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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 1 Registered provider: Brooks & Brooks Recruitment Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, the home was providing care for one child. The home currently does not have a registered manager. A new manager is in post and has submitted an application to become the registered manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 25 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted judged this children’s home as inadequate at the last inspection. Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard) due to serious concerns relating to the safety and protection of children and widespread failings in the leadership and management of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 2 A monitoring visit took place on 14 November 2023 where it was decided that both compliance notices had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/10/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 4

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improvement to be good

Progress for the child living in the home is variable. One professional said, ‘From their starting point, the child has made significant progress and they are starting to engage with staff and build positive relationships.’ However, the shortfalls identified in the protection of children impinge on the child’s progress and safety.

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improvement to be good

Managers are working with the child’s placing local authority and virtual school to secure an educational provision for the child. However, in the absence of formal education, the child’s home-based education time is not structured or consistent. Education planners do not include scheduled educational activities for staff to implement as part of the child’s day. This impacts on the child’s day-to-day routine regarding educational input.

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improvement to be good

The child living in the home has multi-faceted needs and has started to receive services from a range of external stakeholders. However, these services are not yet embedded to support the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff have the skills to listen to and understand the child’s wishes and feelings. However, managers do not ensure that staff are consistent with praise and rewards, as only two rewards are recorded. The child responds positively to rewards and praise.

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improvement to be good

Family time is promoted and supported by staff both in the home and outside of the home. Staff have developed positive working relationships with family members for the child. The child benefits from these positive relationships and the regular family time that is in place.

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improvement to be good

The home is warm and welcoming. Despite the child’s bedroom already being personalised, staff were supporting the child during the inspection to redecorate their bedroom at the child’s request.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments are in place, but they are confusing to read and do not contain the correct current level of risk. This means that staff do not have the most up-to-date information about the child and how to manage the risks effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand and follow the restrictions and parameters of the deprivation of liberty order that is in place for the child. There have been no missing-from-home incidents, which was a previous pattern of behaviour for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 5 There have been six uses of physical intervention, which have been appropriate and proportionate. These interventions have been well documented and include a debrief with both the staff involved and the child. However, on two occasions, the use of physical intervention was not used in line with the regulations. This impacts on children’s safety and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Medication is stored safely and administered in line with the provider’s own medication guidance. However, the failure of staff to pick up the child’s prescription from the pharmacy meant that the child was without medication for two nights. This has a negative effect on the child’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children’s concerns and complaints are taken seriously and responded to appropriately. Managers escalate concerns and follow safeguarding procedures where required. However, not all safeguarding incidents have been appropriately notified to the regulator. This prevents Ofsted from reviewing the incidents and taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of the child.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes are followed when staff are appointed, which provide assurance that staff are suitably vetted and qualified to provide care.

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improvement to be good

The child has experienced multiple moves previously before living in this home. After a difficult and prolonged period of crisis for the child, a birth family member said, ‘They didn’t give up on my child and this means a lot.’

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good

The interim manager is in day-to-day charge of the home. She has submitted an application to be the registered manager. Since the last inspection, the responsible individual has recognised that the home would benefit from having a deputy manager, which has now been advertised. This will provide additional management oversight in the home, which the child and staff will benefit from.

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good

All staff are enrolled on the childcare qualification, which means that only the manager is currently qualified. However, since the last inspection, managers have ensured that all staff have attended training to upskill their knowledge base and abilities. Staff have also completed training specific to the child’s individual needs.

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good

Team meetings are held regularly and are used to reflect on staff’s practice. At the most recent team meeting, the child attended to share their views and wishes. This enables the child to understand that their views are valued and they can have a say in their care and planning.

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good

Supervisions take place in line with the statement of purpose, and staff acknowledge and sign to say they agree with the supervision minutes. Supervisions are practice based with reflection and address areas of poor practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 6 The home is currently recruiting for a night shift practitioner. Agency staff have been used in the home due to staffing shortages, predominately with nighttime staff. This does not provide the child with the necessary continuity of care. Where possible, managers place agency staff on shift with a staff member known to the child.

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good

The physical environment for the child is safe and secure and protects the child from harm. However, recommendations from the fire risk assessment have not been implemented.

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good

Feedback from professionals and birth family has been positive during the inspection. Key themes include managers and staff working collaboratively and good communication. Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 7

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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 within 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 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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iv)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff providing consistent routines and structure for home-based education with planned scheduled educational activities. 5 April 2024

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; and 5 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 8 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, risk assessments must reflect the correct level of risk and be clear for staff to understand and follow.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, children’s medication prescriptions should be collected in a timely manner to avoid children being without their medication.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child); and

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child). (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff must not use guides or restraint to move children out of the office. 5 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified within 24 hours to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that the home complies with relevant health and safety legislation and, in doing so, ensure that recommendations from the fire risk assessment are implemented. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff are consistent in recognising and celebrating the achievements of their children and recording these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.7)  The registered person should ensure that the use of agency staff is carefully monitored and reviewed so that children receive continuity of care. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 9 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: 2727760 10

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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

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 11 regulates and inspects 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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Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted Inspection report for children’s home: 2727760 12

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