Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 1 SC408584 Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides therapeutic care for up to three children aged between eight and 17 years old. The home is operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 November 2015.

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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

We last visited this setting on 2 November 2020 to carry out an assurance 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 outstanding

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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: 24 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2019 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 3

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outstanding

Children in the home are happy; they share excellent relationships with each other and with the compassionate adults who care for them. The home is filled with love and laughter, and children learn and flourish in a non-judgemental space. Dedicated adults ensure that children enjoy their time in the home and celebrate progress at every possible opportunity. Children are nurtured, feel valued and, as a result, make remarkable progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

Children who arrive at the home make exceptional progress. This is due to meticulous planning and carefully considered care provided by staff. The child can visit and meet the other children. Information from people who know the children best helps to inform bespoke ‘stepping-stones’ plans. These plans are reviewed regularly with adults, the provider’s therapy team and other professionals. Targets are created with clear plans on how they can be achieved. This has enabled children to make significant progress in their lives.

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outstanding

Children are active in the community, and adults have channelled their interests to access local groups. One child plays regularly for a local football team, and another child has made friends at a local youth club for the first time. Another child has developed beyond expectations by joining a local Scout group after initially being hesitant to join. Adults patiently supported the child to attend, and the child has now experienced camping for the first time. Staff also helped raise a significant sum of money through fundraisers and plan for the child to complete a once-in-a-lifetime trip to South Korea in 2023.

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outstanding

An example of good practice is how children’s lives are explored by adults and creatively captured in beautifully presented life-story books. Adults involve children’s families, important professionals in the children’s lives and the children themselves, to gather pictures and stories unique to them. Children are involved in the making of the books and reminisce about their memories of their childhood. Adults continue to capture children’s experiences while at the home to add to the story. As a result, families are drawn to play an active role in the care of children. In return, children have an improved understanding of their culture, heritage and identity, which they keep with them. A social worker said, ‘This was the best practice of life-story work and involving families I have ever seen.’

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outstanding

All children are making significant progress educationally. Dedicated adults work tirelessly with schools to ensure effective communication. Adults follow children’s progress in school and, when the school day ends, they support them creatively to continue to learn. This has led to one child learning academic subjects in school for the first time, and other older children are learning skills to help achieve their aspirations. One child recently achieved a 100% pass on a test for the first time, and adults were able to celebrate this, boosting the child’s self-esteem in the process. Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 4 Adults have worked to create a loving home where children feel valued and cared for. The home and language used by the staff promote a nurturing, welcoming environment, but there are elements which could be improved further. For example, children’s bedroom doors have an institutional feel. While efforts have been made to

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outstanding

address the language used by adults when speaking to children, children’s records are not always written in child-friendly language.

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outstanding

Skilled adults ensure that learning is fun and engaging. Daily meetings are held around the dinner table, and children are supported to lead discussions and card games on a range of topics, including learning about different emotions, different cultures and current affairs. Children are active in these discussions and are free to explore new topics in an open and honest way. This helps children learn about themselves and the world around them.

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outstanding

Children have made a significant improvement in their understanding of themselves and others. Adults help children to understand their emotions and the impact their behaviour can have on other people. Adults also celebrate the progress and positive achievements of children. This has led to a significant decline in behavioural incidents, the use of physical intervention and the use of negative sanctions for children. Children now recognise when they are angry or upset and use successful strategies to calm themselves.

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outstanding

Children do not go missing from home. Children enjoy being at home and have close relationships with each other and adults. Children have fun in the home and enjoy their time spent there. They are encouraged to explore their interests and passions and are excited to return home from school. Adults have received training in how to respond in the event of a child going missing from the home and have good knowledge of children’s missing-from-home plans.

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outstanding

Children’s voices are listened to and acted on. Children are regularly supported to express their views on all areas of their care. This helps to inform improvements to the building, staff development and improvements in the quality of care children receive. Children are supported to access independent advocates to ensure that their voice is heard by all professionals. As a result, children know how to complain but have not felt the need to do so.

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outstanding

Risks that children face are considered and known by adults in the home. Children have detailed plans, and adults know the risks each child faces and the potential risks present in the community. This information is not all reflected in the home’s location risk assessment. Known risks, such as a nearby lake, railway line and busy road, are identified. However, it lacks clear, consistent guidance about how adults should respond to reduce these identified risks. In practice, there have been no incidents of concern relating to these hazards. Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has created an environment where children can flourish. Children, adults and professionals are positive about the role of the manager and the positive impact the home has had on children’s lives. Since September 2020, only one child has left the home; they moved into foster care before recently moving to the family home. The manager ensures that all relevant agencies consider children’s futures and plans for children to ensure that they can safely move on to their home areas. Children are involved in this planning and feel listened to. This enables them to work towards achievable targets and gives them the best opportunities to thrive in the future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults in the home are positive about the care and support they receive from their manager. The manager is a role model of best practice for adults who, in turn, demonstrate this in their practice to children. The manager is receptive to feedback, where possible, and strives for the best outcomes for children. This has created a culture of openness and acceptance where children are given the freedom to explore and learn new skills free from judgement or discrimination.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has an excellent grasp of all aspects of the home. Rigorous monitoring of recording ensures that children’s achievements are captured and added to targets in children’s plans. This helps external professionals to have regular updates on the progress children are making and informs new targets. The progress that children make has enabled them to spend more time with their families and to begin thinking about moving closer to their home areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Adults are supported to continue to improve their skills and progress. The manager ensures that adults benefit from regular, high-quality supervision, team meetings and appraisals. Adults are given learning and development targets and are supported to achieve them. Adults aspire to progress in their careers, and the manager ensures that they are given opportunities to develop, such as experience in leading shifts and completing additional training. Children can see adults developing, and this encourages children to develop their skills and aspirations also.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that children’s families and professionals receive excellent communication from adults. Daily phone conversations, weekly updates about plans and regular meetings ensure that children’s plans are reviewed and discussed. This has enabled adults to learn about children’s pasts and plan their futures. This has led to progress in school and improved behaviour from children when with their families. Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location, including the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  The registered person should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than institutional impression, particularly in relation to the use of doors. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC408584 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 44 The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN

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Inspector

Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 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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