Children's Home run by Trafford Borough Council in Trafford

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 1 SC032496

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a local authority and provides care and accommodation for up to six children who may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2017.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place to monitor the actions taken by the provider in relation to compliance notices served on 15 June 2022. The notices were served against regulation 12, the protection of children standard, regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 14, the care planning standard.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are now provided with clear guidance on how to effectively respond to the risks identified for each child. Comprehensive risk management plans include all known risks and vulnerabilities for each child with appropriate strategies to mitigate risk. A detailed audit tool has been developed but is not yet embedded into practice. This will further support effective management oversight of risk management plans.

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This monitoring visit

Children are supported to understand risks through effective direct work undertaken by staff. Good-quality recordings show how staff are helping children to learn new ways to help them keep themselves safe. Thorough guidance is being developed to support staff in undertaking the key-worker role with children. However, this has not yet been implemented into practice. Children benefit from ‘drop-in’ support provided by a specialist worker, which focuses on understanding risks associated with going missing.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received training from a specialist service on how to identify and respond effectively to concerns around children who go missing and the risks associated with this. Individual learning plans are in place, which support staff’s continuing development and effectively identify any gaps in their training. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 2 Since the last inspection, children have been well supported to understand peer pressure and ways to help them when faced with this.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has provided staff with clear guidance in relation to seeking medical assistance when there are serious concerns about a child’s health. Staff appropriately followed this guidance when they had serious concerns for one child. The registered manager has also sought additional on-going specialist support to help children where there are concerns relating to substance misuse.

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This monitoring visit

Individualised safety plans now provide staff with appropriate guidance and strategies to mitigate the risks associated with children going missing from home. Importantly, staff are provided with clear guidance on how to prevent a child at risk of going missing and how to respond if they do go missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is effectively reviewing missing-from-care episodes on a weekly basis, as part of maintaining oversight of the home and practice. They continue to attend regular safeguarding meetings with fellow partner agencies. This helps the registered manager to monitor how each child is being safeguarded.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s practice of using a taxi to collect children who are missing has been reviewed. Guidance has been changed and the expectation of staff to collect children who are missing, unless in exceptional circumstances, has been put into practice. The registered manager has devised new guidelines for staff around how to effectively safeguard children where there are concerns relating to the use of mobile phones. Children are now supported to understand these risks with expectations around the safe use of mobile phones, and appropriate risk assessments are in place.

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This monitoring visit

Following the last inspection, all staff now receive monthly supervision. Supervisions are recorded in appropriate detail and, from those available to review during the inspection, demonstrate reflection on practice and a focus on inspection findings.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has effectively recruited additional staff, who know the children well. This helps to provide consistency of care. Team meetings are providing a helpful time for staff to reflect on changes needed in the home. The registered manager has enabled staff to contribute to the development of the home, resulting in a team approach to finding solutions. Staff are also being supported by specialist services to effectively address children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

Detailed rotas show that there are sufficient staff to care for the number of children who are currently living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There are now appropriate management arrangements in place in the home. The responsible individual was present in the home during the inspection, providing cover in the registered manager’s absence. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 3 The home’s statement of purpose now reflects the current service provided.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has systems in place to effectively review how children’s individual needs are being met. Staff continue to support children well and change their approaches based on feedback from children.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home. Each child has benefitted from good transition plans that have positively supported them.

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This monitoring visit

Two requirements were not explored as part of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed as part of the home’s next inspection. However, sufficient progress has been made for Ofsted to assess that the compliance notices under regulations 12, 13 and 14 have been met.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/06/2022 Full Inadequate 20/01/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/09/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 4

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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 Comes Regulations including the Quality Standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) 28 September

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 28 September Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 5

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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.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Trafford Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Trafford Council, Town Hall, Talbot Road, Manchester, Trafford M32 0TH

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Inspector

Maria Lonergan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC032496 6 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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