Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Calderdale

Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides medium- to long-term therapeutic care and support to children who have suffered childhood complex trauma. This trauma can be the culmination of physical, emotional, neglect, sexual and complex trauma, which may have associated risks such as child sexual exploitation. The home offers planned placements for males and females aged between eight and 13. There is a separate education wing on site, which is registered as an independent school with the Department for Education. The manager has been working in a senior role at the home since November 2016. She registered as the manager recently, in March 2018. Prior to working at the home, the manager gained nine years of care and leadership experience of working in residential settings with adults who have mental health 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 outstanding

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2018

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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: 1234317 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/10/2017 Full Good 29/11/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 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, 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 within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether ─

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 30/06/2018

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Recommendations

 Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home (regulation 21(c)(i)). Any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  Homes should work closely with health and education professionals to ensure that outcomes identified and progress made by children in building relationships and achieving socially acceptable behaviours can be recorded and measured. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

38, paragraph 8.4)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed close and trusting bonds with a nurturing and competent staff team. Leaders and staff place a huge amount of emphasis on building positive relationships in order to help children to engage in a therapeutic model of care. One child said: ‘I love it here, I don’t ever want to move.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Routines and boundaries in the home are age appropriate and nurturing. This helps children to settle in and experience warmth and stability in their environment. One social worker said: ‘(The child) has good relationships with the manager and other staff members. This has enabled her to invest in the placement and has given her some much-needed stability’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All of the children at the home regularly attend full-time education, which is provided on site. Children are making good progress but, on occasions, this is hindered by negative behaviour and poor engagement. The manager of the home is working with educational professionals to enhance this area. A recommendation is made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare is prioritised. Children are registered with local services and attend appointments to maintain good health. A nutritious and balanced menu is provided at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to lead an active lifestyle though sporting activities, walks in the local area and active play. Children are engaging in high-quality, in-house, therapeutic support to help them to achieve a good level of emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff assist children to develop their own interests and talents through a wide range of positive activities in the home and in the community. This includes playing badminton and board games, baking, going to the cinema and visiting local parks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are able to develop social skills and have age-appropriate opportunities to access youth groups and other community resources. Children are helped to maintain contact with families and other important people in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are able to influence the care that they receive in the home through regular consultation and meetings. Leaders and staff work hard to ensure that children feel listened to and that their views are heard and addressed appropriately. A child-friendly welcome guide is provided to children, and this contains all relevant information about how to complain and the home’s routines and expectations.

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

A minimum of one-to-one staffing is employed in the home to ensure that children benefit from a high level of supervision and support. Children rarely go missing from the Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 5 home. On the occasions when this has happened, staff have been proactive in searching for children and returning them to the home.

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

Risks are identified and understood by the staff team. The strategies to manage those risks could be outlined more comprehensively in the documented risk assessments to make them clearer.

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

Children have engaged in work to assist them to understand and cope with trauma, recognising the triggers for self-harm and learning to self-soothe and regulate their own emotions. Children are making good progress in learning to behave in a more socially acceptable manner.

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

Behaviour management in the home is excellent. Staff are trained to de-escalate any situations of conflict, and physical intervention is used only as a last resort. When this has happened, a comprehensive record is made and leaders debrief both staff and children, and evaluate effectively in order to ensure that there is effective learning from incidents.

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

On occasions, communal areas of the home have been locked to ensure that children are safeguarded appropriately. A record of this risk assessment should be made and kept under regular review.

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

Staff have benefited from safeguarding training. The physical environment in the home is well maintained and checked regularly for hazards.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an experienced, highly competent and inspiring leader. Staff praise her supportive and encouraging management style. One member of staff said: ‘She is highly an inspiration to me. I am confident in my role because she has enabled me to be this way, through good support and lots of encouragement.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed close bonds with the children at the home. Placing authorities have provided highly positive feedback about her ability to lead the staff team and manage the home. One social work manager said: ‘The manager is spot on. She is very knowledgeable and really knows the children well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training is tailored to the individual needs of the children at the home. Supervision is carried out regularly. Staff benefit from weekly, informal clinical supervision and further regular structured opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Care planning is excellent. Leaders routinely monitor and evaluate the progress that young people make. The manager demonstrates a keen ability to advocate strongly for the young people in her care and works in a highly collaborative manner with other agencies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is exceptionally child-centric and passionate about ensuring that a high Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 6 standard of care is delivered and maintained through careful monitoring and evaluation of the progress that children are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are acutely aware of the strengths and development areas of the home. The manager has ensured that her areas of focus for improvement aim to secure the best possible outcomes for the children in her care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The independent visitor to the home does not always make a direct conclusion on whether the children at the home are safeguarded and their well-being is promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Placing authorities have provided highly positive feedback about the service. A social worker said: ‘I have a massive amount of respect for them. They could teach other residential homes a thing or two.’ Another said: ‘I do feel we get a great service from this home.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 7

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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 difference 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: 1234317 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1234317 9 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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