Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 1 Registered provider: Care 4 Children Residential Services Limited

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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 privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2017.

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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 outstanding

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/05/2018 Full Outstanding 30/08/2017 Full Outstanding 31/01/2017 Full Good 22/06/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 3

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Recommendations

 Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, ensure that the views of stakeholders are regularly sought, to provide a holistic assessment of the home’s arrangements.  Ensure that the home is a homely, domestic environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This is specifically in relation to ensuring that repairs to the home, including fitting of new carpets, are carried out in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points because of the bespoke packages of care, education and therapy that they receive from the service provider. This wraparound approach supports young people with complex needs to achieve excellent outcomes across all aspects of their lives, improve their social interactions and reduce their risk. The nurturing, but structured, approach helps young people to develop a sense of belonging. Staff are acutely aware that young people are away from their family home and do their utmost to create a caring and safe atmosphere. One young person described the staff as ‘generally amazing, always there to support’, adding, ‘They’re just golden.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home emphasises the importance of education to benefit young people’s futures. One young person, who had been educated for one hour a day in isolation at his previous school, now has 100% full-time attendance with his peer group. All young people are working towards qualifications that are appropriate for their abilities, including GCSEs, ASDAN and entry-level qualifications.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are enjoying better health. One young person has, under medical supervision, successfully stopped taking medication and is managing to emotionally self- regulate. Nutritious, home-cooked meals and a range of physically active opportunities have helped another to achieve a healthy weight. The young people have also recently enjoyed a group activity of mindful eating, which they said gave them a greater appreciation of their food. Staff designed the activity in response to their observations of young people tending to eat very quickly. They approached this issue with sensitivity and Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 4 made it fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people engage well in their therapy, and in the additional direct work that the home provides as part of the therapeutic process. They reported that some of the work is difficult, but feel that the staff listen to them, so that they work at the young person’s pace. The therapy team regularly tracks measures of emotional well-being, which shows that young people are benefiting from their therapy and they experience improved psychological and emotional health. Reflective journals have recently been introduced for young people to record their feelings daily. This offers the opportunity to remind themselves of positive and happy experiences on more difficult days.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A broad and varied range of activities are offered so that young people can experience positive inclusion within the community. There is a good mix of free or inexpensive activities, such as playing football and frisbee in the park and going to the beach, and more expensive experiences, such as going climbing or jet-skiing. One young person attends a chess club after school, and there are regular trips to the library, cinema, bowling and trampolining. All activities are risk-assessed in line with young people’s plans and follow their individual interests. For example, one young person enjoyed going to an anime convention with staff, which is his real passion. Staff observe young people throughout activities to monitor their responses in community settings and will encourage them to discuss any arising issues. Activities support young people to develop their self-confidence and improve their social relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home helps young people to see family members and those who are important to them. The staff facilitate arrangements flexibly and provide transport for young people who are placed a long distance from their home locality. They also advocate for young people to progress these arrangements, when this is appropriate, for example to include additional family members or if staff support is no longer required. The therapy team also provides family therapy, when needed, to improve important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise and support young people’s sense of their identity. The nurturing environment of the home has enabled young people to explore emerging identity needs, confident and secure in the knowledge that staff will be sensitive and work at each young person’s pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are fully involved in their care planning and reflect and review their progress with staff, which is evident across their records. Clear records reflect each young person’s daily lived experience and show their journey throughout their time spent living at the home. Young people know their current stage of progress and their future plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home has learned from previous experience that early transition-planning is vital to ensure that any barriers for young people can be overcome. This has enabled the young people who have left the home since the last inspection to smoothly and positively relocate and access college on completing their therapeutic programme. Young people can move on with the sustainable benefits of their experiences at the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 5

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

Young people said they feel safe living at the home. They are confident that staff will support them to explore past experiences that are often very difficult. The quality of relationships between the young people and the staff is a strength of the home. This enables young people to address previous concerning behaviours and to work towards more positive outcomes. Open and honest communication is promoted so that young people feel able to discuss any worries or concerns.

