Children's Home run by Supporting Hands Care Services Ltd in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 1 Registered provider: Supporting Hands Care Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care and support for one child who may have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in April 2021.

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This monitoring visit

The provider was judged inadequate at the last full inspection in May 2022 and one compliance notice was reissued. This monitoring visit was conducted to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the three steps under this notice which relates to Regulation 13, leadership and management. Only one out of the three steps in this notice have been achieved by the provider.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some progress made by the manager in leading the staff team in a way that is consistent with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff now receive supervision in a more consistent and regular way. They now receive written notes linked to the discussions about their practice, which allows them to better understand their strengths and shortfalls. Team meetings and in-house training sessions, chaired by the responsible individual, now provide staff with an opportunity to discuss the statement of purpose and the care they provide for the child. This is enabling staff to align their practice to the statement of purpose and better understand the purpose of their care and impact of this on the child.

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This monitoring visit

Ongoing shortfalls linked to recruitment mean this step in the compliance notice has not been met and, consequently, has been reissued. The manager has still not completed safer recruitment training, and this is continuing to affect her understanding of the purpose and requirement of safe recruitment. Gaps in the manager’s understanding of safer recruitment mean that checks and references are Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 2 still not verified, and risk assessment is ineffective. This leaves children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Internal monitoring at the home continues to be weak and lacks evaluation, including the manager’s footprint. Some progress in the quality of records means it now includes a rationale from the staff when the staffing levels are reduced. However, there continues to be significant shortfalls in management oversight.

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This monitoring visit

Records linked to room searches have improved, but there are further gaps in basic information such as the rationale linked to the reason for the room search, the time and details of the second staff member present. There is a lack of clarity on whether the child was also present during the search. This does not provide children with an accurate record of their care, and neither does it ensure that staff are held accountable or challenged as needed.

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This monitoring visit

Delays in the manager accessing supervision continue to affect their oversight of the home, the staff team and care of the child. Key information about the child is not always reflected in their care plan or risk assessment and is, therefore, not evaluated. Delay in progressing a referral for support from the child sexual exploitation team means targeted and specialist support is not available in a timely way. New risks linked to child sexual exploitation have led to an increase in the number of daily checks of the child’s phone and social media. However, there is a lack of insight and evaluation about the rationale linked to this. Staff do have regular discussions with the child through key-work sessions to help the child better understand and manage risk in preparation for starting college in September.

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This monitoring visit

In summary, the compliance notice is reissued for the third time. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Inadequate 28/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iv)(vii)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that the child is provided with haircare products that meet their cultural needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must check all fire doors to ensure that they close shut, cover the drain at the back of the house, ensure that health and safety checks are carried out robustly, and any risks inside and outside of the home are eliminated. The decor in the home should be improved to promote a homely environment throughout. 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 5 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.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)) 3 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.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f)(h)) 14 August 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 6 that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered provider must ensure that full and satisfactory recruitment checks are completed in relation to agency staff to satisfy themselves that staff are safe to care for children.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the provider must ensure that staff obtain the requisite qualification to develop their knowledge and understanding of working in residential childcare. 3 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 3 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 7 Specifically, the provider must ensure that the registered manager receives appropriate supervision and staff have access to an independent person to enable whistle-blowing.

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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

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. (Regulation 44 (1) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the provider must ensure that the independent person submits the reports to Ofsted after each visit to the home in a timely manner. 3 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that staff are familiar with record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This specifically relates to records relating to room searches and providing a rationale for their decision-making regarding staffing ratios. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, paragraph 14.3, page 62)

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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: 2598804 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Hands Care Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Ovenden House, Ovenden Road, Halifax HX3 5QG

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Inspector

Parveen Hussain, Social Care Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2598804 9 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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