Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned. It may provide care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties. One child currently lives in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023. The responsible individual led the inspection as the registered manager was not present.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/04/2021 Full Good 21/05/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 3

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improvement to be good

Some children have experienced unplanned endings to their time living in the home. The children did not know where they were moving to until the day they moved. Sudden changes like this can have a negative effect on children’s well-being.

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improvement to be good

Several of the staff have left at short notice and in quick succession, leaving a small core team of staff. The children did not have opportunity to say goodbye to the staff who left. The staff who remain are nurturing and caring towards children.

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improvement to be good

The children had built friendships and liked going out together. On a number of occasions, staff were unable to influence children to stay in the home and they went missing as a group. The children were exposed to risk when they were missing from care.

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improvement to be good

Children have had mixed experiences of education at the home. Some have made good progress and returned to full-time education soon after arriving at the home. For a period of time, none of the children attended school and their learning needs were not being met. The remaining child has since returned to school and is making progress again.

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improvement to be good

The home is furnished to a good standard and is homely and maintained well. Children’s bedrooms are spacious and personalised to reflect each child’s taste. There are photographs of children taking part in activities and trips out displayed in the home. Staff create memory books, containing photographs and memoirs, for the children to keep when they leave the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are listened to, and they are consulted around daily activities, food and trips out. The registered manager responds to requests made by the children. Where possible, their requests are fulfilled. If they cannot be, the registered manager explains the reasons why to the children. Children know how to make a complaint. One child who left the home remains in touch with staff.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged and supported to see and speak to their families regularly. Staff support children to see and speak with their families and will transport them to see their families when necessary.

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improvement to be good

There has been significant concern about the level or risk to which children have been exposed when they have been missing from care. Staff follow written plans which clearly state how staff should respond when children go missing from care. However, staff have been unable to prevent this happening and children have Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 4 managed to travel significant distances from the home and have been exposed to risk.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers made the decision to end the placements of two children with immediate effect. This was because managers did not feel they were able to keep the children safe, because they were unable to prevent them going missing from the home. Children responded differently to the news but had little time to understand what was happening and ask questions before they moved. This was not a positive experience for either child.

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improvement to be good

There are rarely any physical interventions used in the home. Staff use a trauma- informed approach to care on a day-to-day basis with children. Children’s plans are kept under review and are updated promptly following incidents. The registered manager takes the opportunity to reflect with children and staff after any incidents in order to see how they can be avoided in future.

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improvement to be good

Some children have made progress during their time living in the home. One child began to describe the house as home soon before their placement was ended. Some children made progress in learning to keep themselves emotionally and physically well, as well as learning independence skills.

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good

The registered manager has resigned from her role and the deputy manager has left. There are insufficient trained staff at this time and temporary staff are used on most shifts to provide support for one child. The changes in leadership and staffing prevent the home from providing continuity of care for children.

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good

Leaders and managers have a process in place for when new children move into the home. Recently, however, children moved into the home in quick succession. This prevented early identification of risks around the children living together, such as going missing from care as a group. These unidentified behaviours then contributed to two children’s placements ending prematurely and in an unplanned way.

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good

Permanent staff who remain in the home are trained and hold the relevant qualifications. They receive regular, reflective supervision from the registered manager and from a therapist. This supports their development and understanding of the children’s needs. Some children did not remain in the home for long enough to benefit from therapeutic support.

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good

The registered manager and responsible individual support the staff team well. The responsible individual is actively recruiting staff for the home. Recruitment processes are thorough, and appropriate checks are made on staff. This reduces the risk to children of unsuitable people working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered persons must comply within the given timescales.

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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. (Regulation 12 (1)) 15 September 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)) 15 September 2023

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and 15 September 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 6 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 15 September 2023

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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: 1249115 7

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Aulora-Jayne Mortimer

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Inspector

Carol Jagger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249115 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 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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