Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 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

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. The provider is registered to provide care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

At the assurance inspection on 13 February 2024, inspectors identified safeguarding concerns in relation to the protection of children. Leaders and managers had not ensured that staff understood or follow appropriate steps to minimise the risk of harm to children. There was an insufficient response to managing risk and the arrangements for leadership and management were poor.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted imposed an urgent condition to vary the home’s conditions of registration to reduce the number of children living in the home from four to two. Furthermore, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices. The provider has taken appropriate steps to develop clear risk management plans. Plans are up to date and provide staff with clear actions and strategies to follow, to reduce the risk of harm and keep children safe. Staff understand children’s individual risks and take appropriate action to respond to signs of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have supported staff to attend training. Staff have individual development plans that identify their training and development needs. Action has Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 2 been taken to address any gaps identified. Arrangements are in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of training and how learning is applied into practice.

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This monitoring visit

New monitoring systems have been introduced to ensure that managers have oversight of incidents and day-to-day practice in the home. Records are thoroughly reviewed and evaluated.

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This monitoring visit

Children are encouraged to provide feedback about the quality of care they receive and contribute to their relevant care plans. A consistent staff team provides children with clear boundaries and routines to help them understand acceptable behaviour and risk.

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This monitoring visit

Staff receive regular and reflective supervision. Staff are supported to learn from practice and reflect on the quality of care that they provide through supervisions and team meetings.

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This monitoring visit

The additional requirements identified at the assurance inspection were not considered as part of this monitoring visit and will be considered at the full inspection. The condition to vary the home’s conditions of registration to reduce the number of children living in the home from four to two will continue to be monitored. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Inadequate 21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 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 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

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

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children’s records include clear plans for supporting and promoting children’s engagement in education. 27 March 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.

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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 27 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 5 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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

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) (2)(a)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the care planning for children in the home includes the therapeutic support provided, and that safe systems are in place for children to access records.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are consulted in the development of their care plans and records.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 27 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 6 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the provider must ensure that the leadership and management arrangements for the home are clear, and that HMCI is notified of leadership and management appointments. 27 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; 27 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 7 the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that restraint records are accurate and contain details of the measure used and any steps to avoid the measure. The measure should be evaluated as to the effectiveness.

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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.

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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. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b) (5)) 27 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 8 The provider must ensure that the statement of purpose accurately details staffing and management arrangements in the home, and that the home provides care that is consistent with the statement of purpose.

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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: 2519592 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, 3 Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2519592 10 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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