Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 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 owned and operated by a private company. It provides short- to medium-term care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no manager at the home. The previous registered manager left in November 2023. Day-to-day management is undertaken by senior leaders. Two children were living at the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance inspection on 25 October 2023, serious shortfalls were identified relating to the safety and protection of children. A compliance notice under Regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) was issued detailing the steps necessary to address the shortfalls. A notice restricting accommodation was also served to prevent further children moving into the home. This is due for review in January 2024.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to assess progress towards completing the steps detailed in the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have carried out a full review of any incidents where there have been allegations made against staff. This has provided reassurance that children’s concerns are listened to and appropriate management action is taken. Leaders and managers have also introduced a new checklist for use in any disclosures or allegations management, which promotes adherence to the company policy.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and managers have received training to improve their understanding of, and competence in, a variety of safeguarding matters. This learning has been reinforced Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 2 through group discussions in team meetings. This helps the staff to achieve a consistent response to keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Fire safety equipment is now positioned in the correct locations, where it can be accessed as needed. Staff and children have been reminded about the importance of abiding by the fire risk assessment to promote the safety of all users of the building.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have taken steps to improve communication with other professionals and agencies, including the local authority designated officer and the police. This lays foundations for more effective joined-up and multi-agency working. This has already contributed to setting up a more effective risk management plan around children who go missing.

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This monitoring visit

These measures have addressed some of the steps in the compliance notice. However, unwanted behaviours between children have continued, which has contributed to verbal and physical incidents. This has also led to confused and conflicting understanding of how children have sustained bodily marks through physical altercations with one another.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have also failed to prevent children obtaining illegal substances. Room searches are not carried out effectively. They are not properly recorded and are not in line with the home’s policy. Children have therefore been in possession of items that put them at potential risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Peer relationships and misuse of substances are still areas of concern. Key-work sessions or other interventions with the children are insufficient to promote improvements in these areas.

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This monitoring visit

Due to these factors, parts of the compliance notice are not yet met, and it has therefore been reissued.

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This monitoring visit

Further requirements raised at the last inspection were not considered at this visit and will be revisited during further inspection activity. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 25/05/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

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

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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)(iv)(vi)) 14 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(iv)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must manage any conflict or collusion between children effectively, to promote their safety and well-being. 14 January 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 5 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)) 14 January 2024

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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

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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)) 14 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

* This requirement is subject of a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met. This includes maintaining the physical environment, which is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 6

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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: 1234317 7

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bokani Nyoni-Chaya

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Inspectors

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Catherine Sikakana, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1234317 8 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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