Children's home run by Choices Home for Children Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 1 Registered provider: Choices Home For Children Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who are aged between 11 and 17 years old, who require a medium- to long-term placement. The home supports children and young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation, who have emotional and behavioural difficulties and have had multiple breakdowns in the past.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 September 2018

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 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

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that arrangements are in place to manage and review the placement of each child in the home; plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; that each child’s relevant plans are followed; that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans and that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(f)) 08/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) Specifically, that records contain accurate and sufficient detail that is not ambiguous and is individual to the child. 08/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 08/11/2018

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 4 looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10) In particular, the policies and procedures regarding young people smoking tobacco must be adhered to.

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Recommendations

 Staff should understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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 10.24) In particular, the quality assurance of practice should be regularly monitored to identify shortfalls and enhance practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make good progress living here. They say that they like living here and that their relationships with staff are good. Children and young people also get on well with each other. They are sensitive to each other’s needs and recognise that they are all individual.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people identify with the progress that they have made. They also understand how they can continue to make further progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people have access to a variety of activities. These activities help them to develop their social skills, confidence and self-esteem. Children and young people speak positively about these experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children and young people to have contact with their friends and family. However, when children and young people display risk-taking behaviours staff, in consultation with placing authorities, stop contact arrangements. Children and young people say that this leaves them feeling frustrated.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people attend school and college regularly. They make good progress in education. Children and young people have aspirations for their future. Staff share these aspirations and encourage children and young people to reach their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise when children and young people’s behaviour requires additional specialist input. They make the required referrals to the relevant professionals in a timely way. Staff also benefit from regular consultation with a clinical psychologist. This supports Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 5 staff to understand the children and young people’s emotions and behaviour and how best to help them.

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

When children and young people arrive, they have a history of persistent risk-taking behaviours. From the day that they arrive, instances of the risk-taking behaviour reduce considerably.

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

Children and young people benefit from the safe and nurturing environment. They say that they feel safe. Staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. Staff respond to safeguarding concerns in a timely way and engage relevant agencies to help keep children and young people safe.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children and young people’s needs and risks. However, not all assessments and care plans are clear enough. Furthermore, they do not always reflect the individual needs of the children and young people. This is particularly evident in behaviour management plans.

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

Children and young people are aware of the complaints policy and use this to voice their concerns. However, staff do not consistently follow the policy and procedure. Furthermore, records do not always reflect the nature of the complaint and how it has been addressed.

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

Children and young people receive the help they need to address their holistic needs. However, when children and young people smoke tobacco, staff do not have a clear assessment and plan in place to reduce this risk-taking behaviour. Staff take some steps to manage this behaviour, but this is not robust enough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new to the position. He was previously the deputy manager at the home. An application to register the manager has been submitted to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have high aspirations for children and young people. They are passionate about the work that they do and enjoy working here.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff work well with other professionals. They advocate on behalf of children and young people to ensure that they receive the best possible outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The training available for staff is good. Staff are keen to develop their knowledge and skills. They embrace new ways of working and commit to implementing what they have learned into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a monitoring system in place. This monitors the completion of key tasks. However, this system does not routinely explore the quality of practice and thus shortfalls in practice are missed. Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 6

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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: 1252125 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choices Home For Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: c/o Afford Bond, 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspector

Lisa Gregoire-Parker, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1252125 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 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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