Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 1 -

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Registered provider: Your Chapter Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The children have access to the organisation’s on-site school. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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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: 1 February 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: 1249035 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2022 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Good 22/01/2019 Full Outstanding 15/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, four children have moved out of the home. At the time of the inspection, six children were living at the home. Children receive care from a nurturing and consistent staff team. Staff create a warm environment that supports children to make progress and enjoy positive experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have trusting relationships with the staff who care for them. Staff know children well and understand children’s individual needs. The staff are accomplished in encouraging children to talk openly about their feelings. Children say that they know how to make a complaint. Children are supported to contribute to their care planning and complete ‘my plan’ and ‘my risk’ sessions. This means children are consulted about decisions that affect their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have high aspirations for children. Children attend school, where they make progress. Leaders and managers work effectively with teachers to ensure children are receiving individualised education that helps their learning. One child has been supported to secure a college place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in a range of activities inside and outside the home. Children were observed laughing and interacting with each other during a game of football in the garden. This supports children to manage relationships with others and develop their self-esteem. Children join local sports teams and clubs. This means children feel a sense of permanence and belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and well-being are consistently promoted by managers and staff. Staff ensure that children understand the value of leading healthy lifestyles. Children are supported to attend statutory health assessments and medical appointments. Staff help children to access specialist health services and therapeutic support, according to their individual needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before children move into the home, leaders and managers evaluate how their individual needs will be met. However, assessments do not fully consider how children’s different vulnerabilities will be managed when they live together. Records do not demonstrate how children are consulted when new children move into the home. Children do not always have positive moves into and out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand that family time is important. Children are supported to spend time or keep in touch with their families and maintain relationships with people who are important to them. One parent said, ‘I hope he can remain there longer term because they are really helping him.’ Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 4

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

Children say that they feel safe. Staff understand how to help children and keep them safe. Staff spoken to have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. There are clear and individualised plans in place for children. Risk assessments are clear and individualised. They contain actions for staff to follow to reduce the risk of harm. The registered manager regularly monitors and reviews risk management plans and evaluates if staff are managing risk effectively.

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

Staff understand how to respond when children go missing from their home. Children have individualised missing-from-home plans. Records are well detailed and demonstrate that appropriate information is shared with relevant people and agencies to ensure children return home safely. However, not all local authorities have provided children with an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. This is a missed opportunity for staff to identify any triggers, to help staff reduce the risk of this happening again.

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

Children are helped to manage their behaviour safely. Staff provide children with clear routines and boundaries. Discriminatory behaviour is challenged by staff. However, managers and staff do not always recognise and acknowledge incidents of bullying and record these effectively.

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

Staff hold children as a last resort to protect them from harm. When physical interventions are used, records are detailed and contain all relevant information. Debriefs are completed with children and demonstrate child-centred consultation. This supports children to feel listened to.

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

When necessary, staff search children’s bedrooms to keep children safe from any items that could harm them. Staff conduct searches sensitively and respectfully. The manager records a detailed evaluation of decision-making and actions taken.

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

The manager assesses the suitability of the home’s location. However, this assessment does not include any consultation with other people in line with regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a qualified registered manager. The manager has created a home that is welcoming and nurturing. Children, staff and managers were observed enjoying mealtimes and activities together. The manager demonstrates a commitment to supporting children and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring and review systems. The manager uses supervisions, team meetings and daily debriefs to reflect on the quality of care that children receive. Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 5 Staff say that they feel supported. They receive effective supervision. Records show that supervisions are insightful and support staff’s ongoing professional development. Appraisals include feedback from children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive training and development relevant to the needs of the children in their care. The manager has embedded learning from training workshops to develop staff practice. As a result, children are cared for by a skilful and knowledgeable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are few complaints made. The manager responds to complaints from children thoughtfully. Children are responded to, and outcomes are explained in line with children’s ages and understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager completes a review of the home. The review addresses the quality standards and evaluates the effectiveness of the home. The manager identifies any weaknesses and how any shortfalls will be addressed. Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 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 particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (2)(a)(xii)(xiii))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to recording of any bullying incidents. 30 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring children have carefully planned moves in and out of the home and any impact on other children living in the home is considered. 30 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the 30 March 2023 Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 7 purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers need to ensure that the views of relevant others are considered as part of the review.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: 1249035 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Your Chapter, Hobart House, 3 Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1249035 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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