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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 1 Registered provider: Fairfields House Support Services Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and registered to provide care for two children who may experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The roles of registered manager and responsible individual have been newly appointed. Both are in the process of applying to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 12 and 13 November 2024. Inspectors identified serious shortfalls in safeguarding practices and ineffective leadership and management arrangements.

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This monitoring visit

Following this visit, two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These compliance notices were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Due to the seriousness of the concerns, a restriction of accommodation notice was served on the provider under section 22B of the Care Standards Act 2000.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors carried out a monitoring visit on 26 November 2024 to review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notice issued in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard. Ofsted found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notice. A further notice was issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 16 January 2025 to consider the progress made in relation to both compliance notices. At this time, the child had moved out of Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 2 the home. Ofsted found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet the compliance notices. Due to the ongoing shortfalls identified in safeguarding practices and the leadership and management of the home, the restriction of the provider’s registration remained in place.

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This monitoring visit

A further monitoring visit took place on 27 February 2025 to monitor the provider’s compliance with the restriction of accommodation notice. Ofsted found that the provider had not taken sufficient action to address the concerns outlined in this notice.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place to monitor the provider’s compliance with the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

A suitably experienced and qualified manager has been appointed. She has a thorough understanding of the shortfalls in practice and has put together an appropriate action plan to improve the standards of care. Positive changes are being embedded.

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This monitoring visit

Support and supervision from senior managers are improving. A responsible individual has been appointed, who is also the company director. Senior leaders are developing a better understanding of the day-to-day running of the home and, therefore, of children’s experiences of care.

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This monitoring visit

The home is now fully staffed. Appropriate background checks are completed to ensure that adults are safe to work with children.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have updated safeguarding policies. The policies are detailed and provide useful guidance for staff. Policies and procedures to support good practice are now in place.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved their systems to monitor staff training. The agenda for team meetings includes sharing good practice. Supervision will include discussion about training and staff’s ongoing professional development. Managers also plan to regularly check staff’s understanding of key training topics to ensure that this is used in caring practices. Managers are gaining a better understanding of staff’s skills and knowledge.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed a range of useful training. They are becoming more confident in providing high-quality care and in keeping children safe.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers are improving processes for documentation. This includes a standardised template for children’s risk assessments and placement plans. Leaders and managers plan to review, and quality assure each document. This will help to ensure that children’s vulnerabilities are clearly recorded, and that staff have clear guidance to follow in practice. This will help staff to provide children with a more consistent and well-planned approach to keeping them safe. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 3 The home has been fully renovated and redecorated. The environment has been reconfigured so that there are now enough bedrooms for staff to use at night. Children’s privacy and access to all areas of their home are protected.

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This monitoring visit

A case review was held on 17 April 2025, at which it was decided that the provider has demonstrated sufficient evidence of improvement to address the shortfalls outlined in the restriction notice.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the full inspection were not within the scope of this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 5

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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, the registered person must ensure that the child’s records include information in respect of all the child’s risks and vulnerabilities; that plans include clear guidance for staff to follow to safeguard the child; that measures are in place to prevent the child from accessing the internet on an 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 6 unsupervised basis; and that the staff are provided with training that is relevant to the child’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 that there is consistent oversight of the care being provided in the home and that any shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed. Furthermore, the registered person must ensure that the child’s records are reviewed and updated, and that the staff undergo training that is relevant to the child’s needs. 30 May 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 signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 7 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the child’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 physical home environment is furnished and maintained to a good standard. 30 May 2025

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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 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

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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. 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 8 The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d) (8))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that they obtain employment histories and references for all new staff working in the home.

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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— 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 9 is instigated; or

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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. (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all serious incidents in respect of the child 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. 30 May 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 child and that concerns are escalated if these are not received in a timely manner. 30 May 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 30 May 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 10 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))

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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 11

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Inspector

Nicola Shaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2689909 12 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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