Children's Home run by Chances CCFSS Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 1 SC016697 Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a small private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children aged up to 18 who have had adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. The manager registered in February 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 17 February 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2019 Full Good 07/11/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Outstanding 21/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 3

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outstanding

Children make exceptional progress. Every aspect of care is designed with children as the starting point. Carers’ work patterns are mapped to the activities the children are doing and who can best support them. Children learn relaxation and soothing techniques to help them with difficult situations, including seeing family. The registered manager has introduced technology to enable children to share anxieties in a way that fits with how they communicate.

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outstanding

Carers challenge stereotypical ideas of autism and trauma with and for the children. By doing so, children learn to navigate the world, raise their aspirations, and are prepared for life in the wider community.

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outstanding

Children have trusting and supportive relationships with carers, including the dogs and other animals that live with them. Because of this, they go back to school and do well, reconnect with their families and learn to live more independently. They also try new things, including swimming, singing, exploring nature, driving and holidays.

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outstanding

Children are fully involved in who moves in and out of the home. Those moving in are carefully chosen by the whole team, including the children. The moves are supported with video introductions, messages from the dogs and cuddly toys, and constant communication with key family members. Consequently, moves are successful, and children make rapid progress. In the absence of a suitable place to move on to, the owner registered a home in the same street for children to live in when they become adults.

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

Children are safe and feel safe living in the home. They learn how to keep themselves safe in the community, including the online world. Children feel safe enough to talk about their past, and carers respond sensitively while preserving valuable evidence. Children are supported consistently well through criminal proceedings.

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

Carers are confident and knowledgeable in how to keep children safe. There has been a significant reduction in physical interventions recently. The registered manager commissioned bespoke training that helps carers to create safe spaces without the need to physically restrict children. Regular reflection and links to research result in safety plans that evolve and prevent incidents from escalating.

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

Carers assess risk arising from trauma, attachment and potential triggers. The assessments include sensitivity to smell, sounds, touch and memories for children affected in this way. Children live in an environment where they can focus on Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 4 positive experiences because these risks are managed so well. On a small number of occasions, the written record of risk assessments is not updated in a timely way.

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

Carers are highly skilled in bringing research and analysis into their practice. They are confident in managing self-harming, aggressive and chaotic behaviour so that children remain safe but gain insight into why they are reacting that way. Children are taught about diversity and equality through informal and structured conversations. For example, racist comments provoke sensitive debate about difference.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and her leadership team are inspirational. They challenge traditional views of what they would call ‘neurodivergent’ people and create an environment where difference is a doorway, not a barrier. The registered manager advocates tirelessly for children to ensure that they have access to the right education and services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A small, consistent and diverse group of carers has been chosen to fit the home’s model of practice. Carers are highly qualified and are supervised to a high standard. They are encouraged to pursue higher education while working and to share their practice with researchers and other practitioners. Training is regular, relevant and applied consistently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership team bases its development plan on the needs of the children. A new ‘chillaxing’ area has been created in the house by moving the office to a new building in the garden. Carers move with children between the home and the new home for adults to support transitions, and training has been shared across the settings to achieve consistency. The registered manager has recently arranged for independent scrutiny of incidents to evaluate the impact on practice, but this is yet to be tested.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals from other agencies, family members, the carers and the children are all overwhelmingly positive about the difference the home makes to children’s lives. The registered manager sensitively engages wider family members in the care and progress of the children to keep doors open for the future. Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring, including under regulations 44 and 45, to ensure continuous improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC016697 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Fairview Court, 119 to 127 Fairview Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 2EX

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Inspector

Steve Lowe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC016697 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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