Children's home run by Brooks & Brooks Recruitment Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 1 Registered provider: Brooks & Brooks Recruitment Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to three children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably experienced and working towards the relevant qualification. She registered when the home became operational in May 2024. The manager is dual registered to manage another of the company’s solo placement homes.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke with all the children.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was arranged due to emerging risks associated with fire safety and concerns about the poor state of children’s bedrooms.

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This monitoring visit

Staff responded promptly to an incident of fire setting to ensure that children were kept safe in their home and room searches conducted to prevent the risk of fire. All staff have undertaken fire safety training. Refresher training is being arranged following this incident. Staff understand the fire evacuation process and strategies that have been implemented to mitigate risks, including daily room checks of children’s bedrooms. The manager has also scheduled a team meeting to revisit fire safety with the full staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has arranged for the fire service to visit to meet with children to undertake fire safety work. Meanwhile, staff have carried out direct work with children about keeping themselves safe in the home and to discuss items that are not allowed in the home, such as lighters, incense sticks and drug paraphernalia. All Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 2 children understand the fire evacuation procedure and have been involved in a recent fire drill prior to the incident.

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This monitoring visit

The home’s fire alarm, fire equipment and emergency lighting have all had up-to- date services to ensure that they are in full working order. However, the provider is in consultation with the organisation who conducted the home’s most recent fire risk assessment, to clarify if the recommendations made relate to their service. The manager recognises that this should be made a priority, to ensure that there is a full and finalised fire risk assessment in place.

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This monitoring visit

Individual children’s risk assessments relating to fire risks and substance misuse provide staff with clear guidance about the action they are expected to take to keep children safe. Children have been referred to substance misuse agencies and arrangements have been made to visit the children. The staff team and children’s social workers together have agreed safety plans to mitigate risks and to educate children about making safer choices.

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This monitoring visit

There is a chronology of the action taken by the staff team and the manager in response to the fire incident. However, a written report is not in place to demonstrate that senior managers have evaluated the management of the incident and identified any lessons learned.

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This monitoring visit

One child’s bedroom still has burn marks to furniture that require addressing, and another child requires ongoing support and encouragement from staff to help to keep their bedroom clean and tidy.

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This monitoring visit

Separate to this fire setting incident, another child was admitted to hospital for an operation following an incident. Staff supported the child well during the duration of their stay in hospital. The manager has taken steps to ensure that the child’s bedroom is free from risks and staff are closely monitoring the child’s behaviour and emotional well-being. The manager has introduced increased welfare checks. The in- house therapist continues to support the child, alongside the staff who have nurturing relationships with the child.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining requirements and recommendations raised at the last full inspection were not considered during this visit. They remain in place and will be reviewed at the home’s next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/06/2025 Full Good 12/11/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 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

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(30) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that there is an up-to-date fire risk assessment in place undertaken by a suitably qualified person and that the provider has carried out any recommendations made. 25 December 2025

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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 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)(1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 25 December 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— 7 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 5 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

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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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)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; 7 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 6 help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 7 August 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they seek to involve the local authority and other relevant persons whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4)  The registered person should ensure that all medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration and storage of all medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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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: 2768400 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Brooks & Brooks Recruitment Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hilton Jones Ltd, Hollinwood Business Centre, Albert Street, Oldham OL8 3QL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Junior Brandford

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Inspector

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2768400 8 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 who are looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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