Children's Home run by Starlight Residential Limited in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 1 Registered provider: Starlight Residential Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this children’s home. The home is registered to care for three children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 18 and 19 September 2024, and requirements were issued under regulation 8 The education standard, regulation 12 The protection of children standard, regulation 13 The leadership and management standard, regulation 14 The care planning standard, regulation 40 Notification of a serious event, and regulation 32 Staffing of children’s homes.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s progress in meeting the requirements.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has resigned. Her departure was unexpected, and the home is actively seeking a replacement. There are currently no children living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

A child was placed at the home for a period of three weeks. The child maintained 100% school attendance, with effective daily communication between the home’s staff and school staff. The manager took part in educational meetings, fostering strong relationships and information-sharing. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 2 The manager ensured that the child was assessed before coming to the home. This ensured that staff had the necessary skills to meet the child’s needs. Comprehensive care and risk management plans mirrored the local authority plans. As this placement was brief, it is difficult to assess if this requirement is met.

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This monitoring visit

A whistle-blowing incident highlighted gaps in communication when a staff member was reportedly intoxicated while on duty. This incident was reported to Ofsted and other relevant bodies within the required timescales.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has put in place risk management strategies, including clear roles in managing risks. However, concerns were noted regarding the flat roof and window restrictors, which require attention.

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This monitoring visit

Staff training and development have been prioritised, with comprehensive training sessions for staff. The home’s training matrix has been audited, and additional training is planned.

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This monitoring visit

A full audit of staff personnel files was completed, addressing the issues raised in the previous full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Positive feedback was received from professionals and family members regarding the manager’s support and communication.

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This monitoring visit

A quality-of-care review has not yet been completed despite the home being in operation for over six months.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has shown that they have addressed shortfalls in several areas of practice in the home, particularly in educational support and incident reporting. However, challenges remain in maintaining effective leadership. The home’s commitment to addressing these issues and improving outcomes is evident, but further evidence of sustained compliance with regulations and standards is required. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 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 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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should not accept placements without full information and should ensure that risks are understood and plans are in place to mitigate risk.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the provider should ensure that staff are clear about their roles in managing and preventing risks. 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 5 The registered provider should ensure that all parts of the home are safe, with particular reference to the flat roof and window restrictors.

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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

managers 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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(b)(f))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must employ staff who have the skills and experience to work individually and as a team to safeguard each child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must always ensure that sufficient, appropriate staff are on duty.

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Requirement Due date

When risks emerge, the registered provider must take decisive action to minimise risks. 29 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 6 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider should only accept children to live at the home when staff have the relevant skills and experience to care for them.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider should ensure that children have a positive experience when moving on from the home.

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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) 29 November 2024

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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: 2770705 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Starlight Residential Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Premier Accountants, 15 Leopold Street, Birmingham B12 0UP

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Inspectors

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Paulette Forbes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2770705 8 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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