Children's Home run by Supporting Futures Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 1 Registered provider: Supporting Futures 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 a therapeutic children’s home. The provider offers care to four children who are experiencing difficulties relating to trauma. The provider offers support to children who have displayed harmful behaviour.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2019.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a visit to the home following notification of a serious incident. The manager informed Ofsted that, following a fire at the children’s home, the fire service had served a fire prohibition order. This resulted in children moving to temporary accommodation while work was undertaken to address the issues raised by the fire service.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the manager was able to show the action she had taken to address all the issues raised by the fire service. A new fire detection system has now been installed. Two new fire doors have been installed in communal areas. An independent fire risk assessment has been completed. The manager is working through the identified actions in the risk assessment to reduce the risk of fire in the home. The room where the fire started has been redecorated to ensure that the child has a suitably furnished and decorated bedroom to move back into on their return to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The current smoking policy fails to clearly identify the expectations around smoking for staff and children. This lack of clarity does not provide staff with clear written guidance in relation to the support that should be provided to children who smoke. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 2 The fire service has revisited the home and lifted the fire prohibition order, meaning that the children can return to their home. The previously raised requirements and recommendations were not looked at during this monitoring visit.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 3

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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, the 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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to removing internal locks on doors of communal areas. 31 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This refers to all staff receiving regular supervision in line with policy, with increased support for staff on probation.

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Requirement Due date

This also refers to ensuring that all staff receive training to meet the needs of the children. 31 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 4 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

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

The registered person must 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. (Regulation 45 (1) (3) (4)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to completing the review of the quality of care in a timely manner. 31 July 2021

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)(a)(ii) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the smoking policy helps staff and children understand expectations in relation to smoking. 31 October 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children are encouraged to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’, supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 5 children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Clear

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Recommendations

systems of review must be in place to ensure plans are not overly restrictive for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made since the 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: 2548403 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Supporting Futures Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Sinclair, 300 St Marys Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 0NQ

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Inspector

Louise Redfern, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2548403 7 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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