Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 1 SC489416 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is maintained by a private organisation and provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three requirements and two recommendations were made at the last inspection. The evidence reviewed on inspection demonstrates that these have been met.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced. The home now benefits from having a deputy manager in post. This new post came into effect after the last inspection. The home operates in line with the aims and objectives stated within the statement of purpose.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The team has had a number of staff changes since the last inspection, and this means that young people do not benefit from having a stable and consistent staff team caring for them. In addition to this, the majority of the team do not have the necessary qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of young people living at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 2 The young people expressed their concerns over the number of staff changes. They said that staff are not always consistent in their care and support, and that this was having a detrimental impact on them. But, young people also said that they do have some positive relationships with staff. They do, however, worry that more staff will decide to leave.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been five new residents since the last inspection. Three of these young people have moved on to a new placement. In addition, the young people who were resident at the last inspection have also moved on to a new placement. In the main, these have been positive transitions for the young people. One young person, who moved to a foster placement, said that the support she received at the home has been ‘unreal’ and that she could not have asked for a ‘much more caring team’ to work with her.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The assessment and planning of new admissions have improved since the last inspection. However, the skills and experience of the current staff team are not fully considered. Consequently, inexperienced staff are working with some highly complex situations and behaviours. For example, a serious incident at the home escalated and two young people went missing from the home. This was when inexperienced staff were on duty. The registered manager recognised that there were shortfalls in the management of this incident and that experienced members of the team would have de- escalated this incident effectively.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people are accessing education and young people speak positively about this. They benefit from a variety of educational opportunities, which meets their individual interests; for example horse riding and hair and beauty. Because of this, young people engage positively with their education and they progress well. This is a key strength of the home. Staff also encourage young people to access additional leisure activities such as the gym. Young people are encouraged and supported to try new things and one young person has recently secured a part-time job, which they enjoy. This is a huge achievement for the young person as when they first came to the home they were not able to be unsupervised due to their vulnerabilities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff follow safeguarding procedures well. They are able to identity when a young person may be at risk of harm and they work well with other agencies to put the required safeguards in place. The recording around such instances is good.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to recent weather conditions, the young people had to move out of the home due to a lack of water and heating. While the decision-making around this was swift and staff found alternative accommodation, the risk assessments and plans for this were not robust enough. The registered manager did not assess important matters and the implications of these.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff aim to provide young people with a safe environment where they can share their wishes and feelings. But, young people say they do not always feel listened to. Young people say that when they raise issues with staff they are not always taken seriously. Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 3 However, when young people make formal complaints, staff respond to these within the required timeframes, an investigation is completed and young people receive a formal outcome. Despite this, in some instances, the issues that young people complained about continue. For example, young people complained about staff smoking cigarettes in their vicinity, yet this behaviour continues. This means that staff do not always reflect on the young people’s views and take appropriate action. Furthermore, in this instance young people are exposed to passive smoking.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff work well with other agencies. They are proactive in seeking good outcomes for young people. An example of this is how staff have advocated on behalf of a young person in relation to her transition to a foster care placement. They have worked closely with the social worker to plan the transition to this placement in a sensitive and considered way.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When it is safe and appropriate, young people receive support to have regular contact with their families. Staff also support young people to improve their relationships with their families.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2017 Full Good 21/03/2017 Full Requires improvement 15/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/01/2016 Full Good

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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

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s 26/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 4 behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 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; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; 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; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)) The leadership and management standard is that the registered

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Requirement Due date

person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints

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Requirement Due date

received. (Regulation 13 (1) (a)(b) and (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)) 26/07/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually, and actively assess the risks to each child and make sure that the plans in place to manage these risks are clear. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5). In particular, impact risk assessments to include all known risks. In addition, for contingency assessments and plans to consider all known risks, so that the correct safeguards can be put in place to protect young people and staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 5

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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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

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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

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC489416 6 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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