Children's home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 1 SC1263768 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

Three children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. They spoke with the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2022 Full Good 12/10/2021 Full Good 27/11/2019 Full Outstanding 14/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children like living in the home. They are supported to make progress in all areas of their lives. Children’s progress is underpinned by the positive relationships they are supported to develop with staff. Consequently, children speak positively about the care they receive and feel valued by the team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to speak to staff about issues that are affecting them. They are enabled to share their views and wishes and are provided with frequent opportunities for participation in choices about their daily lives. Children are encouraged to contribute to their support plans and individual targets. This ensures that they are listened to and involved in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence and are helped to acquire the skills they need to move towards adulthood. Staff advocate on behalf of children to ensure that appropriate plans are in place for them before they leave the home. This supports children with a positive start to their adult lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is valued and promoted by the team. Children who have not been in education for prolonged periods have tailored transitions to support achievable goals. When issues arise in school, staff respond quickly to ensure that this does not escalate and have an impact on children’s education placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their interests. However, some communal areas of the home and kitchen appear tired and would benefit from redecoration and refurbishment. This does not reflect a welcoming and homely environment for children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children’s risk and behaviour support plans are effective and include clear strategies for staff to use to support children and keep them safe. Children’s plans are regularly reviewed following incidents and are discussed with staff in team meetings and supervision sessions. This practice ensures that plans reflect children’s current and emerging risks and that all staff are aware of how to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Risks are responded to effectively. The manager is proactive in addressing concerns and ensures that information is shared with relevant professionals. When concerns were raised about two children in the home, the manager appropriately discussed these with children, shared the information with professionals and implemented safeguarding measures to ensure children’s safety.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are involved in regular direct-work sessions to help them learn about a variety of topics, such as staying safe and healthy relationships. However, the sessions do not consistently cover known issues in children’s lives, such as their Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 4 general health and the importance of attending medical appointments. This is a missed opportunity to support children to further develop their understanding of key issues.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff support children to regulate their emotions and are responsive to their needs. For one child, following a significant escalation in behaviours that resulted in the police being called, the manager took swift action to ensure that support was in place for the child and that staff had access to additional behaviour management training and therapeutic support to reduce the likelihood of future incidents.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been several occasions when children have gone missing from the home. Staff have been proactive in searching for children and working closely with professionals to ensure that children are helped to return safely. Children are supported with independent return home interviews and the outcomes are shared with staff. This supports staff to understand the context of children’s behaviours and put plans in place to keep them safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There are door alarms on children’s bedrooms. These are additional safeguarding measures, and their use is regularly reviewed. However, the manager has not detailed the use of door alarms as monitoring and surveillance measures in the home’s statement of purpose.

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good

The registered manager is experienced and well respected by staff. She provides clear leadership and guidance to the team. Staff say that they feel well supported and describe the manager as ‘approachable’ and ‘child focused’. The manager is available to the children and has built positive relationships with them.

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good

Not all children have up-to-date statutory plans. The manager has not consistently requested these plans from placing authority social workers. This limits opportunities to ensure that children are cared for in accordance with their statutory plans.

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good

Staff are supported in their professional practice through regular supervision. However, the manager was unable to demonstrate that she receives regular supervision. This does not ensure that the manager has adequate support or that her practice is reviewed.

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good

Team meetings are held frequently and provide opportunities for staff to share, reflect on their practice and discuss the children. The manager uses this forum to drive forward improvements in the home.

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good

Staff have access to a range of training opportunities. However, not all staff have received training that is specific to children’s identified risks and vulnerabilities, including training around missing from home, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and criminal exploitation. This does not ensure that children are supported by a suitably skilled and qualified staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 5 Internal monitoring systems are not fully effective. Some records lack detail, include anomalies about children’s care when there have been changes and do not always include dates or the author of the record. This limits management oversight of practice in the home and does not support staff to ensure that they provide consistent care for children.

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good

The workforce development plan does not demonstrate a clear vision for staff development. The plan has not been updated for some months and does not give clarity on the development of the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 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, 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 within the given timescales.

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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;

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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

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)(1)(a)(c)(f)(h)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically leaders and managers must ensure that management oversight is effective and monitoring and review systems are in place to ensure improvements in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and manager must also ensure that all staff have the necessary training to support children. 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 7 children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child's relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child's health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child's health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child's age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child's well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children are supported to understand the importance of their health and attending appointments. When children refuse to attend appointments, explorations take place as to why.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations; or

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Requirement Due date

any conditions in relation to the registration of the registered person under Part 2 of the Care Standards Act 2000. (Regulation 16 (1)(5)(6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the use of any form of monitoring and surveillance is clearly detailed in the homes statement of purpose. 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 8 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered manager must have systems in place to demonstrate regular supervision is undertaken.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all records are signed and dated by the author. 28 February 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1(Paragraphs 19 and 20). The Plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by the staff whilst working at the home and used to record on going training and continuing professional development needs of staff – including the homes manager. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.8).  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards', page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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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: 1263768 9

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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

Kelly McCurdy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263768 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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Inspector

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