Children's Home run by Care 4 Every Child Limited in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 23 May 2024.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: not previously inspected

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, four children were living in the home. Records and discussions with leaders and managers demonstrate that these moves were carefully planned. The inspector spoke to three children during the inspection and had the opportunity to observe all the children interacting with the staff team at different points over the course of the two days.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, homely and well presented. Children’s bedrooms are decorated to reflect their personal interests. In the communal areas of the home, there are decorations and photos of the children on display, evidencing cultural activities that staff and children have enjoyed.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care from a team of staff who are physically available. Staff are keen to learn about children’s likes, dislikes and matters that are important to them. Staff receive advice and guidance from a specialist clinician on how to support the children. Children say they feel listened to and are comfortable speaking to staff about their feelings. A professional and family member of one child praised the staff for their ability to form a trusting relationship with the child and the difference this has made to the child’s emotional well-being.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s social development is promoted. They take part in activities that are informed by their interests. This gives them the opportunity to meet new people and build relationships and networks.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Furthermore, children are helped to retain a sense of identity by, for example, being supported to attend places of worship in accordance with their religious beliefs. In addition, a child who has an interest in music production has been helped to develop their own music at a recording studio. These experiences support children to develop their talents.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain familial ties. Staff work jointly with parents to ensure that children regularly connect with significant people in their lives, either by telephone or face to face. Staff ensure that any time that children spend with their families takes place in line with their individualised plans.

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend their education provision. Where there are restrictions placed on children’s attendance, leaders and managers challenge professionals to ensure that children’s fair access to learning is not being hindered. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 3

p.2

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children are settled in the home and can identify a trusted adult who they can confide in if they are worried or feel unsafe. In addition, the physical environment for children is safe, secure and protects them from harm.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children have individualised risk assessments to ensure that their safety needs are known and understood by staff. Leaders and managers have not ensured that children’s changing needs are always reflected in their safety plans. Despite this, discussions with the team of staff demonstrate that they thoroughly understand children’s existing and emerging risks and the measures they can take to keep them safe.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Recruitment practice promotes children’s safety and welfare. Staff go through a vetting process that includes sourcing references from previous employers to determine their suitability to care for children. However, where candidates have previously worked with children, leaders and managers have not consistently ensured that they understand why their employment ended.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Leaders, managers and staff implement an incentives system that encourages positive behaviour from children and helps them to develop life skills. Staff take part in direct work sessions with children about safety in the home and the community so that they understand how to keep themselves safe.

p.3

How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Records of restraint practice provide details of the hold and debriefs with staff and the child. However, debriefs with children do not include their views on the hold. This means that children are not being supported to express their feelings about this. In addition, on one occasion, a staff member who had not received training on restraint practice was involved in holding a child.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably experienced and qualified. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager, who is child centred and speaks enthusiastically about the children. The manager has a clear vision for the home and her staff team. This includes strong and positive relationships being formed between the children and the staff.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager takes her role of supporting staff seriously. She operates an open-door policy, which staff find beneficial. Staff acknowledge the influence that the manager has on their practice. The manager is approachable and considered to be a good mentor. In addition, staff regularly receive formal supervision where their safeguarding knowledge is tested. Team meetings are used by managers to ensure that staff collectively understand their roles and responsibilities when caring for children. This helps to ensure that children receive consistent care.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New and existing staff members have access to a thorough training programme to ensure that they have the relevant skills to support children effectively. Although training on restraint practice forms part of the induction process, the timescales for completion Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 4 mean that children can be cared for by staff who are not trained. This has resulted in a child being held by a staff member who does not have the relevant knowledge on restraint practice and de-escalation techniques.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well resourced with a team of staff who know the children and are developing positive relationships with them. Permanent staff or staff from the provider’s other homes, who are familiar to the children, are used to cover staff absences. This ensures that children continue to experience stability in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Multi-agency working is good. Leaders, managers and staff work closely with professionals to ensure that there is a holistic approach to supporting children. The manager has a good understanding of children’s needs and advocates well for them. One professional said, ‘Communication with me and [name of child]’s family has been amazing. They go the extra mile in supporting [name of child] with their education.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have monitoring systems to assess the quality of care children receive. However, these are not fully embedded in the home. Consequently, shortfalls in paperwork, such as risk management plans, have been missed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 5

p.4

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.5

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

p.5

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that risk management plans include details of children’s existing and emerging risks and provide clear strategies for staff on how to manage these, to prevent children experiencing harm. 12 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 6 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(e)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that only staff who are trained in restraint practice hold children.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring systems are embedded in the home. 12 December 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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,

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character; 12 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 7 the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.7

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))

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s feelings are considered during debriefs that take place following incidents when physical intervention techniques have been used. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60)

p.7

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: 2776258 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Every Child Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Allen Mills Howard & Co, Library Chambers, 48 Union Street, Hyde SK14 1ND

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Angela Hodgkinson

p.8

Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2776258 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9