Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC408584 Inspector Lucy Chapman Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Channels and Choices Limited Registered person address 10 Clanwilliam Road DEAL Kent CT14 7BX

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Responsible individual Martin Anthony Scholfield Registered manager Katie Anne Smissen Date of last inspection 15/01/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 12/03/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people in this home receive good care which allows them to make good progress. The Registered Manager is suitably qualified and experienced, working part time. Plans are in place for the registration of an additional experienced manager to ensure that a registered manager is in place full time. One additional member of staff has joined the staff team in recent weeks; this compliments the already stable and well trained staff team. One staff member said of the working environment ‘everybody works as a team, I’ve never worked with such a strong team, you don’t feel like you are on your own’. Good staffing levels and staff morale ensure that young people are well cared for and kept safe by a committed staff team.

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This inspection

The requirements and recommendations of the previous inspection have all been actioned. Consents are now in place for each young person in respect of regulation 33 file checks and the bedroom door alarms that are in place. The training department now stores and updates staff training records, and will notify when staff training requires updating. The human resources department have introduced more stringent checking of the qualifications of new staff recruited. In response to a recommendation regarding information stored in young people’s files, new placement plans are being piloted. These will link young people’s support needs with keywork sessions and allow for more effective monitoring of young peoples’ progress. The safety of young people using social media has also undergone review, with new training provision in place for staff and young people.

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This inspection

The home environment is clean, well maintained and well furnished. Young people have contributed to the choice of decoration. For example, the games room is painted in brightly coloured stripes, one colour chosen by each young person in placement. Young people’s bedroom decoration is to their own taste with an individual choice of pictures, photos and possessions on display. 3 of 6 Partnership working to support young peoples’ health needs is a strength of this home. On the day of inspection a sexual health nurse visited the home to provide information sessions to young people. Staff support young people to access specialist services that they require. For example, where necessary, young people receive weekly support around cannabis misuse, and as a result their cannabis use has declined. Young people can also access therapeutic support from a qualified in- house therapist, providing support for their emotional needs. Young people receive a

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This inspection

healthy diet and a dietician oversees meal menu planning. The health of young people is good due to the physical and emotional support that they receive from staff and specialist agencies.

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This inspection

Young people receive support in their education. At the time of inspection two young people were engaging well with education and making good progress. One young person had recently lost their college placement; however staff had responded creatively linking the young person in with the organisation’s maintenance team to undertake work experience. This allowed the young person to maintain a daily routine while alternative educational plans were established. Staff establish good links with young people’s schools and colleges, this means that staff have up to date knowledge of each young person’s individual educational needs to support their educational progress.

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This inspection

Young people receive support to explore their culture and heritage in this home. Regular culture evenings allow young people to gain information about different countries. One young person has chosen to decorate their bedroom in the national colours of their country of origin.

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This inspection

Young people are encouraged to join clubs and activities within the local community. One young person has started to play rugby since living at this home and now takes part in weekly training and matches, recently achieving ‘man of the match’. Staff have established good links with local clubs and activities and enable young people to take part in activities which they enjoy, allowing young people to develop their wellbeing, peer relationships and self-esteem.

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This inspection

Young people’s files contain accurate key information, along with individualised risk assessments and behaviour plans. Sanction and restraint are used infrequently and when they do occur records show that their use is appropriate and well recorded, including young people’s comment. File documents are up to date and monitored by the registered manager. Young peoples’ behaviour tends to improve as they settle in this home, however occasionally young people need to be reported missing. Where this is the case staff follow missing from home guidance and good record keeping is in place. Young people are consistently provided with support and a return visit from an independent person after being reported missing. This ensures that young people have the opportunity to discuss their situation with a choice of staff and are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and receive support to settle after episodes

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This inspection

of instability. 4 of 6 Young people report positive relationships with staff. One young person said ‘staff like helping me; they have a lot of time to listen and support us’. Another young person reflected upon their time in this home and said ‘I thought at the time being supervised is never going to help me, but I realise now how much it helped. Everything they [staff] have done has practically helped in some sort of way’. Young people are cared for by staff who value them, allowing young people to establish positive relationships and a secure base from which they can develop and progress.

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This inspection

Young people have individualised reward charts encouraging them to work positively in target areas. Young people said that they did not feel involved in identifying the goals for reward charts and when asked could not recall their current reward goals. Young people also reported that they do not find the current system of daily young people’s meetings very useful and are unmotivated to attend. However, these daily meeting is taking place infrequently at present; therefore although young people can make comments to staff informally they currently lack a regular formal forum to express their views. Including feedback from young people in decision making within the home is a recommendation from this inspection visit. 5 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a partnership company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2014 Interim good progress 29/05/2013 Full good 14/01/2013 Interim good progress 15/05/2012 Full good

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure children's views, wishes and feelings are acted upon in the day to day running of the home and important decisions or changes in the child's life, unless this is contrary to their interests. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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