Children's home run by Chillington Close Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 1 Registered provider: Chillington Close Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is the home’s first inspection. The home was registered in February 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to two children aged from eight to 17 years old who experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager is in post and has applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children at the home from June 2021 until October 2021. At the time of the inspection, two children lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff help children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them. Staff make sure that children know when they are going to see family, and they support them with this. As a result, children are able to maintain their sense of belonging within their family. The manager regularly communicates with families, which gives them confidence in the staff caring for their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled in the home. The manager has developed practice to ensure that when children move into the home, this is well planned. For example, children visit before they move, which helps them with this transition. Once children arrive, they personalise their bedrooms and other areas of the home. This means the home includes modern furnishings that children like and is welcoming. As a result of the efforts from staff, children know that staff are invested in them having a homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are developing relationships with staff. Staff speak warmly about the children and are considerate of their individual needs. Staff work to provide children with what they need and encourage the children to express their views on what they would like. When children feel unable to share their views directly with staff, children know about other professionals who are also there to support them, such as their social worker. Through this, children are able to share their experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children’s education, and children attend school. Both children are in full-time education. The manager and staff advocate for children and work closely with professionals in the children’s lives. The manager worked seamlessly with professionals when an education provision was being sought for one child. This led to the child starting in their preferred local school. This practice means that children receive joined-up support and understand the importance of education for their futures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in activities that they are interested in. Staff are supporting one child to ensure that they continue to engage in a sporting activity that is important to them. They also display trophies in the home that celebrate the child’s achievements. Staff ask children what activities they would like to be involved in and also make suggestions. This provides children with positive experiences.

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

The manager challenges the practice of staff when she needs to, and her actions result in children being better supported. The manager responds clearly to any allegations, and the safety of children is a priority. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 4 When there are concerns about the safety of children, the manager works quickly and effectively with other agencies. This includes sharing relevant information and supporting children directly. This means that changes are made to improve the safety of children.

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

The manager provides detailed guidance for staff through risk assessments and plans. However, risk assessments for internet usage do not capture online platforms used by the children, and staff do not check these. This does not ensure that children are safe online. On occasion, risk assessments are not reviewed in line with the home’s expectations, although this information is included within other documents. As a result, this does not currently impact on practice but is a missed opportunity to ensure that all records are up to date so that staff have the latest guidance to work with children.

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

Staff complete key-work sessions with children. The manager and staff recognise the importance of relationship building and are working with children to support them to settle into the home. In contrast, staff complete limited work about online safety. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that children are safe online.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to the children in her care. She is a curious and reflective practitioner who places children at the centre of decision-making. The manager recognises the areas of development for the home. There is a detailed plan in place to ensure that the home is continually developed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the manager. They receive regular child-focused supervision. The manager also understands the development needs of staff and includes actions to address these. The manager ensures that there are regular team meetings, and that these complement supervisions. Team meetings focus on the children and developing care practice. The combination of support that staff receive helps them to make sure children receive good care that meets their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has clear systems in place to monitor and oversee the care children receive. In addition, staff create monthly reports that show how children make progress. This enables the manager to make changes to the help children need. As a result of the monitoring systems in place, actions are identified to ensure that there is ongoing development of the home and the quality of care children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Family and professionals have a positive view of the manager and staff. They recognise that staff care deeply about the children living at the home. These good working relationships mean that everyone in children’s lives supports their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff undertake a range of training courses to support them in their role. However, not all staff have attended important training as outlined in the home’s Statement of Purpose. Despite this, staff are able to talk about the Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 5 therapeutic models that are used in the home. However, training records do not reflect this knowledge, and it is unclear about the training staff have completed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has detailed information relating to the children who live there. When documents are not provided, the manager follows these up. However, not all statutory documents relating to the children are in place. While the manager has raised this issue, it could be better escalated to ensure that the home has all the information it needs to provide comprehensive care to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 6

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation (5)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager is to ensure that all statutory paperwork is obtained from the placing authority, and, if the response is inadequate, that this is escalated. 3 April 2022

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation (12) (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager is to ensure that appropriate measures and risk assessments are in place for the use of online devices. The manager is to ensure that children are helped to understand how to keep safe online. 3 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 7

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Recommendations

 The manager must ensure that staff have completed all training outlined in the Statement of Purpose. The information set out in the Statement of Purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)  The manager must ensure that careful, objective, and clear records are maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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 for children’s home: 2605829 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 4, Bermar House, Cannock WS11 0ET

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Inspector

Melanie Griffin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2605829 9 regulates and inspects 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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