the provider has failed to take immediate and effective action to ensure that the steps in the compliance notice have been fully met.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed a pre-planning document to use to assess the suitability of children moving into the home. However, the document focuses heavily on the views of the local authority social worker. It fails to ensure a multi-agency and holistic view from all key professionals. Consequently, the provider is unable to obtain a balanced and comprehensive overview of suitable placements and matching of children.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour management strategies are yet to be reviewed to evaluate their effectiveness. Therefore, children continue to live in a home where structures and boundaries are not fully implemented to manage their behaviours and keep them safe. One child continues to display challenging behaviour in the home. There is noticeable damage to internal doors.

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This monitoring visit

There have been two overnight missing-from-care episodes. One incident involved a child leaving through a bathroom window in the early hours. Staff were not aware of this until the morning when they were contacted by a person who was aware the child was not at the home. Staff implemented missing-from-care procedures to locate the child. The bathroom window now has a suitable window restrictor, having previously not been identified as a risk. Greater oversight by staff is required to ensure that children can be kept safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 3 One child has received an appropriate assessment with child and adolescent mental health services. Although the child has not engaged further with external professionals, staff are continuing to follow the recommendations provided by the service. This ensures that the child develops emotional resilience that aims to help

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This monitoring visit

him to manage difficult emotions and develop helpful coping strategies. Staff have completed key-work sessions on sexual health and provided information on age- appropriate consent to ensure that children have a good understanding of healthy sexual relationships.

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This monitoring visit

The transition plan for one child who is scheduled to move in September does not include a clear pathway plan, although there has been some consultation with their placing authority. Decisions in relation to independence plans do not consider the views of the placing authority and lack consultation with the child’s social worker. The provider was unable to fully demonstrate that effective planning ensures a positive transition and outcome for the child.

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This monitoring visit

Current care planning arrangements do not properly support staff to provide effectively planned care in the home. A failure to action care plans effectively means that staff do not meet the needs of the children or have any understanding of how they will safely support and care for children.

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This monitoring visit

Two new compliance notices have been issued in relation to regulation 12 and regulation 14 respectively. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 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 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 children are admitted to the home only if 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 5 August 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 6 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;

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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

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

and 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)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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; 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 7 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; and 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 8 that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iii)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 5 August 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; 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 9 the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

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

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 55, paragraph 10)

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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: 2592713 10

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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

Kamal Bhamra, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2592713 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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