Children's Home run by Choices 4 Children Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: SC400880 1 SC400880 Registered provider: Choices 4 Children Ltd

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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 home is owned by a private company. The home is registered for up to four young people who, in addition to having a range of complex needs, normally require a residential provision to meet their needs. Specifically, the home provides care for children who have a broad range of behaviours and special requirements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children's home: SC400880 2 19/07/2017 Full Outstanding 11/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/05/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC400880 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person should develop and implement an internal quality assurance monitoring and reviewing system to ensure that practice is consistently good and ensure the continuous improvement of practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.54)

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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, that young people’s access to the internet is safe, and that risks associated with the transition to adulthood are continually assessed and reviewed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people’s progress is outstanding. Children and young people make extremely good progress from the minute they arrive at the home. Staff have high aspirations for them and celebrate all the children’s achievements, no matter how small. Staff advocate on behalf of children and young people and ensure that they receive the quality services that they are entitled to access.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children, young people and staff have excellent relationships. They all get on very well with one another. The home has a family feel and children are happy and content. Staff know the children and young people very well. They are aware of all their needs and how best to support them to make positive progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children and young people develop good communication skills, which has a huge impact on their progress. They learn verbal and non-verbal ways to communicate, which enhances their engagement with others and reduces their levels of frustration. Consequently, serious incidents reduce considerably and children and young people become more settled and happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Professionals from other agencies speak highly of the home and the progress that children and young people make living here. A professional for a school said that the communication was outstanding. They went on to say that, they ‘deal with a number of care settings and only wish they all could be as cooperative, professional and caring as the team at [name of the home].’ Inspection report children's home: SC400880 4

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

Staff are nurturing and passionate about the care that they provide. They ensure that children and young people live in a calm and caring home. The atmosphere helps children feel safe and secure.

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

Staffing levels are good. This allows children and young people to have access to good levels of support that are in line with their individual assessments and plans. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities with regard to keeping children and young people safe. However, staff do not routinely monitor and review all presenting risks.

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

Staff help children and young people to understand their behaviours and support them to manage and regulate these. They work in partnership with other agencies to ensure that strategies are consistent and effective. Staff manage safeguarding concerns effectively. They follow procedures well. Recording is clear and provides the reader with a good understanding of the situation and the actions taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team is passionate and committed to delivering the highest standard of care and support. They lead by example and demonstrate good leadership and management knowledge and skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Care practice is excellent. However, managers do not have consistent quality assurance systems in place. This means that not all practice has the sufficient management oversight that is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are very complimentary of their managers. They feel supported and valued, and they benefit from regular and effective supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive effective training that enhances their practice. The training helps staff to have a good insight into children and young people’s needs. This gives staff the confidence that they need to understand complex behaviours and ways to help children and young people work through these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team and staff strive to promote positive outcomes for children. They recognise the individual needs of the children and young people and they empower them to believe in themselves. As a result, children grow in confidence and make excellent 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 Inspection report children's home: SC400880 5 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: SC400880 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choices 4 Children Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/O Stopford & Co, 79–81 Market Street, Stalybridge, Cheshire SK15 2AA

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Inspector

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC400880 7 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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