Children's home run by The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 1 SC015266 Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and education in a small group setting for up to six children with social, emotional and/or behavioural and/or learning difficulties. The home specialises in offering long-term placements to boys. The on- site school is registered with the Department for Education.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2016.

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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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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 outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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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: SC015266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2020 Full Good 11/12/2018 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 3

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outstanding

The staff provide outstanding care. They go above and beyond expectations to support the children. This support has enabled children to excel in education. Children have on-site education places and benefit from education packages that are tailored to meet their individual needs. Staff support the children at school. One child who recently moved to the home was not previously engaging in education. Since moving to the home, he has engaged fully with education and enjoys going to school. The headteacher at the school said that communication with the staff at the home is excellent. The headteacher said that the staff do a fantastic job in supporting the children. This level of support ensures that children make excellent academic progress and that they enjoy learning.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that children spend valuable time with their families and people who are important to them. The manager and staff have taken the time to build trust with the children’s families. One child is being sensitively supported to rebuild a relationship that is important to him. Parents said that their children are happy and safe. One parent said, ‘My child is thriving since living at the home.’ Parents feel assured that their children are receiving excellent, child-centred care.

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outstanding

Staff are proactive in helping children to develop independent-living skills. The children are involved in creating their independence programme with staff. The programme identifies skills that the children need in order to develop and become successful adults. The staff help children to learn about budgeting, personal hygiene and life skills. The children are very proud of being able to cook and bake. They have achieved AQA awards for independence skills. Promoting independence skills means that children are well prepared when they move on from the home.

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outstanding

Staff encourage children to try new activities and join clubs. One child is part of a football team, another child takes part in hockey tournaments and another child has joined an archery club. The children have also been camping and enjoy a wide range of new experiences. The staff encourage children to meet new people, make friends and learn new skills. Giving children these opportunities improves their self-esteem, encourages them to experience new activities and enables them to form new friendships.

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outstanding

The manager thoughtfully and carefully plans for children moving into the home. Before one child moved in, the manager ensured that the child could visit the home on several occasions with his parent. The visits included looking around the school and meeting the other children and staff. The manager strongly advocated for the child to have an independent review of his care package, as some information informing care plans was out of date. Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 4 The child and parent felt reassured and prepared before the child moved in. The child has benefited from gaps in his plans being addressed, and from his parent being more involved in his care planning.

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outstanding

The home is spacious and welcoming, and feels like a family home. There are photos of the children around the home. The staff are nurturing, and the children thrive in the environment. The children have the use of several separate rooms in which they can play, game, and create woodwork and crafts. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their own tastes and to meet their individual needs.

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outstanding

Safeguarding at the home is excellent. The manager and staff understand the importance of safeguarding and are proactive in keeping up to date with relevant training and safeguarding procedures. Children feel happy and safe, have meaningful relationships with staff and talk openly. Consequently, there have been no incidents of children going missing from care, and no safeguarding concerns.

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outstanding

The manager and staff have put a strong focus on positive behaviour reinforcement. Children’s views are an integral part of behaviour management plans. The manager has given responsibility to a named member of staff to deliver training in trauma- informed practice to the team. This staff member oversees children’s individualised crisis-prevention plans and incorporates information on children’s past experiences, backgrounds and sensory needs into the plans. The plans comprehensively guide staff on how to support children. Children have developed coping strategies to manage their feelings and emotions. As a result, there has been a notable decrease in unwanted behaviours.

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outstanding

The manager and staff have supported a child who has extremely complex and entrenched behaviours. Since moving into the home, the child has not displayed these behaviours. This is due to the staff’s consistent approaches and their deep understanding of how to meet his needs.

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outstanding

The manager identified that a child who was moving on from the home was going to be moved to an area that would make the child vulnerable because of his individual needs. The manager advocated for the child and ensured that he was involved in the planning to move on. As a result of the manager’s determination and perseverance, the child moved to a suitable place which was near to his family and education provision, and met his safety needs.

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outstanding

There have been several low-level physical interventions carried out. These were necessary, appropriate and proportionate. The home’s behaviour management instructor analyses the records of physical interventions to help staff to reflect on and learn from the incidents and help to reduce the frequency of physical interventions. There has been a notable decrease in the need for physical interventions. Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager holds a relevant level 5 diploma in leadership and management for health and social care. She has managed the home for five years. The manager’s experience and approach enable her to carry out highly effective management of staff and develop an experienced and stable staff team that provides exceptional care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that the manager is supportive and approachable and has an open-door policy. One staff member said, ‘The manager is fantastic.’ Staff have regular, effective supervision. They feel well equipped to meet children’s needs, and benefit from the manager’s experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from good training opportunities to enable them to meet the children’s individual needs. Some staff have undertaken training in play therapy. Senior staff members hold a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager and staff benefit from support from a clinical psychologist. This means that staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and can use a therapeutic approach with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good recruitment processes in place which comply with safer recruitment practice. However, on one occasion the manager did not ensure that the verbal verification of one reference was recorded. The records of checks for that staff member are therefore incomplete. Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that verbal verification of the staff’s references is clearly recorded. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC015266 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Jays, Goodens Lane, Newton, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 5HQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christopher Wright

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Inspector

Amy Miles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC015266 8 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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