Children's Home run by XYP Childcare Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 1 Registered provider: XYP Childcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The was home registered as a multi-building children’s home in July 2023. The manager registered as part of this registration.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties, across up to three buildings under a single registration.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

During an assurance inspection completed on 25 March 2025, serious and widespread concerns were identified. Ofsted issued two compliance notices under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

On 14 May 2025, a monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s compliance with these notices. These notices were not met, and further notices were issued under the same regulations as listed above

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to monitor the provider’s compliance with these notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit, leaders and managers have not taken effective action when there have been concerns about children’s safety. Despite being concerned about one child’s peer group, staff have continued to transport the child to a specific location of concern, and they left the child with unsuitable peers. Staff have not applied professional curiosity or considered how this action can and will be managed safely. This does not demonstrate a strong commitment or proactive approach to safeguarding practice and leaves children at risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 2 Staff are aware of and do not challenge a child who is smoking illegal substances in the garden area of the home. There is no curiosity from staff about where the child is obtaining money to purchase illegal substances. This fails to safeguard the child. In addition, the inspectors identified that a child’s bedroom smelled strongly of an

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This monitoring visit

unknown substance. Staff reported that they were unaware of the pungent smell.

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This monitoring visit

Although there has been a reduction in incidents of self harm. Staffing ratios for one child remain high due to concerns about self-injurious behaviours. However, there have been two incidents where the child has gained access to sharp items. It is unclear from one of the records how the child obtained these items. This does not demonstrate safe caring practices.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to improve their risk management plans for the children. There is a new electronic recording system in place that shows which staff have read each child’s plan. However, inspectors found that staff are not always following the strategies set out in the risk management plans. For example, staff are not completing room searches when they suspect a child is misusing substances.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have completed a variety of training courses, for example covering topics such as exploitation, self-harm and missing from care. Staff are required to complete learning logs following the training. However, it is unclear how effective this is in helping staff understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities in practice.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have introduced new auditing systems to improve their monitoring of children’s care in the home. However, despite the introduction of new documentation, processes, and monitoring systems, it is not clear how these changes will improve care practices and reduce risks. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/07/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/01/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 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

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

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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 effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)) 7 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 5 Leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Risk management plans must be kept up to date and contain clear actions for staff to take in practice to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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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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helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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

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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;

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ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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

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ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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

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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; and

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers are to ensure that there are sufficient review and monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided in the home and identify learning opportunities from practice. 7 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 6 This is restated.

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The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background; and

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make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that care is delivered in line with the child’s individual and relevant plans.

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The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 7 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 7 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s records are kept up to date and accurately detail the child’s journey through the home.

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keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives, and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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children are effectively safeguarded; and

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the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)) 7 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 8 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the independent person is supported to gather relevant information and identify any shortfalls in practice. Leaders and managers must ensure that action is taken to address any actions identified.

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The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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positive responses to other children and adults.

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

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meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to 7 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 9 the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must ensure that children are helped to understand what acceptable behaviour is.

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

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

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

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

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a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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

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there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4) (a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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In particular, the manager must ensure that all serious incidents are notified to the regulator.

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*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 10 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: 2719899 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: XYP Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 43 Stamford Road, Mossley, Ashton-Under-Lyne OL5 0BG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Philip Hogan-Birse

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Nicola Forrester, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2719899 12 regulates 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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