Children's Home run by Choices 4 Children Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 1 SC400880 Registered provider: Choices 4 Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities. There are four bedrooms in the main house and two bedrooms in the extension to the main house.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since 2014.

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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

Date of last inspection: 11 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/01/2022 Full Good 19/06/2019 Full Good 20/06/2018 Full Outstanding 19/07/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points across aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from well-planned care that promotes their needs effectively. One social worker said, ‘Professional standards are always maintained. There is a warmth and homeliness to the culture, making the children feel more at home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most children communicate non-verbally, and staff are trained in Picture Exchange Communication Systems (PECS) and Makaton. This means that staff are skilled in using signs, symbols and visual supports to communicate with children effectively by using their preferred methods of communication. This ensures that staff can understand and act on the views of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children were observed to have good relationships with staff and each other. They benefit from high-quality support from staff that encourage change and improvement in their lives. Children are happy and settled at the home and have a real sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with consistency and stability in their lives, and children benefit from a caring, supportive and nurturing environment. One social worker said: ‘Things are beyond expectation, and a young man with additional needs is flourishing.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are engaged in education, and most attend specialist educational provision on a full-time basis. Children attend school regularly with support and encouragement from staff. Staff work closely with the providers of children’s education to support their learning and educational progress. One child is currently home educated by tutors. The manager has applied for the child to attend a new school provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good arrangements to meet the health needs of children. Staff support children to attend their routine health appointments. Children’s inclusion in the community is promoted. Children enjoy positive activities such as swimming, equine therapy, trampolining, walks in the countryside and sensory play. Children develop improved skills in self-care, and staff promote their independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with their families and sustain their familiar relationships with the people that are most important to them. Children’s parents are always made to feel welcome at the home and enjoy spending quality time with their children. Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 4

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

Children are kept safe and feel safe living at the home. High staff ratios are maintained to ensure that children are closely supervised and supported. There have been no issues with children going missing from the home since the last inspection. Risks associated with children are well known and understood by staff. The use of risk management plans and safe working practices promotes the safety of children.

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

Staff are trained to manage children’s behaviours safely and effectively. The use of restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm. Behaviour management plans outline the triggers for children’s behaviour and provide staff with intervention strategies to manage behaviours safely. There is effective management oversight of all incidents. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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

When a significant incident has occurred, concerns are shared promptly with the relevant authorities to support children and protect them from harm. Allegations of abuse are treated seriously, and they are managed effectively and professionally by the registered manager.

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

Children’s bedrooms are well personalised, decorated and furnished to a good standard in accordance with the needs of children. The lounge area requires some redecoration due to a wall being recently replastered. The manager had already made plans to have the lounge area redecorated.

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

The home provides children with a safe and appropriately secure living environment. The main door to the home is always kept locked. However, most children do not have deprivation of liberty safeguards in place to warrant these restrictions. Consequently, a requirement is made in respect of this issue.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home employs a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager who demonstrates strong and effective leadership of the operations of the home. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager and a small number of team leaders. The manager ensures that the home is sufficiently staffed to meet the specific needs and numbers of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A stable staff team is employed to provide children with consistent routines and boundaries. Staff work well together as a team and have positive relationships with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to a comprehensive range of training that enables them to meet the individual needs of the children. This includes training on autism spectrum disorder and learning disability. The manager ensures that staff training is kept up to date and the training needs of staff are identified and met. Leaders and managers are supportive of staff’s practice and ensure that staff receive regular practice- related supervision. Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 5 Staff said, ‘I have learnt so much from both managers. Their knowledge and expertise are outstanding. I couldn’t think of a better place to work.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meet the aims and objectives as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They maintain effective partnerships with social workers, schools and the families of children to ensure that children benefit from the best possible help and all-round support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has met the requirements and all but one of the recommendations from the last inspection. The recommendation previously made in relation to the home’s workforce development plan being reviewed is repeated. This should include all the required information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s monitoring and evaluation of care practice are effective. The manager uses stakeholder feedback and makes good use of the home’s internal and external monitoring systems to secure continuing improvement. Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 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—

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Requirement Due date

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 registered person must ensure that deprivation of liberty safeguards are in place for each child at the home. 21 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they work closely with the placing authority to ensure that children are supported to attend school. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of its children. The lounge area should be redecorated to ensure that it provides children with a homely environment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should have a workforce plan that includes the management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff and any further training required for staff to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Recommendations

Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 7

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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: SC400880 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choices 4 Children Limited

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC400880 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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