Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Holdings Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager in post since 30 August 2023. An interim manager has been appointed.

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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: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 2

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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: 1240844 3

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improvement to be good

Due to the serious and widespread failings identified at the last inspection, compliance notices were issued under section 22a of the Care Standards Act 2000. These were in relation to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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improvement to be good

A monitoring visit was carried out on 30 November 2023 to review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices. It was agreed that sufficient action had been taken to meet the steps identified in the notices.

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improvement to be good

There is one child living in the home. The child said that they like most of the adults who care for them and can talk to them about their feelings if they are worried. The child said that they are aware of the complaints procedure.

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improvement to be good

The child is not supported to access and contribute to their relevant care plans. Direct-work sessions are carried out with the child. However, the child’s voice and their views about the quality of care that they receive are not captured. A requirement is made to reflect this shortfall.

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improvement to be good

Transition planning is ineffective and not child-centred. Managers have not taken sufficient action to help a child to understand their plans. This has caused uncertainty and anxiety for the child. The child said, ‘Plans are not confirmed as to where I am going next. I am worried I will end up homeless.’

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improvement to be good

Education is promoted in the home. The child is attending college and is making progress. However, leaders and managers have not taken action to ensure that the child is supported to access specialist support services. This does not help the child to understand the barriers to achieving positive educational outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The child is in good health and is supported to attend all routine and specialist medical appointments. The child benefits from attending their annual health reviews. However, health records do not include all health concerns, and actions and outcomes are not updated following health appointments.

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improvement to be good

Family time is carefully planned and facilitated to enable the child to spend time with the people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Managers take appropriate action to investigate allegations and respond to complaints. However, following a recent complaint, leaders and managers have not Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 4 communicated effectively with the local authority. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that the child continues to receive good-quality care.

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improvement to be good

Staff are now clear on their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. They understand the home’s policies and procedures for reporting concerns. There have been no missing-from-home incidents. However, staff demonstrate an awareness of actions to take if incidents occur.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the child’s risks and are proactive in keeping them safe. Risk management plans and missing-from-care protocols identify individual risks and contain actions for staff to take to minimise the risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention has not been necessary. However, all staff are trained and understand the frameworks to protect children from harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff promote positive behaviours and use an appropriate balance of consequences and positive reinforcement. All measures are evaluated by the manager. This means that the child understands what safe and acceptable behaviour is.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to take age-appropriate risks and enjoy time with friends. The child talks enthusiastically about attending the gym. This has developed their independence skills and participation with the wider community.

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good

The home is managed by an interim manager, who is passionate and child-centred. However, there has been a delay in their application to register with Ofsted.

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good

The home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the child currently living in the home. The child is cared for by a consistent team of staff who have the relevant skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Recruitment is ongoing.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings. These are reflective and practice based. Staff say that they feel supported and are clear about their roles and responsibilities.

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good

Leaders and managers have introduced monitoring and review systems. Incidents and day-to-day practice are evaluated. This supports learning from practice to secure positive outcomes for children.

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good

The manager has completed a review report in relation to the location of the premises and evaluated the areas of suitability and risk. However, they have not consulted with relevant stakeholders. This is a missed opportunity to gather holistic feedback about the care that children receive.

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good

Since the last inspection, leaders and the manager have taken some action to address the requirements issued. However, action has not been taken to update the Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 5 child’s care plan and the records do not identify the child’s ethnicity. A requirement is restated.

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good

Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to challenge the local authority when children’s plans are not in their best interests. Leaders and managers have not worked effectively with the placing authority. Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 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, The 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

develop positive relationships with them.

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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

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) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, children must be supported to express their views and wishes and be consulted about decisions that affect their lives.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are supported to access specialist services to support them to understand any barriers to achieving positive educational outcomes.

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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;

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(e)(i)) 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 8 Specifically, leaders and managers must work with the placing authority to ensure that positive transition plans are established when a child is moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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 kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s case records are up to date. The registered person must ensure that the child’s ethnicity and religion are clearly recorded.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 28 February 2024

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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 (2)) 28 February 2024

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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

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(c)(d)) 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 9

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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: 1240844 10

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Bokani Nyoni-Chaya

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1240844 11 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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