Children's home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 1 SC034012 Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home offers care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The post for a registered manager has been vacant since November 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 17 and 18 May 2023. During this inspection, inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice, the quality of care being provided to children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, three compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These related to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard), regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) and regulation 6 (the quality and purpose of care standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to assess the progress made by the provider in meeting the steps of the notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the acting manager has received additional support from the responsible individual and an experienced manager from another home. This has helped the manager to devise a robust plan to bring about necessary improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Improvements have been made to internal and external monitoring and review systems. Senior managers now have greater oversight and quality assure practice in the home. As a result, the manager is supported to swiftly identify and address any shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 2 Leaders and managers have made changes to ensure that staff take appropriate action to implement the no-smoking policy and to prevent incidents of children smoking in the home. Smoking cessation training has enabled staff to have a better understanding of the potential impact of smoking and vaping on children’s health and well-being. Consequently, staff can support children to make healthier and safer choices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, significant improvements have been made to the condition of the home. The property has been redecorated and cleaned throughout. Essential repair work has also been carried out. Children’s bedrooms are now clean and tidy and contain enough storage. The manager has implemented a detailed cleaning rota, which includes the children’s bedrooms, to ensure that children are living in a clean, safe and homely environment.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are supporting the staff to develop nurturing, positive relationships with the children to ensure that children know staff care about them. Children now have access to a range of planned activities. They are encouraged to eat their meals in the communal dining room, instead of in their bedrooms. There is an improved balance between supporting children’s independence and offering child- centred, nurturing care.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers continue to make improvements to all documents. Children’s plans have been updated to include clear strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been supported to develop their understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They respond appropriately when children are missing from the home and are proactive in ensuring that children are supported to return safely. However, on the day of the visit, staff failed to recognise indicators that a child was potentially under the influence of cannabis. This is something that the responsible individual took action to address. A requirement has been made in relation to this under regulation 12.

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This monitoring visit

Following the visit, a case review was held where it was agreed that the provider has taken sufficient action to meet the steps of the compliance notices. The requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection were not considered at this visit. They have been included in this report and will be considered at a future inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2023 Full Inadequate 31/08/2022 Full Good 16/02/2022 Full Good 16/09/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 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 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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff remain vigilant to children’s presenting and emerging needs and that they are able to respond appropriately to keep children safe. 30 August 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—

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 5 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)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(v)(vi)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are clear boundaries, routines and expectations in place around the day-to-day care delivered in the home and that these are consistently followed by the staff team. 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 6 They should ensure that staff make efforts to positively engage children and promote the development of positive relationships.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, children should be supported and encouraged to eat their meals away from their bedrooms, and children’s bedrooms should be furnished, decorated and maintained to a high standard and be free of hazards, with enough storage for children to store their belongings.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 30 August 2023

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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 the 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)) 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that up-to- date delegated authority information is on each child’s file, and that these are signed by a person with the legal authority to do so.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

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 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the door to the back garden has a thumb-turn lock to allow children access to the garden. 30 August 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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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)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff are supervised with the frequency detailed in the provider’s supervision policy. 30 August 2023

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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. 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 8 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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person’s visits are of sufficient quality to provide effective challenge.

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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: SC034012 9

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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

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC034012 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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