Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 1 SC408584 Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to three children aged between six and 17 years old. According to the statement of purpose, the home provides therapeutic care for children with social and emotional difficulties. The home aims to provide short-term placements that support children into foster care.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 November 2015.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 22/03/2022 Full Outstanding 24/09/2019 Full Good 07/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 3

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outstanding

Children receive exceptional care from staff who know them well. The manager and staff provide the children with warmth and nurture. Children respond to this and develop long-lasting and trusting relationships with the staff that care for them. As a result, children thrive and make excellent progress.

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outstanding

The children have diverse needs. Staff work well with them to ensure that they receive the best possible care and support. This results in a significant improvement in the lives of all the children. Staff’s professional practice is exceptional. This includes undertaking focused narrative life-story work that helps children to learn and better understand their life journey. One child has become more settled and has an improved sense of self and belonging as a result.

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outstanding

Children benefit significantly from research-based therapeutic input that is tailored to their individual needs. Specialist assessments of, and support plans for, children’s educational, sensory, emotional and behavioural needs mean that staff have a strong understanding of how to meet these needs. Staff work closely with a range of professionals to ensure that each child has the support that they need and to stimulate the continued development of each child.

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outstanding

All children attend a suitable educational provision that meets their needs. Staff demonstrate commitment to ensuring that children make progress in school and have the best learning opportunities. There are strong relationships between the manager, staff and the children’s schools. The manager has worked proactively to ensure the continued school place of a child at risk of exclusion. The home staff work with school staff to help them understand the child and how to support them better. Consequently, this child is now working towards a full-time programme at school.

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outstanding

The progress made by children is clearly evidenced. Children have made considerable progress towards managing their emotions and sharing with staff how they feel. There has been a significant decrease in incidents and staff’s use of physical interventions. This is because the staff have built trusting relationships with the children, which has helped children to become calmer and more settled.

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outstanding

Staff encourage the children to partake in a range of activities that help them to develop their individual interests and talents. This includes swimming, dance, fishing, gaming and baking. One child has developed an interest in keeping fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Staff’s encouragement supports children to get involved in shared activities. This helps them to further develop the positive relationships in the home. The staff and children worked together to raise over £200 for a hospital charity through a sponsored 8k swim. This provides the children with a sense of value and enhances local community relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 4 A significant strength of this home is the staff’s commitment to encouraging the voice of the child. Children make choices about their home and the design and decoration of their bedrooms. Staff provide children with a range of opportunities to

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outstanding

express their views and wishes. Informal discussions around the dining table give a warm and natural feel to the home. Children talk about their day, what went well and what they would like to improve on. This naturally evolves into an opportunity for children to share their feelings and explore topics about anything of interest. This natural fluidity helps them to feel that they matter and that their opinions are valued.

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outstanding

Staff understand the importance of continued family relationships. They go to great lengths to ensure that children spend time with their family and those who are important to them. Professionals said, ‘Staff are really supportive. They have been working on making family time meaningful.’ A family member said, ‘Staff are brilliant.’

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outstanding

Staff help children to feel safe, secure and well-cared for. Children say that they feel safe. They are able to identify trusted adults to go to with any worries or concerns, confident in the knowledge that they will receive the support that they need.

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outstanding

The staff know how to manage and respond to children’s particular risks. They ensure that each child has a detailed risk assessment that is specific to their needs. These state clearly what the risks and vulnerabilities for each child are and guide staff in how to mitigate them. Staff communicate well with the children to ensure that they understand why staff take the actions that they do. Staff do bespoke work with the children around keeping safe, both physically and emotionally.

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outstanding

For some children, there has been great progress in understanding and managing their emotions. This has led to a significant decrease in the need for physical intervention. The manager closely monitors any incidents to ensure that the lowest and most appropriate level of intervention is used. Follow-up reflective discussions with staff and children promote learning. Staff support children to learn how to rebuild damaged relationships after any incidents.

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outstanding

Exceptional staff practice and highly effective planning have led to sustained improvement in the children’s lives. Staff worked intensively with one child to help them manage their emotions. This was highly successful and led to a significant decrease in negative behaviours. This helped the child to feel emotionally safe. The child now values their room and consequently has a much nicer place to live. This child said that this home ‘is the best place to be’.

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outstanding

Clear safeguarding procedures guide staff on how to identify and respond to any concerns. There have not been any significant safeguarding concerns. However, staff are confident that they know what to do should any concerns arise. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A strong and effective management team leads this home. The skilled and experienced manager is aspirational for the children and staff. She has high expectations of what the children can achieve. She creates opportunities for the children to make progress in all areas of their lives. The manager role models a positive approach to the care of the children. This is infectious, and the staff consequently exude positivity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the children well. She has a strong commitment to ensuring that the staff provide exceptional care. As a result, the children thrive. The manager is a strong and effective advocate for the children. She is persistent and a positive force for change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has created a strong culture of learning. This has had a considerable positive influence on the lives of the staff and the children. Staff have a variety of good-quality and relevant learning opportunities. Staff training meets the needs of the children that they care for. Staff feel that leaders and managers invest in them and value their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel well supported and appropriately challenged professionally. They receive regular reflective supervision, and there are numerous opportunities for staff to meet and reflect therapeutically on how they can best support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the strengths of the service and has clear plans for continual development. She involves the children whenever possible in service development. For instance, staff worked with one child to develop a monitoring and reflection document to assist staff conversations with younger children after incidents. This helped the child to feel involved in a process that affects them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager maintains strong and effective relationships with partner professionals, including education staff, therapists and the local authority designated officer for safeguarding. This ensures the best possible care and experiences for children. Comments from professionals are, without exception, extremely positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers take effective steps to foster inclusive practice and celebrate diversity. They support children to practise their religion and express their views and wishes relating to this. A range of activities helps to keep diversity and the celebration of difference at the forefront of staff practice. Culture evenings and themed months are popular with the children. The staff and children regularly update an interactive information board that has a cultural celebrations theme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations have been made. Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 6

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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: SC408584 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Atlas Chambers, 33 West Street, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2RE

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC408584 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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