Children's Home run by Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 1 Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) 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 by a private company. It is registered to provide care for two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in this home at the time of this visit. The inspector spoke with one child about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2023.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the full inspection in May 2023. On 15 January 2024, Ofsted carried out an assurance inspection where serious and widespread concerns were identified in relation to the leadership and management of the home. A compliance notice was issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000, in relation to regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This monitoring visit took place to monitor the actions taken by the provider in relation to the compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Since the assurance inspection, leaders and managers have taken steps to ensure that the home operates in line with the statement of purpose. Children’s plans have been updated to reflect their needs.

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This monitoring visit

Action has been taken to support staff to understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Children’s risk plans have been updated, with input from children’s placing authority social workers. The use of bedroom door alarms has been reviewed to ensure that they are only used when needed to keep children safe. The requirement made at the last inspection in relation to this has been met. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 2 Protocols for when children go missing have been updated and are now individualised for each child, to ensure that staff know how to respond and take appropriate action to encourage children to return safely.

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This monitoring visit

Action has been taken to support staff to understand children’s health needs. Children are registered with relevant health professionals and are supported to access routine and specialist appointments. Staff have been proactive in ensuring that children have access to smoking cessation services and advice. One child has attended a cessation appointment and is being supported by the team to continue to access the service. The requirement made at the last inspection in relation to this has been met.

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This monitoring visit

There have not been any complaints. The complaint made before the assurance inspection has now been fully investigated by the responsible individual. The child, who has since left the home, was spoken to, to ensure that their views were listened to. In addition, the manager delivered a session about complaints in a team meeting.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed training around direct work with children. However, records of sessions lack detail and do not demonstrate that work is planned around children’s care or placement plans. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that children’s needs are being met.

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This monitoring visit

Staff say they feel listened to and supported by the manager. Team meetings are now taking place more regularly and are used effectively to reflect on children’s progress and individual needs. The manager has plans to introduce research-based practice into these meetings, however, this is not yet evident and its impact cannot be measured. Children’s views have been incorporated into annual performance reviews for staff. This enables children to provide feedback about the care they receive.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have taken steps to improve their monitoring and oversight of practice in the home. However, changes have only recently been introduced and there is limited evidence of how leaders and managers are evaluating the service to improve outcomes for children. A requirement has been raised under regulation 13 in relation to this.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, a case review took place where it was agreed that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements raised at the last inspection were not explored as part of this monitoring visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/06/2021 Full Good 04/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 4

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

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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

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children know that their complaints will be taken seriously. If children complain about the manager, then the complaint must be investigated by a person who has not been involved in the complaint. 29 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children are supported to make measurable progress towards achieving their education 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

that staff 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 through the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that education timetables are put into place when children are not in school. These should provide children and staff with an 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 5 understanding of the academic areas that children need to be supported with.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

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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;

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that procedures in place to keep children safe are clear, effective and personalised for each child. Safeguarding procedures must be reviewed regularly to ensure they are meeting children’s needs. The registered person must ensure that staff talk to children regularly about their risks and how to keep themselves safe from these. 29 April 2024

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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

promotes their welfare. 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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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 (3)(a)(b)) 29 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (1) (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular supervision that enables them to reflect on their practice. Staff performance must be appraised annually to enable staff to meet their development goals. 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 7 This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the independent person who completed the visit sends in their report to Ofsted within 28 days of the visit. 29 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the quality of care review incorporates feedback from children, families and professionals. The quality of care review should be evaluative in nature and should identify learning from the past six months. This should then be carried forward to create an action plan with clear, measurable goals.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated. 29 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children live in a warm and welcoming environment with a homely feel. Objects and notices that give the house an institutional feel should be removed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1263425 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Social Care Services (Clayton) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Social Care Services Group, 31 Shaw Road, Stockport SK4 4AG

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1263425 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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