Children's Home run by Your Chapter Holdings Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager is not registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/05/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff- assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(b)(d)) 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered 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. 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; 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. (Regulation 13(1) (a)(b)(2)(a)(f)) 29/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 4 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the missing child policy") setting out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without

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Requirement Due date

permission; and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)). In particular, that staff ensure that every child is offered a return home interview following an incident of missing from home. 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)). In particular, that every employee receives supervision as laid out in the company’s expected timescales. 29/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (5)). In particular, that all admissions to the home are done so in accordance with the statement of purpose. 29/07/2018

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four out of five young people have had unplanned endings to their placements at the home. Young people currently at the home have all been involved in serious incidents since living there. Staff did not follow some preventative measures to safeguard young people. As a result, young people face further criminal charges and one remains at risk due to an ongoing incident of missing from home.

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improvement to be good

Some young people have made progress from their starting points with regards to educational attendance. From starting points of school refusal or exclusion, most are attending regularly and are working towards exams, and some are developing aspirations to begin apprenticeships.

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improvement to be good

Young people are fully encouraged to develop a range of skills that include both practical and academic aspects of education. The learning of practical skills is used particularly well by staff in reparation work with young people.

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improvement to be good

All young people identify staff members with whom they feel they can talk. They are offered regular guidance and support in their decision-making through access to a mentor. The take-up from young people for this service is very high. Young people are also offered ongoing and regular support from the home’s therapist. Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 5 Young people benefit from a range of new activities that staff offer; these include physical outdoor pursuits, rock-climbing, cinema trips, ice-skating and karting. These opportunities offer young people positive experiences and model safe use of leisure time.

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improvement to be good

Young people say they feel consulted with about their care and are given suitable choices, and that staff listen to them. One young person spoke about feeling particularly safe since being at the home, in that he is no longer engaged in gang-affiliated behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager work well in engaging young people in problem-solving and negotiating changes in their care. For example, one young person drew up internet usage restrictions to enable young people to access games online.

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improvement to be good

The risk assessments that are written and designed to help and protect young people have not always been implemented by staff. Some conditions governing ‘free-time’ were not reflective of known risks, and some safeguards that did exist were not fully adhered to by staff.

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improvement to be good

Some records are not consistent, and managers did not identify the inconsistencies in this information. As a consequence, opportunities to scrutinise and improve the practice of staff have been missed, as managers focused solely on the flaws within the written ‘free-time’ arrangements. Managerial discussions with some staff regarding adherence to risk assessments have not been recorded. In addition, previously damaged windows in the home that were used as a means of exit have not been repaired in a timely manner.

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improvement to be good

For some young people, the longevity of incidents of missing from home have reduced. Although young people have been missing from home, these incidents have been for shorter periods of time. Staff are active in following and searching for young people, and reporting procedures and protocols are followed. However, since the last inspection not all young people have benefited from being offered an independent return home interview.

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improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention for young people at the home is infrequent. This is reflective of the positive relationships that staff have established with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager was appointed to manage the home in June 2018, two weeks prior to this inspection. The previous registered manager left the home in April 2018, and in the interim managerial cover was provided by the deputy manager. The current manager has yet to make a formal application for registration. Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 6 Since the last inspection, one of the two requirements has been met. The requirement relating to the home’s statement of purpose, and ensuring that young people are suitably admitted and fully benefit from the home’s services, remains outstanding and is repeated at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

With regards to one serious incident, managers responded swiftly and action was taken to address staff practice. However, not all shortfalls have been identified and managerial scrutiny of serious incidents has not been rigorous. For example, deficits and inconsistencies in recordings have not been identified. As a result, the impact and consequences of staff not adhering to some risk assessments has not been explored. In addition, supervision of staff has not been within company timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Although the managers do not underestimate the impact for young people of these failings, they have yet to formulate a comprehensive plan. A managerial investigation into some staff practice is currently ongoing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager has instigated some immediate changes to the care and supervision that young people receive. However, these changes have yet to be fully embedded into practice.

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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: 1240753 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Riverside Park, Wallend Road, Preston, Lancashire PR2 2HW

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Inspector

Pauline Yates, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240753 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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