Children's Home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 1 SC407169

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Choices Home For Children Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and run. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out in response to a number of concerns received by Ofsted relating to the quality of leadership and management across the wider organisation. The home was last inspected in February 2020. This visit was conducted both on and off site and includes feedback from three of the four young people living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager and staff provide young people with a secure and stable environment to live in. The majority of young people were living in the home at the time of the last inspection. Young people spoken to by the inspector spoke positively about their experiences of the care they receive.

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This monitoring visit

Young people benefit from a consistent staff team. Young people know the staff who care for them. The use of bank staff is kept to a minimum. As a result, young people are able to build up trusting relationships with the adults who care for them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff in the home receive regular supervision from the registered manager and a deputy manager. Staff spoken to by the inspector said that the registered manager and deputy manager are accessible to the staff team, even when they are formally off duty. Staff now have a structured induction to the home. This includes shadowing more experienced staff as well as more formal training. At the last inspection, a requirement was made to ensure that new staff receive an appropriate induction. This requirement is now met. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 2 The registered manager has not received regular formal supervision in line with the organisation’s supervision policy. As a result, as an inexperienced registered manager, he has not had the level of line management support and oversight which supports and evidences his development in the role.

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This monitoring visit

The independent person who undertakes monthly regulation 44 visits to the home has continued to do so remotely during ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions. These reports are good quality and provide support and challenge to the registered manager. The reports have not always been sent to Ofsted in a timely manner. In addition, the statement of purpose for the home has not been regularly updated and shared with Ofsted. As a result of these delays in sharing information, there are gaps in opportunities for further external scrutiny.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has completed one six-monthly review of the quality of care in the home. This demonstrates regular collation of information in relation to young people. However, the report lacks evaluation of this information. As a result, information is not being used effectively to build on good practice and improve the quality of care experienced by young people.

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This monitoring visit

A number of requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have not been addressed in this focused monitoring visit. The requirements contained in the report are therefore a combination of new actions and some of those carried forward from the last inspection. The recommendations are carried over from the last inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/02/2020 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/06/2019 Full Good 18/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 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, the 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 of through the children’s home. (Regulation 14 (1) (a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should only accept placements for children when they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs and when they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard it that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a) (2)(c)) 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 4 notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the responsible individual should ensure that the registered manager receives regular formal supervision. 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that reports are submitted in a timely manner. 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that rooms are only searched if the child has been informed or asked their permission, and that clear rationale is provided when belongings are removed. When items are temporarily removed, the timescales should be regularly reviewed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should undertake a review that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC407169 6 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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