Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number operated by a large private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties and who may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2018. The home has a registered manager.

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This monitoring visit

During a full inspection on 3 and 4 May 2023 inspectors found significant shortfalls in both safeguarding practice and leadership and management. As a result, three compliance notices were issued, under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 35 (behaviour management policies and records standard).

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this visit was to monitor and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices. At this visit, inspectors found that the provider had not complied with these notices. As a result, further compliance notices have been issued under the same regulations.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors found that children’s risk assessments do not include their known vulnerabilities. Therefore, staff do not have clear strategies in place to follow. When risk assessments are updated, there are no clear processes in place to inform staff. Consequently, staff do not always have the required knowledge to keep children safe. Staff spoken to could not demonstrate that they understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

A review of allegations has taken place, however, the learning has not been shared with staff. Actions identified as a result of previous allegations have not been Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 2 implemented in practice. Furthermore, staff were unable to demonstrate a clear understanding of what action to take in response to allegations. Staff were unable to demonstrate a working knowledge of the home’s child protection policies.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last full inspection, the registered manager has been working shifts in the home. This continues to impact on the overall leadership and management of the home. The home is not adequately staffed to meet the needs of children. There has been a high sickness rate and shifts are not covered. This impacts on the quality of care that children receive.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders have identified training for staff. However, not all staff have completed the required training. As a result, staff were unable to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and understanding about their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Systems are not in place to monitor and review the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This impacts on the quality of care provided to children because leaders do not know the shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home.

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This monitoring visit

There have been three incidents of physical intervention since the previous inspection. Shortfalls remain, as the records do not include accurate details. The acting manager has failed to identify the inaccuracies when evaluating incidents. Furthermore, the acting manager evaluated one incident despite being involved in it. One record was missing. This does not demonstrate robust oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the last inspection were not considered at this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/05/2023 Full Inadequate 24/05/2022 Full Good 19/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/10/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 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 with 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and 13 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 4 that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d)(e))

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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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 13 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

*The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. 13 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 5 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii) (b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 6 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and 13 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 7 have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(x)(xi) (xii)(xiii))

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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

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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

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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)(iii)(e)(i)(ii)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children should benefit from planned moves in and out of the home, in line with their relevant plans. Children’s records should accurately reflect their journey through the home. 13 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 13 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 8 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should challenge placing authorities effectively and take action to escalate concerns if the authority does not arrange independent return home interviews when children have been missing from home.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 1271998 9

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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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Inspectors

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Kayleigh Treanor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1271998 10 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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