Children's Home run by Cheshire West and Chester Council in Cheshire West and Chester

Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 1 Registered provider: Cheshire West and Chester LA Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care for up to four children who may have social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a registered manager who is appropriately qualified and experienced.

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 2

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improvement to be good

This children’s home was registered in July 2023. Since registration, two children have moved in to the home. One of the children left the home after a short time and there was only one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff take a reactionary approach to some aspect of children’s care. This means that children experience an inconsistent approach from staff. This is because staff are not always given clear guidance on how to work with children and, in some cases, there is a lack of clarity about the long-term plans for the children.

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improvement to be good

Children are consulted on matters, including the weekly menu, activities, home décor, and special events. However, information about changes to their long-term care plans are not routinely shared with them. This means that children are not given the opportunity to share their views about these plans.

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improvement to be good

Information on how to make a complaint is detailed in the children’s guide. However, this information is inaccurate. For example, children do not have access to a grumble and groans book and complaint forms are not readily available to children. Consequently, there is no clear system for a child to raise a complaint or grumble in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to have planned time with their families and friends. However, staff do not have good working relationships with all the children’s families. Consequently, opportunities to share information and work together are lost.

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improvement to be good

Educational attendance is encouraged and supported. Overall, children’s attendance is good, and positive progress is achieved. One child has clear aspirations for their future and is on target to achieve their expected GCSE grades.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are met. They are registered with health professionals, and appointments are made, as necessary. Children are supported to lead healthy lifestyles and have healthy diets. They participate in planning, shopping, and preparing meals to provide them with skills in budgeting and planning for living independently.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to take part in activities and leisure pursuits. Children visit places of interest and theme parks, and enjoy attending the cinema with staff and friends. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 3

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management strategies are in place to assist staff in the management of unwanted behaviours. The use of sanctions are minimal. However, a decision to isolate the plug sockets in one child’s bedroom is disproportionate and inappropriate.

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improvement to be good

Individual assessments take account of children’s known behaviours and the triggers that serve to escalate behaviours further. However, strategies to successfully support children in crisis are not consistent.

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improvement to be good

Missing-from-home protocols are in place in the event of a child being missing from home. One child’s protocol has been subject to change and includes a decision not to follow a child who leaves the home without permission. Staff are not clear on the reason why this decision was made. Although staff have not enforced this, the change in protocol places the child at increased risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Responses to children who disengage with the home are varied. This is because suitable guidance is not available to staff. One staff member said, ‘We try our best, but it is very difficult.’

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improvement to be good

When needed, children’s access to mobile phones and gaming consoles is restricted. However, the boundaries regarding access to electronic devices are not routinely implemented. In some instances, this undermines staff’s efforts to safeguard children.

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improvement to be good

Children are cared for by staff who are appropriately vetted before they start work in the home. Records of staff recruitment confirm that safer recruitment policies are consistently adhered to.

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good

The registered manager was on planned leave at the time of the inspection. The newly appointed deputy manager was in day-to-day charge of the home and they were being supported by the acting responsible individual.

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good

Most staff have completed mandatory training. The majority of this training is undertaken online. A staff member said, ‘We have raised with managers that we need more training to help us in our role.’ Managers have not assured themselves that staff have the required training and skills to consistently meet children’s needs.

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good

An induction programme is in place for all newly appointed staff. However, the newly appointed deputy has not been provided with a suitable induction. This means that staff employed to assist in leading the team, are not given the essential learning and information required for their role. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 4 The staff have a range of skills and experience in different areas of child and adolescent care and education. In a structured environment, these skills will be beneficial to children. However, the lack of a clear structure, ethos and culture means that staff are not clear on the expectations of their role or how their skills can be matched to the children. A staff member said, ‘We have all come from different professional backgrounds and have different ideas. We have not had development days as a team. We all feel this would have been very helpful.’

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good

Staff receive consistent supervision in line with the home’s policy. Team meetings take place every two weeks. Staff comment that recent staff meetings have been very beneficial because there have been opportunities to reflect on mistakes made and consider how matters could have been managed differently.

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good

The registered manager has taken steps to escalate concerns to the local authority where appropriate. She has acted on advice received by placing social workers. However, the actions taken have not always been in accordance with regulation, such as restricting a child’s access to electric sockets.

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good

The registered manager’s internal audits require improvement. Audits do not consider the quality and content of records or identify areas for development. Likewise, internal monitoring systems do not identify and address missing information that is pertinent to the child’s placement. Consequently, the lack of consistent and robust monitoring has resulted in inconsistent practice being left unchecked.

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good

The independent visitor’s monthly reports are submitted to Ofsted in accordance with regulation. This means that the regulatory body is provided with an evaluation of the service being provided at the home and the actions taken to address the shortfalls identified. Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 5

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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

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(v)(d)(i)(ii)) 8 December 2023

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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.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; 8 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 6 have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v))

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff have the knowledge to meet the needs of the children, and that the staff team provide consistent care to the children. 8 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 8 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 7 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph (2) nay be used in relation to any child. (Regulation 19 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that behaviour management strategies implemented by staff are appropriate and proportionate. 8 December 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: 2736861 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cheshire West & Chester Council, The Portal, 4 Civic Way, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65 0BA

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Inspectors

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2736861 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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