Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 1

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Care 4 Children Holdco Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a large, private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager registered with Ofsted in July 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this home on 23 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during the period of suspended inspection activity due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out using a combination of on-site and off-site activity.

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This monitoring visit

Children speak highly of the staff and describe warm and trusting relationships. They express confidence in their care and say that they feel safe and happy.

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This monitoring visit

Staff encourage children to share their thoughts and feelings about their care. A parent said that the manager and staff had taken a great deal of time to ensure that he was involved in his child’s care.

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This monitoring visit

Some children are not progressing as well in their education as others. It is evident that the manager monitors children’s progress and engages with external professionals to ensure that concerns are addressed. However, children’s care plans do not clearly describe the barriers they face to education or the support they require to overcome them. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 2 One child will soon move on to a semi-independent setting. The manager has been proactive in ensuring that his placing authority plans his move effectively. While the child is being supported to develop his independence skills, this process could be improved by developing a plan that details the child’s individual strengths, needs and progress. This would help to ensure that he receives appropriate levels of support.

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This monitoring visit

The manager responds to safeguarding concerns in a prompt and appropriate manner. Clear records of action taken in response to concerns demonstrate that appropriate consultation takes place with the relevant agencies.

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This monitoring visit

The manager works well with external professionals to ensure that risks to children’s safety and well-being are addressed. Staff demonstrate an understanding of risks to individual children and the action required to protect them from harm. In some examples, information in risk management plans is not current. This could lead to staff being unclear about children’s present needs and should be addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are able to describe strategies used to support children to develop safer behaviours. Staff also confirm that they have been supported to develop individualised strategies by the home’s therapist. However, individualised strategies are not recorded in the children’s plans. Clear behaviour support plans are required to promote safe, consistent and effective practice.

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This monitoring visit

At times, staff use consequences as a way of helping children to understand the effect of their behaviours. This area would benefit from review to ensure that the use of consequences is consistent, relevant and restorative, particularly in circumstances when a child’s behaviour has had a direct effect on another child.

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This monitoring visit

Children and staff speak highly of the manager. A parent and social worker also expressed confidence in the leadership of the home and the standard of care provided to children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has taken action in response to a requirement made at the assurance visit carried out in September 2020 and now ensures that there is an appropriate balance of staff on duty at all times.

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This monitoring visit

Despite a requirement made at the assurance visit in September 2020, reports of monthly visits by an independent person are not always sent to Ofsted in appropriate timescales. Ofsted has not received the manager’s six-monthly review of care, which was completed in September 2020. This undermines Ofsted’s ability to monitor services effectively and, therefore, compromises children’s safety and well- being. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/08/2019 Full Good 29/05/2019 Full Inadequate 05/06/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 4

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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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 19 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need to ensure that agreed behaviour management strategies are clearly recorded in children’s individual risk management plans. 19 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 19 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 5 The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (4)(a)) 19 March 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have immediate access to clear information regarding any agreements made in children’s care planning or review meetings held with external professionals. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.3)  The registered person should ensure that children receive practical, individualised support to prepare for their move away from the home. This support should take into account the child’s individual strengths and needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that information contained within children’s risk management plans is clear, relevant and current. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42 paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor

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Recommendations

behaviour are restorative in nature so that they help children recognise the effect of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 6 reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: Care 4 Children Holdco 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stephanie Hewitt

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1240883 7 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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