Children's Home, Residential special school run by The Partnership of The Chartwell Group in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 1 SC015264 Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and education in a small-group setting for up to five children who have emotional and/or behavioural and/or learning difficulties. The home specialises in offering long-term placements to boys. The on- site school is registered with the Department for Education.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager of the home was registered with Ofsted in May 2019.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2018 Full Good 31/05/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/12/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality, consistent care and make good progress at this home. The manager and staff team provide a nurturing environment and implement consistent routines that the children respond well to. The children said that they like their home very much, feel listened to and have good relationships with the staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Helping the children to achieve high education attendance is a strength of this home. All the children attend the on-site school and are enjoying learning. Homework is set weekly and the staff support the children with it. Children who previously struggled to engage in education now study for exams, including GCSE qualifications, and are ambitious for their futures.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy a range of activities and an annual holiday abroad. Talents such as acting, guitar playing and song writing are greatly encouraged. The children have the opportunity to improve these skills further by attending theatre clubs and music lessons. The staff capture children’s memorable moments and record them in memory boxes for the children to keep.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regularly held children’s meetings ensure that time is spent gaining their views on future activities and plans for the home. The staff encourage the children to discuss in these meetings any issues or problems that they may have. A ‘grumble box’ has been introduced to ensure that staff are aware of any complaints or grumbles that the children may have.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of maintaining, promoting and re-establishing the children’s relationships with their families. A child’s relative said, ‘Staff are absolutely fantastic. He has been in various placements and they didn’t work. He is now able to be a child again and has responded so well to the structure at the home. The staff have made the difference. We are now able to have him visit us as his behaviour is so much better.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour is rewarded, and the children’s achievements are displayed on the home’s ‘WOW’ board. The children learn valuable life skills, such as impeccable table manners and how to treat others kindly, by socialising and eating together. The children recognise that their efforts are valued and they flourish, knowing that their progress and happiness are priorities to the staff.

p.3

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

Children say that they are helped and protected by the staff. One child said, ‘It is definitely safe here. The staff are good. I can go to staff if I have any problems, and they listen.’ Another child said, ‘It’s a very good home to live in. I feel extremely safe. Staff help me, and I really like them.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 4 Staff provide positive role models and take time to get to know the children well. A social worker said, about their child, ‘He has developed strong attachments and has very good relationships with staff.’ These quality relationships have enabled the children to gain the skills to reflect on their behaviours and make safer choices.

p.3

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

Comprehensive risk assessments provide the staff with the necessary strategies to minimise any potential dangers. These assessments include the children’s views on what works best for them when they are feeling distressed. This inclusive approach helps the children to gain a better understanding of risks and enables them to recognise potential dangers.

p.4

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

Children do not go missing from the home. The home has a detailed missing-person policy, and each child has an individual plan that is shared with the local police. This ensures that essential details are known and that staff are aware of the procedures to follow, should an incident occur.

p.4

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

All the children have a positive behaviour support plan that gives clear guidance to staff on how to reduce the need for physical interventions. Records show that the staff are successful in implementing the strategies detailed. However, the records do not evidence that the staff are routinely debriefed following incidents or that the effectiveness of the action taken is consistently evaluated. This has the potential to limit the capacity to improve practice in this area.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The dedicated and child-focused manager registered with Ofsted in May 2019. She holds a relevant level 5 diploma and worked at the home as the deputy manager prior to becoming the manager.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is exceptionally well organised. Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes to the staff team. These have not had a negative impact on the care provided. The staff have continued to work in accordance with the home’s ethos, under the manager’s guidance.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new staff have received good-quality inductions and all staff are up to date with the organisation’s mandatory training. Staff morale is high. Staff spoken with during the inspection said that they are well supported. One staff member said, ‘This is the best home that I have worked in, by far. It is all about the children. The manager is very approachable, and I feel very supported.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular staff meetings and clinicians’ meetings support the staff’s work. The children’s individual needs are fully discussed and documented. The staff receive regular formal supervision that offers practice advice and guidance. This provides continuity for the children and supports staff development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built good relationships with social workers and other professionals. All external professionals spoken with during the inspection Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 5 commented on the proactive management style and high-quality levels of communication through good-quality written and verbal reports.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor provides detailed monthly reports that give suggestions for improvements. However, these reports do not regularly contain feedback from parents or the children’s significant relatives. This reduces the effectiveness of the information provided to the manager as a monitoring tool.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The three requirements and four recommendations set at the last inspection have been met to good effect. Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of the measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes–

p.6

Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and consequences of the use of the measure.

p.6

Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)–

p.6

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)) 03/04/2020

p.6

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person–

p.6

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44(2)(a)) 03/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 7

p.6

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC015264 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Jays, Goodens Lane, Newton, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 5HQ

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Wright

p.8

Inspector

Lynne Drage, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC015264 9 to 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9