Children's Home run by Homes for Support in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 1 Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2019.

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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. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 21 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted 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

Date of last inspection: 20 November 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 3

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outstanding

The children who live at this home have stable, fulfilling experiences that provide them with a secure base from which they make exceptional and sustained progress. The ambitious staff provide high-quality, individualised and nurturing support which significantly enhances children’s future life chances.

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outstanding

Children are supported to make considerable progress with their learning. The staff are tenacious advocates for the children and link well with and challenge external professionals to provide flexible opportunities and bespoke learning timetables for children. A child who had not attended school for two years before they moved to the home is now attending every day. Other children have significantly increased their attendance, and some are working towards their GCSEs. The effectiveness of staff’s support means that children who have previously found it difficult to engage in education are now flourishing.

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outstanding

Children have excellent support from staff to build their independence and daily living skills. Innovative approaches, including the use of creative incentives, are tailored to children’s individual milestones and aspirations. The members of the management team make significant contributions to researching and linking with the community to enable children to gain employment and work experience. These have included, for some children, work in property development, vehicle mechanical maintenance and hairdressing. The range of opportunities substantially improves children’s self-determination and esteem, which enables them to be well prepared for their moves into adult living.

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outstanding

The staff take the children’s views on seeing their families very seriously and work incredibly well to achieve their wishes. Because of this, the children can influence the time that they have with their families and develop strong relationships that will be there for them throughout their lives. In one case, a child was supported by staff to successfully challenge their placing authority in order to meet with their sibling away from a visiting centre. This enabled the child to have several greatly enjoyed shared experiences with their sibling that have been highly valued by the child.

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outstanding

The children enjoy a diverse range of exciting activities and lead very active and healthy lifestyles. Most children attend the local gym and regularly go swimming. All children attend local clubs that meet their interests. A recent holiday to Wales, a short break to Blackpool and trips to theme parks form part of what is a wide range of experiences for children. For one child, the staff have worked very effectively and sensitively to support them to overcome their social anxieties. This child’s increased engagement in the community has been described by their parent as ‘absolutely phenomenal’. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 4 Managers and staff are highly committed to supporting children’s well-being and development. When it is time for children to move on from the home, this is very well planned. One child made positive changes that meant a quick return to their family home. The staff worked with the child using the home’s therapeutic approach,

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outstanding

which was instrumental in bringing about this successful family reunion. Another child moved into more independent living. This child said that the staff did a fantastic job of helping her. She said that if she had not gone to the home, she did not know where she would be now, emotionally or physically.

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outstanding

Children live in a stimulating and well-appointed home. The children have contributed significantly to the personalisation of their bedrooms, and they are helped to care for their own pets. This creates a welcoming and nurturing environment that all the children said they are very proud of.

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

Children who before moving into the home were subject to criminal and sexual exploitation are now safer and thriving.

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

There is a positive culture among staff of high regard for every child, ensuring that they feel valued and celebrating the successes that they make. Mutually respectful and strong relationships with staff help the children to feel safe and unconditionally accepted. As a result, children can reflect on the past and develop an understanding of managing their own emotions.

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

Staff understand the risks that children face at the home and in the community. High-quality risk assessments and behaviour strategies are effective in providing guidance to staff to ensure that children are safer. Risk-reduction measures are responsive and enable children to have increasing levels of freedom and independence when it is safe to do so. This means that they can safely experience new challenges and successfully build a good level of emotional resilience.

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

Children are confident about engaging in authentic and open communication. The staff are highly skilled in implementing responsive one-to-one discussions with children, including exploring subjects such as sexual health, substance misuse, online safety and managing their finances. These discussions successfully enhance children’s awareness and skills around maintaining their personal safety.

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

Children do not go missing from the home on a regular basis. When they do, the staff work effectively and intelligently with the wider network of professionals to ensure that the children return safely. The local authority missing person’s liaison officer commented, ‘The staff are extremely proactive. They have excellent knowledge of the area and search extensively. The level of communication is exceptional. Their practices set an example for other homes to follow.’

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

Systems to monitor health and safety arrangements in the home are generally sound. However, at the time of inspection, one fire door was defective and another Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 5 door was being propped open. The manager made immediate plans to have the door repaired as this poses a risk to children and staff in the event of a fire.

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

Some children are vulnerable to being online and staff support this risk through informed risk-reduction strategies. However, there are gaps in records of staff’s safety checks regarding one child’s mobile phone. This has not led to increased risk for the child but has the potential to do so if gaps remain unnoticed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An inspirational and qualified manager leads the staff confidently in providing high- quality care and experiences for the children. The manager is well supported by a dynamic deputy manager and collectively they create a positive ethos for children to succeed. The management team’s enthusiasm is reflected in the motivation of the staff team and results in excellent support and outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers know staff’s strengths and the areas in which they need support to develop. Staff receive regular and high-quality supervisions. A wide range of training opportunities equip staff with the skills to meet the children’s individual needs. Well- formed staff progression and promotion schemes are in place to continuously support staff’s development. The staff say that they feel extremely well supported and valued by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers are strong advocates for children. They are tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of a child are planned, well thought out and in the child’s best interest.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team implements highly effective and research-informed care planning processes that link to well-planned moves for children. The combined group of children get along very well with one another, and this adds to the positive culture at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have been particularly innovative in supporting schemes for children to have valued roles in their community. Children are involved in instigating a variety of fundraising events for local charities and have been involved in litter picking initiatives with local residents. This enhances children’s connection with others and increases their sense of responsibility and community spirit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The managers and staff have very effective relationships with the children’s social workers and families. These relationships help to make sure that all of the people involved in the children’s lives work together to provide consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have ensured a well-coordinated response to COVID-19 complications. The manager flexibly adapted the rota with staff to ensure that consistency and safety was maintained. Staff morale has remained high and staff retention is strong. This has provided children with excellent continuity of care during a difficult time. Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff actively monitor the arrangements in place to protect children. They should specifically ensure that systems for monitoring fire protection measures and a child’s mobile phone are consistently effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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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: 2526004 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Homes for Support Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1st Floor, Cloister House, Riverside, New Bailey Street, Manchester M3 5FS

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Inspector

Mark Anderton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2526004 8 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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