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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has Improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The requirement regarding succession and transition arrangements for the Registered Manager, and the recommendation made regarding supervision sessions including safeguarding discussions, have been fully implemented.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection all three young people remain living at the home. They continue to make good progress in all aspects of their lives. Reward charts, devised with young people, incentivise them to maintain positive behaviours and learn new skills. For example, one young person is now able to manage their personal hygiene routines independently. A parent commented that they were ‘very pleased with the progress their child was making’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Health professionals work closely with the home. One stated that a young person ‘is growing up, his personality and character are coming through more and more’. Staff show considerable commitment to the young people in their care. This has been particularly noteworthy in the support given to maintain their education placements and to achieve high levels of attendance. Education outcomes for all the young people remain good.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people actively participate in daily meetings in which they are confident to express their feelings and opinions. Staff foster respect and harmony, the young people have good relationships with each other. They enjoy activities in the community, for example, weekly theatre and stage school, swimming lessons, Sunday school, and Jazz school. They also enjoy celebrating their birthdays with friends. Young people participate enthusiastically in charity work, for example, Macmillan coffee mornings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people sustain positive behaviour and have learnt new coping strategies for when they are angry or distressed. As a result there are no incidents of risk taking behaviours in the home, no use of restraints and a very low number of sanctions given; this leads to greater stability. Staff benefit from recent safeguarding, child sexual exploitation and Prevent training. Staff closely supervise young people so they do not go missing. Staff are able to demonstrate sound knowledge of the missing from home policy, their roles and responsibilities. There are regular fire drills and young people take responsibility themselves for training each other at their daily meetings. Supervision is regular and now specifically discusses safeguarding, allowing staff the space to reflect on young people’s safety. Recruitment processes are robust; checks completed demonstrate that care staff are suitably vetted prior to employment. Young people

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

are involved in the recruitment process.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The current manager was appointed in July 2015 having previously been a Registered Manager elsewhere in the organisation since November 2012. She has a Level Five qualification in Leadership and Management for Residential Child Care. There is now a clear succession strategy regarding the management of the home which is reflected in the statement of purpose. The manager is proactively involved in monitoring individual care arrangements, which supports the good progress made by the young people. She is very aware of the progress the young people make and of any limitations or specific issues for each. The manager is a strong leader who is committed to driving forward change and developing the service.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private organisation. It offers therapeutic residential care.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This 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 Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, 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,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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