Children's Home run by Accord Care Homes Limited in Bury

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 1 Registered provider: Accord 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 home is owned and run by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 11 July 2024.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted issued a suspension notice on 31 January 2025. This monitoring visit was carried out to review the suspension notice.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has been in post since 26 November 2024 and has applied to Ofsted to be registered. The application is currently being reviewed to determine their suitability.

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This monitoring visit

A new manager has recently been appointed. The manager was previously the deputy manager of the home. They have not submitted their application to register.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and the manager have reviewed the recruitment files of all staff to ensure they have the relevant checks. New staff have been safely recruited. Therefore, only adults who are suitable to care for children are employed in the home.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have completed their allocated training, which includes safeguarding. New staff recruited have experience in children’s residential care and have completed the relevant qualification. The staff team has the relevant training and experience to enable it to provide good care to children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 2 The responsible individual has devised a new monitoring system, which is detailed and comprehensive. The responsible individual intends to be in the home to support the manager several times a week.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual’s monitoring tool will alert the manager and responsible individual when staff supervisions are due. Staff within their probation period will be supervised every fortnight. The clinical team will continue to undertake monthly group supervisions with staff. The responsible individual and the manager have undertaken supervision training since the last monitoring visit. Therefore, systems are in place to ensure that staff have regular opportunities to consider their practice and make improvements.

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This monitoring visit

The responsible individual and the manager have created a new system to carefully consider whether staff can meet the needs of children who are moving into the home. They have reflected on previous decisions made and have considered where these could have been more robust. Leaders have included their therapeutic service within the decision-making process.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit Ofsted has lifted the suspension notice and imposed a condition on an urgent basis limiting the number of children in the home to one child. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 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

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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff ensure they follow the individual child’s risk plans and that children are provided with the opportunity to engage in return home interviews following episodes of being missing from the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 1 July 2025

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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 1 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 5 promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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)(b)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff work as a team and provide consistent boundaries and expectations for the children, use effective monitoring systems to recognise any shortfalls in practice and respond swiftly to address the shortfalls.

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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; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 1 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 6 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

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Requirement Due date

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 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that leaders and managers advocate for children and challenge the decisions made by professionals if they are not in the best interests of children. 1 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 7 This requirement is restated.

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they consider whether staff are able to meet the needs of the child before they move in.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 1 July 2025

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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: 2759542 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Accord Care Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 24 Greek Street, Stockport SK3 8AB

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2759542 9 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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