Children's home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 1 SC436559

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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 five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is not currently working within the home and an acting manager is in place.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was completed on site. The visit took place in order to monitor the home’s attention to a compliance notice served following the last monitoring visit. The compliance notice was in relation to regulation 13, leadership and management. This was the second compliance notice served in relation to leadership and management arrangements in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors identified that significant shortfalls in the leadership and management of this children’s home remain. Leaders and managers fail to lead the home in a way that promotes the welfare of children or that helps children to reach their potential.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last monitoring visit to the home on 7 and 8 January 2021, there is no evidence of progress being made to address shortfalls in managerial responses to risk management in the home. One child continues to be left unchallenged around retaining their mobile phone throughout the night. Staff and managers are aware that the child is accessing the internet through the night and communicating with unknown people in America.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has not addressed concerns raised previously by inspectors in respect of ensuring that the policy around mobile phone use for children is consistently followed for all children. Despite, being aware of the child contacting Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 2 unknown people, the management team has failed to ensure that risk management plans are consistently followed.

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This monitoring visit

Written responses to complaints made by children are of poor quality. Letters to children are written in language which is not child friendly. Written responses do not contain a clear response to all issues raised by the children. There is no evidence that the acting manager has spoken to children as part of her complaint. There is no evidence that children’s views have been sought in relation to the outcome of their complaint.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager was unable to explain to the inspectors how she is using weekly manager’s performance meetings to reflect on the practice of staff and the progress of children. There is no evidence of progress being made in addressing critical issues emerging from incidents and the aforementioned concerns and complaints are not suitably analysed or used to improve care practice.

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This monitoring visit

The shortfalls highlighted demonstrate poor leadership and management practice that has compromised the experiences and progress of children accommodated in the home. This impacts on the ability of children to reach their full potential and to be protected from harm.

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This monitoring visit

A requirement made at the monitoring visit in January 2021 in relation to the timeliness of regulation 44 reports has been met. The remaining requirements and recommendations were not considered at this monitoring visit and are, therefore, repeated.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 08/10/2019 Full Good 09/10/2018 Full Good 01/08/2017 Full Good 02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 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, 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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Requirement Due date

use of monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 25/04/2021

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 25/04/2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 4 In particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(b))

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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 or through the children’s home;

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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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a) 2(e)(i)) 25/04/2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure those with a leadership and/or management role are visible and accessible to staff and able to deliver their leadership and management responsibilities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.7) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 5

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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 CW5 7ED

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Inspector

Dawn Parton, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Michelle Bacon, Social Care Compliance Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC436559 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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