Children's Home run by Fairfields House Support Services Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 1 Monitoring visit

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in July 2024 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this visit, no children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 12 and 13 November 2024. Inspectors identified serious concerns in relation to safeguarding practices in the home and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Since the home was judged inadequate, two monitoring visits have been carried out. The provider has failed to take sufficient action to make the necessary improvements.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, the registered manager and the responsible individual have resigned. The staff were invited to reapply for their positions. Only two members of staff submitted applications to continue in their employment. As a result, they are the only staff members who remain working in the home.

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This monitoring visit

There is currently no registered manager in post. The previous responsible individual continues to work for the provider but in another provision. The director has applied to register as the new responsible individual. A new manager and two members of staff have been recruited. However, they are not currently in post. Due to the insufficient leadership and staffing arrangements, it is not currently safe for children to live in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 2 At the time of this visit, the home was undergoing renovation work to provide additional sleeping accommodation for the staff team. The home environment is therefore unsuitable for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

The two members of staff in post said that they have received further training since the last visit. However, the director did not have access to all the training records at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

During this visit, the director acknowledged the shortfalls in the staff’s knowledge, experience and skills to safeguard children as identified at previous visits. However, information was not available in relation to team meetings or supervision records. The previous responsible individual, who was absent from work, holds this information. Therefore, at the time of this visit, the provider could not demonstrate whether work has been carried out with the team to learn from previous shortfalls or develop knowledge and understanding of safeguarding practices. Furthermore, the director did not accept the risks posed to the child previously living in the home by continued access to mobile phones and electronic devices.

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This monitoring visit

This visit identified shortfalls in the suitability of the home environment. Further shortfalls were identified in respect of the understanding of safeguarding practices and the leadership, management and staffing arrangements of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the last inspection were not reviewed as part of this visit and have therefore been restated. The notice restricting accommodation remains in place. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 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

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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers must ensure that: safeguarding practice is understood by all those working in the home; children’s records include information in respect of 13 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 5 all their risks and vulnerabilities; plans include clear guidance for staff to follow to safeguard children; measures are in place to prevent children from accessing inappropriate content on the internet; and staff are provided with training that is relevant to children’s risks and needs.

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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

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’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure consistent oversight of the care being provided in the home and identify and address any shortfalls in staff practice. Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that children’s records are reviewed and updated and that the staff team undergoes training that is relevant to children’s needs. 13 March 2025

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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 kept up to date; and 13 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 6 are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the children’s records are up to date and include all relevant information following incidents.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the home is furnished and maintained to a good standard. 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. 13 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 7 (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, registered person must ensure that all serious incidents in respect of children are notified to the regulator.

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises. (Regulation 21 (a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s bedrooms are not used as staff sleep rooms. 13 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all local authority plans are obtained for the children and that concerns are escalated if these are not received in a timely manner. 13 March 2025

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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. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 13 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 8

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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: 2689909 9

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Inspector

Claire Hobbs, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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