Children's Home run by Brooks & Brooks Recruitment Ltd in Rochdale

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 1 Registered provider: Brooks & Brooks Recruitment

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operating without a registered manager. A manager has been appointed and has submitted an application for registration.

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This monitoring visit

At the home’s first full inspection, on 25 and 26 October 2023, Ofsted identified serious failings in safeguarding children and the leadership and management of the home. As a result of that inspection, the home was judged as inadequate and two compliance notices were issued under section 22(a) of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out to review the progress in addressing the steps in each compliance notice. At the visit, the inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient action to address the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been provided with a two-week intensive face-to-face training package. This training covered a range of topics, including child exploitation, identifying risk, the management and response to risk, and strategies to manage challenging behaviours. Staff were able to reflect on their previous practice and how this training will aid them in the future. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 2 The training the staff received has been supported by scenario-led sessions. This has provided staff with examples of concerns and evaluated their responses. This means that managers are taking steps to assure themselves that staff have the knowledge to act and respond accordingly to concerns arising in the home.

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This monitoring visit

A core staff team has been allocated to the home. The majority of the new team have previous experience in a children’s residential setting. The acting manager is now supported by two experienced senior workers who will set the standards for staff working in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The staff have been provided with detailed supervision. This has enabled the acting manager to assess each staff member’s understanding of the learning they have undertaken and if further learning is required.

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This monitoring visit

A reflective team meeting has taken place to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection. A staff member said, ‘The inspection has been a blessing in disguise. We have now been provided with the tools we need to do our job.’ The staff have welcomed the learning and the changes as part of developing their role.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has devised a three-month action plan to monitor the development of the staff team and the quality of work being undertaken. The acting manager said, ‘We need to get the quality right, as this reflects the overall quality of care.’ The acting manager has also developed a quality assurance monitoring tool to aid the internal monitoring of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has produced a guide to record-keeping in the home. This guide is to help staff understand what documents to use and where they are stored, and provides examples of what information needs to be included in each record. One member of staff said, ‘This is going to be our bible. It is the guidance we all needed.’

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This monitoring visit

All staff who have not completed the diploma in children’s residential care are now enrolled on this course. Staff who have already started this training are now provided with guidance, via a mentor and through supervision, to aid them in completing the course.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(x)) 24 November 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 4 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 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

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

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(ix)(x)) 24 November 2023

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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. 24 November 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i))

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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: 2727760 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brooks & Brooks Recruitment

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hilton Jones Ltd, Hollinwood Business Centre, Albert Street, Oldham OL8 3QL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Junior Brandford

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2727760 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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