Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 1 Your Chapter Holdings Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private company. The provider states in its statement of purpose that the home provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in post. There is an interim manager in post, who is registered for another home in the organisation. He has not applied to register with Ofsted for this home.

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This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 2 and 3 October 2023. Following this inspection, two compliance notices were issued under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These compliance notices were in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices. This monitoring took place on site.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, improvements have been made to the child’s risk assessment and behaviour support plans. Regular reviews of these records mean that they now reflect all of the child’s known risks and vulnerabilities. They include clear guidance for staff to follow in line with the child’s views and preferences.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have benefited from reflective supervision sessions and team meetings. Through these sessions, the manager has identified shortfalls in staff knowledge and understanding. Action has been taken to address these shortfalls through individual Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 2 and team bespoke training sessions. Consequently, staff’s knowledge and understanding of the child have improved.

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This monitoring visit

The child spoke positively about their experiences of living in the home since the last inspection. The child was complimentary about the impact that the interim manager has had, and said that things were much better since he has been overseeing the home.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, an internal case review was held to discuss the findings of the visit. It was agreed that sufficient action had been taken to meet the steps identified in the compliance notices issued under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements raised at the full inspection were not looked at during this visit. Therefore, they remain requirements until the home’s next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/10/2023 Full Inadequate 19/10/2022 Full Good 30/11/2021 Full Good 29/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 3

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the procedure must provide that no person who is the subject of a complaint takes any part in its consideration or investigation, except at the informal resolution stage if the registered person considers it appropriate.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that no child is subject to any reprisal for making a complaint or representation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (1) (2) (3) (4) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that complaints and allegations made by children are investigated, recorded and responded to in a timely way. 5 February 2024

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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— 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 4 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission; or

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i)(ii)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children’s needs are assessed prior to them moving in to the home and that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet their needs.

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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

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

engage with them; and 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 5 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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care;

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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

help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review; and

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Requirement Due date

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

is enabled to provide feedback to, and raise issues with, a relevant person about the support and services that the child receives;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support; Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 6 keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the views of each relevant person are taken into account, so far as reasonably practicable, before making a decision about the care or welfare of a child. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children have access to the complaints procedure, including how to complain to Ofsted. The registered person must ensure that children’s complaints are investigated and that children are supported to understand the outcome and the reasons for it.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy ("the behaviour management policy") which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children have appropriate routines and boundaries, and that consequences and rewards are recorded to evidence how children are supported to learn from behaviours. 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 7 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s case records are up to date, signed and dated. The registered person must ensure that the child’s ethnicity and religion is clearly recorded. The registered person must ensure that children’s records are kept for the period specified once a child has moved out of the home. 5 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that staff receive regular supervision, annual appraisals and ongoing training to meet the needs of the children. 5 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 8 The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

A visit by the independent person to the home may be unannounced.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person provides suitable scrutiny and suggests actions to enable the home to identify and action shortfalls and safeguarding concerns. 5 February 2024

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Holdings Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Catherine Fargin, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Claire Hobbs, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1240844 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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