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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 1 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home cares for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Good 27/11/2019 Full Outstanding 14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/06/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All three children were living at the home at the last inspection. They are cared for by a consistent group of staff. The stability this brings to children’s lives underpins the progress they make and contributes to their positive experiences of residential care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to be active and to pursue their individual interests. One child continues to enjoy playing football and is a member of a local team. Another child goes horse riding regularly and now volunteers at the local stables. These experiences help children to build their self-confidence and make a positive contribution to their community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are in education and have good attendance. One child is supported by additional one-to-one tuition after school. This is a long-standing arrangement and the child has built up a good relationship with his tutor, who knows him well and offers him individualised support. The culture in the home encourages learning and helps children to make progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s relationships with their families are sustained and developed when this is in their best interests. Staff are sensitive to the impact on children of these significant relationships. Sensitive, trauma-informed care from staff safeguards children and supports them to maintain their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to gain the skills they need to move towards adulthood. They are supported to gradually gain more independence and develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Staff advocate on behalf of children to ensure that appropriate plans are in place for them before they leave the home. This gives children a solid foundation to start their adult lives.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s risks and vulnerabilities are understood by staff and these have all reduced over time. Written risk assessments are clear, identify all known risks and are regularly updated. When risks are no longer evidenced these are removed from assessments. Patterns and trends are documented, and this gives staff a good oversight of children’s progress.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s case records contain most of the required information from their social workers and independent reviewing officers. However, information is not always provided in a timely manner and is not always accurate. The registered manager ensures that when this occurs, she challenges it. This was a requirement at the last inspection which has been addressed. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 4 Since the last inspection, staff have not used physical restraint with any children. Incidences of staff calling police to manage children’s behaviour have also reduced significantly. This reflects the progress children have made in understanding and managing their emotions. It also demonstrates the strong and trusting relationships between children and staff.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Formal consequences are used infrequently. When they are used, they are appropriate and proportionate. There is good management oversight of the rationale for, and the effectiveness of, consequences. However, written records do not always make clear agreed timescales for restrictions of privileges or repayment in relation to financial consequences. As a result, some practice lacks transparency and accountability.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There is a swift and appropriate response to serious concerns for children. Information is shared with all key professionals to reduce risk and safeguard children. The registered manager ensures that Ofsted receives notifications of these incidents within required timescales. This means that the regulator is able to evaluate the quality of practice and the response to risks to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children and staff benefit from the skilled and nurturing leadership of the registered manager. The registered manager acts as a positive role model for her staff, and her commitment to the children in her care is significant. The registered manager has a good understanding of the progress and experiences of children and her oversight of practice is evident in children’s care records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care review report is not yet demonstrating that the views of children, families and external professionals are being taken into consideration when evaluating practice. The format of the report does not lend itself to readers gaining a clear understanding of areas for development within the home. As a result, the report is not providing leaders, managers and staff with the information they need to drive practice improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Local authority arrangements for the provision of independent person visits to the home are not fit for purpose. There is no consistent allocated independent person. In the last three months, three different people have undertaken visits to the home, all of which have been announced. Since the last inspection, a number of visits have been undertaken remotely. This practice does not meet regulation and does not provide the manager with a good quality of support and challenge. It is not child- centred practice. A requirement was made in relation to the quality of independent person visits at the last inspection. This has not been met and is restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are cared for by a skilled, knowledgeable and stable staff team. No staff have left or joined the team since the last inspection. Individual team members have a diverse range of life experiences, including personal experience of being a cared for child, all of which contribute to the overall strength of the team. Staff are Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 5 supported in their professional practice by regular supervision and training. As a result, staff are enabled to carry out their roles to a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been three changes to the responsible individual for the home in the inspection period. The new permanent responsible individual has a wealth of experience and understands the challenges of delivering high-quality residential care for children. This appointment further strengthens the leadership and management of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 6

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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 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. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there is a named, consistent independent person who conducts unannounced on-site visits to 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 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;

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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 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 7 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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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when children are given consequences, they are given a clear explanation of the timescales for them. When consequences involve payments, the timescales for repayment should be made clear, in writing, to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the social care common inspection framework. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 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: 1263768 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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