Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 1 SC408584 Registered provider: Channels and Choices 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

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children aged between eight and 17 years old on admission. The home is operated by a private organisation. According to the statement of purpose, the home caters for children who have behavioural, emotional and/or social difficulties. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 November 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 24 to 25 September 2019

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/08/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 3

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Recommendations

 As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, ensure that if a member of staff tenders their resignation, this must not prevent every effort being made to reach a conclusion in all cases of allegations or poor practice bearing on the safety or welfare of children.  The Statement of Purpose is of particular importance to this Standard (regulation 6(2)(a) and (b)(i)). Homes are required to develop and keep under review a "Statement of Purpose" (regulation 16 and schedule 1). The home’s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.5) In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose takes into account equality legislation in relation to all protected characteristics, including the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress while living at this home. They have good relationships with the adults, who nurture and support the children well. This increases the children’s confidence, as well as their ability to form and sustain positive attachments. Adults value the children’s views and operate a ‘grumbles box’. This encourages the children who may find it hard to talk about their feelings to write them down. The registered manager diligently responds to all the views expressed. As a result, the children genuinely feel listened to and heard. Children enjoy living in a relaxed and homely environment. Children’s friends are welcomed when they visit and stay for tea. The layout of the home provides the children with space to spend time together, and also have privacy to enjoy time with their friends or visitors. This helps maintain harmony and upholds the children’s sense of belonging and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a learning ethos at the home. A subscription to a regular national children’s newspaper helps keep the children up to date with news events in the UK and around Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 4 the world. Current topics are discussed and pitched so that current affairs are engaging, but not overwhelming. Children can choose from a well-stocked and varied selection of literature. Careful thought has been made to include books that celebrate difference. This helps to ensure that all the children in the home can see themselves represented. This assists the children to develop a positive self-view and a sense of their own identity. Adults hold high academic aspirations for the children and want them to do their best. This involves working closely with the schools and relevant agencies. The close links between the home and the schools, led by the registered manager, ensure a consistent

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

approach to the children’s learning, emotional and social development.

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

There is a respectful culture in the home. Children say that they feel safe and have adults that they can talk to about any concerns or worries. Adults work positively and confidently to support, empower and keep the children safe. Routines and boundaries are made clear to the children, alongside praise and encouragement. This assists the children in knowing what is expected of them, supports them to feel safe, and helps them to develop positive behaviours. Adults receive regular and comprehensive training in relation to safeguarding such as awareness of e-safety, sexual exploitation and radicalisation. While adults are alert in identifying potential risks, they also recognise the importance of allowing the children opportunities to take age-appropriate risks. This helps the children develop independence and problem-solving skills and to become more resilient. Therapeutic action plans and positive behaviour plans guide the adults to provide

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

support that is specific to the needs of each child. Adults seek to understand the children’s triggers, learn from incidents and develop creative and child-focused solutions. They seek out the least intrusive way to keep the children safe. The home is linked to an in-house clinical therapy team that provides specific support for the children’s emotional and psychological health. This includes individual and group therapy for the children and support for the staff. Working from detailed emotional needs assessments, the adults provide the children with appropriate support to further their emotional health and well-being. The home is generally well maintained and a programme of refurbishment is ongoing. A health and safety issue found during the inspection related to a problem with the fridge temperature. However, this was rectified by the registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager provides strong leadership and ensures that the team members are child centred in their approach. She monitors the progress that the children make and ensures that they continue to benefit from living at this home. The registered manager and leaders are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 5 home, and implement plans to continue to improve the quality of care. The requirements and recommendations set at the previous inspection have been met. The registered manager and the adults are proactive in advocating for the children to have life story work. Adults work creatively using a range of tools and activities to help children to explore their personal history. Adults recognise the importance of the children being helped to develop their own narrative, and that this improves self-esteem for their immediate and future well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision for the staff is integral to improving practice and embedding the ethos of the home. Regular supervision meetings are reflective and centred on the needs of the children and their safety. However, in one instance a performance management matter with a team member was not drawn to a conclusion. This shortfall means that the organisation has no formal record of practice concerns. The culture and commitment to children’s rights as described in the statement of purpose is borne out in the staff practice. However, protected characteristics, as defined in equality legislation, are not set out clearly in the home’s statement of purpose. This was rectified during the inspection.

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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: SC408584 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Camburgh House, 27 New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent CT1 3DN

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Inspector

Anne-Marie Davies, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC408584 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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