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

The staff prioritise young people’s safety. They are extremely well trained in all areas of safeguarding and are constantly alert and responsive to any signs or symptoms of concern. Any training required to support additional vulnerabilities is arranged immediately, including from outside agencies, and staff readily seek specialist advice. There are comprehensive risk assessments and management plans to guide staff practice. These are regularly updated with the education and therapy teams in response to changing or newly emerging concerns. Plans are clear about the procedures to follow and staff demonstrate their knowledge of how they should respond to safeguarding concerns. This means that there have been very few safeguarding incidents since the last inspection. Young people have not gone missing and effective use of restorative practice means that any negative behaviours or conflicts are addressed.

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

Young people’s behaviour has significantly improved over time, as they are supported to manage their emotions better. Staff have not needed to use any physical intervention to manage young people’s behaviour since the last inspection. Young people are nurtured by the staff team and are regularly praised and rewarded for positive behaviour. Warm, and often humorous, interactions between young people and staff were seen throughout the inspection. Young people also get along very well and support each other, respecting and accepting each other’s individuality.

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

Young people respond well to the structured approach of the home’s model of care. They follow individualised programmes that enable them to progress and safely access the community. Each stage is carefully planned, building in strategies such as spot checks, and working towards increased independent time away from the home. Plans are shared and agreed with public protection and safeguarding agencies.

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

Suitable restrictions are in place to prevent young people from accessing inappropriate content on the internet. The home has recently purchased a tablet computer for young people to use. This does allow access to additional websites, but this is done under staff supervision. Websites are vetted prior to young people accessing them, and young people have recently undertaken group sessions to improve their understanding of internet risks and how to keep safe.

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

Very thorough safe recruitment procedures are in place to ensure that no unsuitable people are employed in the home who could present a risk to the young people who live there.

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

New admissions to the home are planned and organised exceptionally well. There is Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 6 detailed and careful consideration of all referrals and thorough risk assessments and pre- placement meetings inform the decision-making process. The manager ensures that individual needs are considered alongside the compatibility of a new young person with young people already living at the home. This means that young people experience placement stability.

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

The manager has an ongoing programme for the maintenance of the home to make sure that it is a safe and welcoming environment for young people to live in. However, there have been some recent alterations, and the subsequent delay in new carpets being fitted has meant there is a trip hazard outside one of the bedroom doors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An extremely dedicated and proactive manager leads the home. She leads by example to promote young people’s achievements and aspirations. She is committed to ensuring that the stable staff team receives high-quality training to continually develop and enhance its practice. Bespoke training is arranged so that the staff can effectively respond to and support the individual needs of young people in their care. The staff spoke of the benefits that training brings to their skills and understanding of young people’s needs so that they can positively influence progress and outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people know that they are genuinely cared for, and their opinions and requests are listened to. As well as sharing their views in their weekly meetings, young people also attend the staff team meetings to express their feelings about how they would like staff to support them. When staff are unable to agree to young people’s requests, they clearly explain the reasons why, so that young people know that they have been considered carefully.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The well-attended monthly team meetings and regular, reflective and very effective supervision mean that staff are very well supported in their roles. Staff feel valued and are highly motivated and dedicated to delivering care that makes significantly positive improvements to young people’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Weekly multidisciplinary meetings ensure seamless, holistic care that is underpinned by research. The home’s clinically informed model of care can clearly evidence the progress that each young person makes along individualised pathways. The team continues to revise and refine the model, incorporating new approaches that enhance young people’s development and increase their safety and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are well-established working relationships with a range of external agencies and professionals to support the care of young people. The staff team works closely with social workers, education and health professionals, and safeguarding agencies. Feedback from stakeholders consistently notes highly effective communication and regular updates, as well as the committed, warm and positive relationships that staff foster with the young people. One professional said, ‘Young people are really transformed by the time they leave.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 7 Internal monitoring of the home is robust, and the manager has an excellent overview of the strengths and areas for development in the home. Independent monitoring also supports the manager’s understanding of the home’s quality of care. Any arising issues are addressed quickly. However, the independent visitor does not regularly and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

consistently consult with family members or external professionals as part of their assessment. The manager shows continued enthusiasm and capacity for developing the service to provide young people with high-quality and consistent care.

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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: 1027164 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

Karen Willson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1027164 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 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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