Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has recently resigned from his position. An interim manager has day-to-day oversight of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 15 November 2021

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/11/2021 Full Good 15/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 3

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improvement to be good

Three children are living at this home and three children have moved out since the last inspection. The home is situated in a rural environment and has ample outdoor space. Nevertheless, the home needs a general clean and redecorating. Children’s bedrooms are not personalised and do not have curtains in place.

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improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff support children to attend school and college. Children are making progress from their starting points and achieving good attendance. However, not all relevant plans are in place to ensure that children are provided with individualised support.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they enjoy living in the home and feel safe. Children are supported to have trusting relationships with those caring for them. Children understand how to raise concerns and confirm that staff listen to them.

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improvement to be good

Children receive individualised care to meet their needs. However, children are not helped to contribute to their plans and are unclear about their futures. Moves in and out of the home are not evaluated effectively. The manager has not considered the impact of children living together. Approaches to mitigate risks were not fully considered before placing children together.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff support children to register with appropriate health services and attend routine appointments. Children are healthy. However, specialist services are not secured to support children to understand the dangers of substance misuse, vaping and smoking. Boundaries and expectations around smoking and vaping are unclear.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with their families. Staff transport children on long journeys to enable them to spend time with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from a caring staff team. Children say that staff make them feel protected and safe from harm. One child said, ‘It is like having lots of parents. They all have your back.’

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improvement to be good

Children do not regularly go missing from home. Procedures are in place to ensure that children are safely returned to the home when they have been missing. Children have an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. Risks relating to children going missing from home or being exploited have reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 4 Individual risk assessments contain actions for staff to take to minimise the risk of harm. However, staff do not fully understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe as risk management plans are not shared effectively. Managers do not ensure that all staff read children’s individual plans.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rare and is used only in accordance with the legislative framework. Incidents of restraint are recorded and contain appropriate debriefs with children and staff. Children are spoken to about the measure used, and the child’s experience of physical intervention is considered. This means that children feel listened to.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to respond to potential safeguarding incidents. When an allegation was made against a member of staff, there was a significant delay in action being taken. The manager did not make a record or notify relevant agencies in accordance with statutory guidance. The registered manager did not notify Ofsted in line with regulation.

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improvement to be good

The manager has carried out an assessment of the home’s location. This assessment does not contain any consultation with others. Leaders and managers have not ensured that the views of others are considered as part of this review.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has recently resigned from his position. There is an interim manager in day-to-day charge of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is staffed by a team that is child centred. Staff are safely recruited to work in the home and are appropriately trained to meet the needs of the children in their care. However, recruitment is ongoing as the home is not sufficiently resourced. This is necessary to ensure that children are protected from harm and supported to reach their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Appropriate action has not been taken by the registered manager to address requirements made at the last inspection and they are restated. There are ongoing shortfalls in record-keeping, monitoring and review systems. The registered manager has not used learning to develop the home. The lack of action taken impacts on the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not always understand plans for children. Children’s records do not clearly identify the children’s individual needs. Relevant plans are not signed and dated by the author. It is unclear how staff are made aware of changes as plans are not consistently signed by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not regularly review children’s plans. This means that some plans have not been received or are out of date. No action has been taken by the registered manager to request missing documentation. The manager’s approach to risk management is ineffective. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 5 The manager does not review and evaluate incidents consistently. Leaders and managers have not prioritised children’s safety by failing to recognise, evaluate and respond to risk. For example, there is no management oversight when children’s bedrooms have been searched.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff told the inspector that they are supported in their role and are receiving regular supervision and attending team meetings. Records demonstrate that supervision sessions are practice related and helpful. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that all staff have read and understood children’s relevant plans and are aware of clear actions to take to minimise the risk of harm to children. 7 April 2023

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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— Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 7 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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(d)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must demonstrate oversight of care planning arrangements and maintain appropriate records. This is particularly in relation to the manager’s monitoring and review systems. The manager must ensure that all plans in relation to children are consistently reviewed to appropriately evaluate the impact that the quality of care has on children’s progress and experiences.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that arrangements are in place to— 7 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 8 ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Children must receive care that is planned effectively and which considers the impact on other children already living in the home. Leaders and managers must ensure that children have relevant plans that staff are supported to read and follow. Children must be encouraged to contribute to their plans.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 7 April 2023

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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 an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the matter; 7 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 9 the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(c) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (2))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the views of others are considered as part of the review. 7 April 2023

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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: 2519592 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Your Chapter, Hobart House, 3 Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 11 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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