Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a large, private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Respectful and trusting relationships have been forged between the staff and young people.  Management arrangements have improved. They are now effective in ensuring that young people receive a good quality of care.  Young people make good progress from their starting points. They are attending school and college regularly and achieving their educational targets.  Young people feel safe and cared about by the staff team.  Young people have fun and enjoy a range of activities and hobbies.  The staff work very well with partner agencies to meet the needs of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s views, gathered through the children’s meetings, are not promptly responded to. This can lead to young people losing confidence in the process.  The home’s computer does not have internet access to ensure that young people are supported in their education and learning.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 02/02/2017 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 3

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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, 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard In order to meet the views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person should ensure that staff help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (2)(a)(iii)) Specifically, actions within the children’s meetings should be promptly addressed by the staff. 02/11/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress since moving into the home. They are attending school regularly for the first time in many years and achieving qualifications that will stand them in good stead for the future. For example, one young person has recently started a college placement and he is looking forward to future employment in the construction industry. Another young person has achieved ‘lead instructor’ at school, something he is extremely proud of. This gives him extra responsibility to be a positive role model to his peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have fun and enjoy a range of recreational activities. This includes boxing, trampoline sessions, bicycle riding, trips to the cinema and theme parks and holidays of Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 4 their choice. Young people have also made friends locally and their friends come to visit the home. These experiences help to develop young people’s confidence and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A notable strength of the care practice is the positive and respectful relationships between the staff and young people. A young person refers to certain staff members as ‘Nana G’ and ‘Mamma G’, demonstrating the warm and nurturing relationships that have been built up over time. Alongside this, the staff use their skills and knowledge of behaviour management to understand young people’s needs. A reward system is also in place to encourage positive behaviour. These practices help young people to manage their emotions safely and to begin to understand the triggers that can place them at risk. A young person commented, ‘It’s good here. The staff are the best.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are healthy and staff continue to encourage them to make healthy choices. A balanced diet is on offer, alongside activities to boost their fitness. The staff team is trained in first aid and administers medication correctly. They also work individually with young people to educate them in sexual health matters and the dangers of smoking. Young people attend all their medical appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to make a complaint and have used this successfully to resolve their dissatisfaction. They have access to advocates and have weekly meetings in which to raise their views and opinions. However, young people are not always responded to promptly to ensure that their views count. For example, young people have expressed a wish to go horse riding, but the staff have not acted upon this. In addition, the home’s computer does not yet have internet access. This means that young people may lose confidence in the process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team ensures that the needs of young people who live far from their home town are well met. For example, the staff facilitate contact regularly and transport young people back home to see their family and friends. In addition, local services such as health, education and leisure are promptly accessed to make sure that there are no gaps in young people’s care. A placement has ended unplanned, but the welfare of the young person remained at the centre of care planning with the staff and partner agencies.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are treated with dignity and their family history and ethnicity are promoted. The staff team ensures that each young person’s personal needs, likes and wants are appropriately incorporated into everyday life. The staff team members spend time individually with young people to explore young people’s heritage and parentage to inform their understanding of who they are. The staff also receive equality and diversity training and have a good understanding of the challenges that young people living in care may encounter.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people say that they feel safe and that staff do care about them. In addition, the staff complete direct work sessions with young people to educate them in relation to their specific risks, for example understanding safe relationships and internet safety. This Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 5 ensures that young people have access to the right information to help them make safer decisions.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff manage incidents of young people going missing from care very well. There are clear procedures in place that staff follow. This includes going out looking for young people and contacting all relevant professionals. Furthermore, the manager requests relevant meetings when needed, including multi-agency strategy meetings to minimise any known risks. Each incident is analysed to identify any triggers and trends. This helps to prevent further occurrences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff work effectively with partner agencies to identify, monitor, measure and reduce risks for young people. For example, staff have agreed with young people’s social workers that young people can have access to a mobile phone. This enables staff to contact young people when they are out in the community and promotes their safety. In addition, detailed risk assessments are in place. Staff review the assessments and share them with the social worker for each young person. This ensures that the assessments reflect the local authority plan.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff and young people are clear about acceptable standards of behaviour. They provide young people with incentives to encourage them to take responsibility for their own behaviour and for making positive choices. Sanctions are also fair and restorative in nature. Physical interventions are rarely used. Since the last full inspection, there have been two recorded interventions. The manager has reviewed the interventions to ensure that they were appropriately carried out by the staff, with all required detail included.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff are recruited through a process that takes account of safer recruitment practices. This includes checks with the Disclosure and Barring Service and references from previous employers. This promotes the safety of young people and prevents unsafe adults from working at the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The physical environment of the home is safe and secure and protects young people from hazards. This is accompanied by health and safety risk assessments and routine maintenance checks. Furthermore, a fire risk assessment and evacuation plans are in place to safely guide young people in the event of a fire.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in position since October 2016. He is suitably qualified and experienced in working with young people who have emotional and/or behavioural needs. Three senior workers support him. They work very well together and set the direction for the home. In particular, the manager’s passion for high-quality care has created a culture of warm and caring practice and a homely environment. A social worker commented, ‘I like the way the home is well-looked-after and that it has a homely feel.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality audit systems are in place and provide an overview of care practice. The manager identifies and promptly addresses any weaknesses identified. Independent Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 6 monitoring is also robust and in order to learn and improve the manager welcomes any actions from this visit. A development plan is in place and sets the direction for the home, such as redecoration and improving evidence-gathering systems.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff members spoken to commented that they enjoy the work that they do and they were all complimentary of the manager. They also have regular training, supervisions, team meetings and appraisals to ensure that they deliver a good quality of care to young people. Staff highlighted training on ‘well-being for life’ as good and useful. This continually improves the practice in the home. The staff are suitably qualified or working towards a recognised qualification. There are sufficient numbers of staff members working at the home. This provides stability for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people’s information is securely stored and shared confidentially to protect their privacy. Young people’s daily lives are captured through journals and photographs that show them enjoying activities and having fun. Weekly summary reports are sent to all social workers to provide an overview of the young people’s achievements and progress.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Holdco Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Inspector

Caroline Jones: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240883 8 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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