Children's Home run by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 1 Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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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 four children who may experience social and/or emotional and learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Four children were living at the home at the time of this inspection. The inspector spoke to three of the children about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

An interim manager has been in post since May 2024. She has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/04/2024 Full Inadequate 22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2023 Full Inadequate 02/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 3

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improvement to be good

The children have all lived in the home since before the last inspection. They say they are happy and like living in the home. Children are supported to develop positive relationships with staff, who have a good understanding of their needs. Staff support children to feel settled in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff value children and speak about them warmly. Children are listened to, and their views help to inform the care they receive. Children have been involved in choosing the decor and furnishings for the home. They also requested bicycles, which have now been purchased. This helps children to feel listened to and heard.

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improvement to be good

Key conversations between children and staff help children to discuss issues that are important to them and support them to talk about difficult issues that need addressing, such as vaping and substance use.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to attend school. One child has struggled to maintain a school placement, and staff are providing support around this. However, there are no clear routines in place to support the child with a successful future return to a learning environment. This limits the child’s opportunities to reach their educational potential.

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improvement to be good

Door alarms continue to be used on children’s bedroom doors to alert staff when children leave their bedrooms at night. The risk plan for one child details the reason why the alarm needs to be used, however, this is not routinely reviewed and there is no permission in place from the child’s social worker. This limits children’s privacy and movement in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe. The consistent care provided by the staff team helps them to feel secure in their home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the risks for children well and children’s risk management plans are now more detailed. There has been a marked improvement in risk plans and they are written to address children’s individual concerns and vulnerabilities. The plans provide clear strategies for staff to follow to reduce risks for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the missing-from-home procedures well and there are detailed plans in place to help direct staff in their responses to children. However, the plan for one child lacks clarity. Expectations on staff to search for children when they are missing are unclear and there is an over-reliance on using taxis or staff’s personal vehicles when Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 4 searching for children. Agency staff are unable to use their personal vehicles to do this and therefore searches can be limited.

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improvement to be good

The number of times children have needed to be held to keep everyone safe has reduced significantly. Increased staffing in the home has allowed staff to take time to understand the triggers for children’s behaviours. Records of physical intervention are clear and reflect that the holds are proportionate. Debriefs for staff and children are undertaken, but it is not always clear who has carried them out.

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improvement to be good

Children’s case records are not fully up to date and some children’s statutory documents are missing. Escalation processes to obtain documents have not been followed. This prevents staff from being able to support children in line with their plans.

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improvement to be good

Safe recruitment procedures are in place. However, there are some discrepancies in the paperwork and the manager does not have all the information required to assure her of the suitability of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is managed by a suitably experienced and qualified interim manager. She has brought some stability and consistency to the home and is committed to improving outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Social workers and parents say they are happy with the care being provided to children. One social worker said it is the most stable and consistent home their child has experienced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality and frequency of supervision have improved since the last inspection. The manager and senior staff ensure that staff are provided with opportunities to reflect on their practice and the progress children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

All staff have completed their mandatory training and additional training relevant to children’s plans. This investment in development means they are able to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Recording shortfalls identified at the last inspection have not been fully addressed. Several records are not legible and have not been signed by staff. This means there is a lack of information about children’s experiences and limited management oversight of incidents in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Several key documents such as the quality of care review, statement of purpose, workforce development plan and fire risk assessment are either out of date or have not been completed. The quality of care review lacks depth and does not evaluate the difference the service is making for children. It does not include the voice of children or wider stakeholders such as parents, staff or placing authority social workers. This limits oversight of practice in the home and does not support service development. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 5 Monthly visits are carried out by the independent person to provide external scrutiny of the home. However, a recent conflict of interest between the current independent person and the local authority has not been addressed. This reduces independent oversight of practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 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 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;

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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

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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 3 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 7 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or 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; and

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Requirement Due date

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)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s daily routines encourage and promote their engagement in education.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure the use of surveillance is regularly reviewed in the home for all children. Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that systems in place are fit for purpose and that the home does not operate a blanket approach for all children.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated. 3 October 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. 3 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 8 (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that all children have up-to-date plans and that each child’s records are completed and maintained to a good standard, are legible and signed by the author.

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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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(a) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they complete an up-to-date fire risk assessment aligned with their own procedures. 3 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and 3 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 9 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have all up-to-date information relating to new staff, including exploring gaps in employment.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint, at the registered provider’s expense, a person ("the independent person") to visit and report on the children’s home carried on by the registered provider.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must declare any actual or potential conflict of interest (whether of the type mentioned in paragraph (3) or otherwise) to the registered provider without delay and, if reasonably practicable, before conducting a visit to the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider becomes aware of a potential conflict of interest in relation to the independent person before or during the independent person visiting the home (see regulation 44), the registered provider must—

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements to cancel the visit without delay; and

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Requirement Due date

appoint a different independent person to visit the home. (Regulation 43 (1) (6) (7)(a)(b)) 3 September 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.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review 3 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 10 and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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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)) 3 October 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: 1263766 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton-under-Lyne OL6 6BH

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Inspector

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1263766 12 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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