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

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company operates this children’s home. The home can provide care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties. There is no child currently living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is a restriction of accommodation in place from 25 April 2025 that limits care provision for up to one child.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager post is vacant as of 11 July 2024. There is a manager seeking to register with Ofsted.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On 25 April 2025, Ofsted issued a restriction of accommodation condition notice, limiting the home to the admission of no more than one child. Since the imposition of this restriction, no children have been accommodated at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to evaluate the actions taken by the provider in response to the steps outlined in the compliance notices. The inspector determined that the provider has partially addressed the required steps. However, due to the absence of any children currently residing in the home, it has not been possible to assess the provider’s safeguarding capacity or the quality and competency of the staff in practice. *Requirements 12, 13, 5, 35 and 15 remain unmet as no child has been accommodated within the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A new manager has been appointed, having previously served as the deputy manager of the home. The individual has submitted an application for registration. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2759542 2 Three new staff members are scheduled to join the home, following a targeted recruitment effort aimed at attracting both new and experienced professionals to the team.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The responsible individual has introduced a comprehensive monitoring framework and has committed to providing regular, on-site support to the manager. This system includes alerts for upcoming staff supervision sessions, alongside other health and safety-related checks and managerial responsibilities, such as audits. Monthly group supervision will continue to be delivered by the clinical team.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, staff have continued to receive training via online portals and face to face within the home setting by trained practitioners.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The identified requirements that make up the condition of accommodation of one child remain outstanding. However, progress to achieving these is acknowledged but remains an ongoing task for leaders to demonstrate through practice.

p.2

This monitoring visit

To demonstrate full compliance, leaders and managers must prioritise the admission of a child to the home. This will provide an essential opportunity for staff to apply and evidence their understanding of the newly introduced guidance and training in a practical setting.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, Ofsted has extended the condition, restricting the number of children who may reside in the home to one as of 18 July 2025 until 18 September 2025. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2759542 3

p.2

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

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

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))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff 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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 1 July 2025

p.4

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— 1 July 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2759542 5 helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

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))

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

* The registered person must ensure that—

p.5

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—

p.5

Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.5

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.5

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

p.6

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;

p.6

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”)—

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.6

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))

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

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

p.6

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)) 1 July 2025 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2759542 7 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

* The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a))

p.7

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 1 July 2025

p.7

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.

p.7

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Accord Care Homes Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Abdullah Zulfiqar

p.8

Inspector

Paul McKay-Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2759542 9 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.

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