Children's Home run by XYP Childcare Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 1 Registered provider: XYP Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered as a multi-building children’s home in July 2023. The manager was registered as part of this registration.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to six children with social and emotional difficulties in up to three buildings under a single registration.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 2

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inadequate

At the time of the inspection, there were three children living across three settings.

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inadequate

The home environment across the three settings is poor. Children's bedrooms appear to be in a poor state, with numerous hazards. Leaders, the manager and staff have allowed children to live and sleep in neglectful conditions. Staff took some action at the inspection to improve home conditions.

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inadequate

Staff do not have the relevant skills to engage with children. This includes talking to children about their feelings and asking children for their views about the care that staff provide for them. Staff do not help children talk about things that matter to them. One child has lived in the home for approximately two weeks. The registered manager has not met the child. This does not help the child to feel valued.

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inadequate

Staff do not consider how best to meet children’s day-to-day needs. Staff told inspectors that one child eats meals alone in their bedroom. This home does not have a table for children to eat their meals on. This does not help children to feel a sense of belonging when they move into the home. Leaders and the manager did take action to address this at the inspection.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that children attend education. There are no formal education arrangements for children. However, some children complete educational work with the assessment and qualifications alliance (AQA) with variable progress.

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inadequate

Staff do not provide consistent structure to children’s days. One child remained in bed until late afternoon during the inspection. This has a negative impact on children’s overall progress and experiences.

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inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff do not support children to develop their hobbies and interests or take part in activities they enjoy.

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inadequate

Staff help the children to speak to friends and family. This helps children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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

Risks to children are not understood or managed by leaders, the manager and staff.

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

Leaders and managers do not provide staff with any strategies for them to follow in practice to reduce the risk of harm and protect the children living across the settings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 3 Staff do not understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. They do not take effective action to reduce risks to children, for example when children display self- injurious behaviours. Incidents of self-injurious behaviours have increased for one child. However, despite the escalating risks, it is not clear what training the staff have received to support their understanding of or their ability to respond effectively to the child’s needs and reduce the risk of further incidents occurring.

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

Leaders, managers and staff do not understand the risks around children accessing the internet. One child has unlimited access to the internet without any consideration of risk or the impact on the child’s well-being.

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

Leaders, the manager and staff do not ensure that children receive the necessary support from health or specialist agencies to address concerns in relation to self- injurious behaviours.

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

One child has been missing from this setting for a significant period of time. The child is at risk in the community. Staff search areas where they believe the child may be. However, this is not effective. Leaders and the manager have not taken sufficient action to implement any alternative strategies to locate the child and support a safe return home.

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

Risk and behaviour support plans are reviewed. However, these plans are not always updated to include any new or emerging information in relation to children’s vulnerabilities. This does not help staff to respond safely and consistently to help and support to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of this setting are poor, unsafe and ineffective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspectors identified serious and widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements across the three settings. This has significantly compromised children’s safety living across all three settings within the registration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are at risk because leaders and the manager do not understand their roles and responsibilities in providing effective management oversight across the three settings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no effective management oversight of staff practice or the quality of care provided for children. Leaders and managers do not demonstrate any learning from safeguarding incidents to improve the situation for children or the practice of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records of incidents are inconsistent and contain conflicting information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When there have been significant events in the home, there have been delays to notifications. This means the regulator cannot effectively monitor the home to ensure that children are safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 4 Staffing arrangements in the home are unclear. Documents provided by leaders and managers are out of date and contain different information. Staff are inexperienced, and there is a reliance on agency staff. This has resulted in children being cared for by an inconsistent and unstable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and the manager cannot demonstrate a clear overview of the training that staff have received. There are gaps in some staff’s training to meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff spoken to give a mixed response about supervision arrangements. Some staff said they have not received supervision. One member of staff was not sure who provided his supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not provided an up-to-date statement of purpose that accurately details the staffing arrangements for the home. This means that the regulator does not have a clear overview of staff working in the home or staff qualifications, skills and experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A review of the premises has been completed by leaders and the manager. However, this does not consider children’s individual needs or feedback from relevant stakeholders. This is a missed opportunity to identify safeguarding concerns and implement strategies to minimise the risk of harm to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Due to the serious and widespread concerns identified, an immediate notice to suspend the registration of the home was served on 25 January 2024. Ofsted will continue to monitor this suspension. Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 5

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

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In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need, in order to live there comfortably;

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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)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vii)(c)(i)(ii)) 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 6 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are provided with a safe and clean environment and that staff understand how to meet children’s daily needs.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff support children to talk about their views, wishes and feelings. 2 April 2024

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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; 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 7 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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that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(b))

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In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that education is promoted within the home. Children must be encouraged to access meaningful education and provided with appropriate resources and equipment to support them to learn.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders, managers and staff must ensure that they understand and support children to pursue their hobbies and interests and take part in activities that children enjoy. 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 8 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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meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that consequences and rewards are appropriate and evaluated for their effectiveness. Leaders and managers must support children to understand acceptable and appropriate behaviour. 2 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 9 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe.

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Requirement Due date

Risk management plans must be kept up to date and contain clear actions for staff to follow in practice to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 10 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there are sufficient review and monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided in the home and identify learning opportunities from staff practice.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

and 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

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;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

and 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;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission;

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Requirement Due date

or that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i)(ii)(f)) 2 February Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 11 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s needs are assessed before they move into the home and that moves in and out of the home are positive and planned.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet the children’s needs.

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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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the statement of purpose should include details of staff qualifications and the staffing structure of the home. 2 February

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that staff receive regular practice-related supervision by an appropriately qualified person. 2 April 2024

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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)) 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 12 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and accurately detail the child’s journey through the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they submit accurate notifications in a timely manner. 2 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). 2 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 13 When conducting the review, the registered person must consult and take into account the views of each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2)) Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 14

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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: 2719899 15

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 43 Stamford Road, Mossley, Ashton-Under-Lyne OL5 0BG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Philip Hogan-Birse

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Inspectors

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2719899 16 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 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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