Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 1

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Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to six children. It specialises in supporting children who have displayed harmful sexual behaviour and experienced emotional trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2017.

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This monitoring visit

The home has not been inspected since April 2019. This visit is in response to information in the home’s independent monitoring reports showing a significant increase in the number of serious incidents of physical intervention, children going missing from the home and police involvement.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown and suspension of routine inspection activity. The visit was carried out using a combination of on-site and off- site activity.

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This monitoring visit

The recent increase in serious incidents relates to the time when a new child moved into the home. The child struggled to settle and this had a negative impact on the other children. The planning for this child’s care was not effective. The child’s needs were significantly more complex and challenging than the manager had identified in her assessment. The assessment did not fully consider the compatibility of the child with the existing group of children.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s review of the serious incidents identified that staff were unable to respond effectively to meet the child’s needs safely. The manager worked with the local authority to find a more suitable place for the child to live. The manager also identified a pattern of staff calling the police for help to manage behaviour and has Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 2 taken action to improve practice in supporting children to manage their feelings and behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not always notify Ofsted when there were serious concerns about children going missing from the home, in particular, when children were considered at significant risk due to their vulnerability and behaviour, they were missing overnight and their whereabouts were unknown. The failure to share this important information meant that Ofsted was unable to carry out its monitoring function, to ensure that appropriate action is taken by the manager and the local authority to safeguard children.

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This monitoring visit

Children live in a comfortable home that meets their needs. However, there is damp on the walls in one of the children’s bathrooms that needs to be treated.

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This monitoring visit

The independent person monitoring the home does not seek the views of the children’s families and the professionals involved in children’s care. This limits the independent person’s ability to reach a comprehensive judgement about the effectiveness of the arrangements for caring for and protecting children.

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This monitoring visit

Despite the areas of practice that require improvement, the inspector found that staff have a detailed understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. They work effectively with partners in education, health and social care to meet the children’s assessed needs.

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This monitoring visit

Children are settled and are making positive changes to their lives. Social workers provided positive feedback about the care and progress that children make. Children enjoy positive relationships with staff. They feel able to talk to staff when they are worried or feel unsafe. A child said, ‘Staff know when I am bothered about something. They ask me what’s wrong and help to sort things out.’

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This monitoring visit

Children are supported by a stable, experienced and qualified staff team. Staff are skilled at helping children to understand about risks and manage their risk-taking behaviour to keep themselves and other people safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff take reasonable precautions to allow children to take a particular risk as part of their development, including spending time in the community independently and the safe use of the internet and technology.

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This monitoring visit

Children said that staff help them to understand the COVID-19 pandemic and how to keep healthy and safe. The manager responded flexibly when children and staff tested positive for COVID-19. The government guidance was followed appropriately to minimise the risks and meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/04/2019 Full Outstanding 08/05/2018 Full Outstanding 30/08/2017 Full Outstanding 31/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 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, 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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 premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to dealing with the damp on the walls in one of the children’s bathrooms. 31 March 2021

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. In particular, ensure that the views of parents and stakeholders are regularly sought, to provide a holistic assessment of the home’s arrangements. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

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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: Care 4 Children Residential Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Care 4 Children, 1 Stuart Road, Bredbury Park Industrial Estate, Bredbury, Stockport SK6 2SR

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Samantha Millward

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1027164 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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