Children's Home run by AP Care Homes Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 1 Registered provider: AP Care Homes Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The home provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 27 June 2023. There has been no registered manager in post since 13 September 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of this monitoring visit.

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This monitoring visit

The home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in November 2023. Ofsted found that children had suffered harm due to serious and widespread safeguarding failures.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home was judged inadequate, five monitoring visits have been carried out. The provider has failed to make and sustain the necessary improvements or act in accordance with the relevant regulations.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted inspectors could not gain access to the property at the previous monitoring visit on 1 October 2024. Despite repeated telephone calls and an email to the director, no response was received until late into the evening.

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This monitoring visit

There has been no registered manager in post since 13 September 2023. Since the last monitoring visit, there have been further changes to the management team. The acting manager left the organisation with immediate effect on the evening of 30 September 2024. The new proposed responsible individual, who started work at the home on 6 June 2024, left the organisation on 27 September 2024. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 2 At this visit, the director reported that she has appointed a new person to take on the role of responsible individual and a new acting manager. The acting manager and proposed responsible individual were present for this visit. The director confirmed that safer recruitment checks were still to be carried out for both individuals. This included some references, work histories and full Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home has been in operation, there have been six responsible individuals, one registered manager and five proposed managers. This continues to demonstrate instability in the leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Staff told inspectors that they were in the home on 1 October 2024 when the inspectors could not gain access to carry out the monitoring visit. They said that a decision was made by the director to refuse entry. This demonstrates that the provider does not understand their role in working with the regulator and Ofsted’s powers of entry to inspect.

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This monitoring visit

There have been further changes to the staff team in the home. Two recently recruited staff have left the organisation and one new staff member remains. This staff member is the only person currently safely recruited. The workforce remains unstable and there are insufficient staff to safely care for and support children. The director confirmed that a recruitment campaign is ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last inspection were not considered at this visit. A further requirement has been issued in relation to safer recruitment.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/11/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 3

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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 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

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 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

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 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must have effective oversight of the quality of care provided to children so that they can identify and address areas of concern. This includes oversight of staff practice, children’s records and staff training and records. 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 4 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.

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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) (5)) 25 November 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 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,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that—

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; 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

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Requirement Due date

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)) 25 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out— 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 5 how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 6 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that records of restraint are completed in line with regulation, that these are reviewed and that any concerns about restraint practice or injuries sustained are identified and responded to swiftly.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s risks are clearly assessed. Also, they should ensure that staff are provided with clear guidance and strategies to support them to reduce risks.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that staff take effective action to keep children safe. This includes ensuring that 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 7 allegations made by children are promptly reported to relevant agencies to safeguard children.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. They must ensure that they scrutinise available information before a child moves in so that they effectively consider whether they can meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

Further to this, the registered provider must ensure that the home’s care plans reflect the information and outcomes from the child’s relevant plans and inform good care practices in the home. 25 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

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— 25 November 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 8 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)(x))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s emotional and behavioural needs are understood and are met, in line with children’s relevant plans.

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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: 2724911 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: AP Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 307 Hale Road, Hale Barns, Altrincham WA15 8SS

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Regulatory Inspection Manager Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector (Quality assurance visit) Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2724911 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 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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