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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Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides 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 was in place until 9 August 2022. A further notice of restriction was served on 9 August 2022 and is in place until 1 November 2022. This means that no children can move into the home during this period without the notice being lifted.

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Information about this children’s home

No 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. A new permanent manager has been appointed. She has not yet applied for registration with Ofsted.

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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 9 August 2022.

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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. The child was supported to move on in a planned way to a setting able to safeguard her and meet her mental health needs.

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This monitoring visit

There were no self-harming incidents, no physical interventions and no incidents of the child going missing from home between the last inspection and the child’s move from the home. Staff were able to work with the child to safeguard her effectively for this short period of time. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 2 Following a very challenging time for staff, they ha ve had support to build their emotional resilience from a specialist team of trained counsellors. This support is still available to staff should they request it. Training is planned for staff to help them understand and respond to the mental health needs of children. This will provide staff with the additional knowledge and skills they need to care for children with complex emotional health needs.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have not been considered at this monitoring visit. They therefore remain in place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have addressed the concerns which led to the notice of restriction being served. As a result, following this visit, the notice of restriction of accommodation is lifted. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 11/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/02/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 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 Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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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

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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

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, that the registered person must evidence that they have systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 October 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—

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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; 31 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 5 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;

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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

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 10 October 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— 31 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 6 the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are supported to access and contribute to their records, and records should be written in a way which is accessible to children. Names rather than initials should be used in children’s care records (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraphs 14.5 and 14.6)  The registered person should ensure that planned one-to-one time is in place to support children’s progress in line with their placement plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 7  The registered person should ensure that the independent monitoring visits are unannounced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263766 8

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Tammy Sutherland

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Inspector

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