Children's home run by Cherry Trees Care Ltd

Inspection report children's home: 2676061 1 Registered provider: Cherry Trees Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home registered with Ofsted in April 2022. The home provides care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood trauma and have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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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

Date of last inspection: 1 November 2022

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2676061 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2676061 3

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outstanding

Children benefit from exceptional care that has helped lead to transformative progress. Children who were previously felt to be at the highest level of risk have been supported to become substantially safer. They have experienced support and opportunities that have contributed to their developing aspirations. The trajectory of their lives has been fundamentally altered with the help of excellent care and support.

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outstanding

This home has continued to build on the strengths found at the first inspection in November 2022 providing children with stability and helping them to make excellent progress. At the time of the inspection, there were two children living at the home. One child moved in when the home opened and the second child soon after. Early in children’s time at the home they experienced significant difficulties in managing the feelings arising from their past traumas. Staff have worked extremely hard to support the children to develop these skills and have stuck with the children throughout. This has helped children who have had numerous previous placements break down to flourish at this home.

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outstanding

The home is welcoming, spacious and comfortable. The smell of fresh laundry permeates. Children have personalised their bedrooms with photos, posters and things that are important to them. One social worker described the child’s bedroom as ‘amazing’.

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outstanding

Children build trusting relationships with staff. They receive wonderful care from a dedicated staff team who know them well. One child said she ‘loved it’ at the home. They spoke highly of the staff and the manager. The other child was clearly comfortable in the presence of staff and was able to laugh and joke with them.

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outstanding

Staff are highly persistent and effective in helping children to engage in educational opportunities tailored to their individual needs. The staff worked with one child’s school with great creativity to construct an innovative plan to support the child who had been on the brink of permanent exclusion to enable them to do education at home. They purchased a motocross bike and arranged mechanic lessons. The head teacher was highly complimentary of the support staff offered this child. The child is now back in full time education. Without the positive, proactive approach of the staff the child would likely have not been able to stay in school. Another child has made such extensive progress that they have now applied to college and aspire to be a paramedic. They spoke proudly about the excellent grade they received in their recent English exam, the highest mark the school has ever had for that exam.

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outstanding

The staff have completed training in trauma informed approaches. This has given them a deeper understanding of the children they are working with. Staff commented on how helpful this training has been. Staff offer compassionate and Inspection report children's home: 2676061 4 measured care to children that contributes to the exceptional progress they are making. Staff understand the root causes of children’s behaviour. As well as helping staff better understand the children, this has also helped staff to be more resilient.

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outstanding

Children are offered an exceptionally wide range of activities that help to significantly increase their physical and emotional wellbeing. For example, children have been horse riding, swimming, to the cinema and to music concerts. Children have also been on holiday to Paris, Italy, and different parts of England. The trips and activities are carefully documented and added to memory books for children that they can take with them when they leave. These experiences build highly positive memories for children.

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outstanding

Staff provide excellent support to children to enable them to spend time with the people important to them. This includes both family and friends. One child has taken their friend on holiday with them three times and this has been supported by staff. Another child was supported to have an overnight trip away with their brother. This helps children build meaningful relationships that have the potential to exist long after their time at the home comes to an end.

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outstanding

Staff have excellent insights into children’s backgrounds. They use this understanding to inform approaches to children that have helped to make children significantly safer.

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outstanding

Some children’s histories include self-harm, missing, and exploitation. There were very serious concerns for one child when they moved in. The progress this child has been supported to make is exceptional and has been sustained. The course of their life has changed due to the dedication and commitment of the staff.

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outstanding

There is very strong partnership working and decidedly successful planning with the police and the local authority. Partner agencies, including the child exploitation team and the missing children team are highly positive about the work the staff and managers do to reduce risk. A child exploitation officer said, ‘I must say I have dealt with a lot of children’s homes during my time and I can honestly say working with this home was a pleasure.’ This approach to partnership working has significantly contributed to the substantial reduction in risk experienced by children.

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outstanding

One child was previously regularly missing from the home. This child has not gone missing since August last year. The staff have an excellent understanding of the shared protocol with the police. A detailed communication log is kept for any incidents and children are always offered the opportunity to talk about how they are feeling with staff and with an independent person.

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outstanding

The home are creative and innovative in their approach to physical interventions. Staff work in partnership with children. Children take part in writing their own intervention plans. Consequently, children tell staff ways that staff can help them if Inspection report children's home: 2676061 5 they begin to feel out of control. This is excellent practice that helps children feel part of their planning and enables them to have some control. This has contributed to there having been no physical interventions since the last inspection. This helps staff to continue to build children’s trust and maintain positive relationships.

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outstanding

The staff understand how to raise concerns. Strong safe recruitment procedures are in place. These factors reduce the potential for inappropriate people to gain employment and increase the potential for any concerns to be raised quickly and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The experienced and qualified manager is extremely dedicated to her role. She has an excellent relationship with children. She is committed to providing children with the best service possible. Her oversight and leadership has significantly contributed to the excellent sustained progress children have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager provides inspiring leadership and direction for the staff. She leads by example. She takes children on planned holidays and spends quality time with them. She conveys a sense of the highest aspirations for the children. Staff mirror this attitude leading to excellent practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager makes decisions clearly in the best interests of the children at the home. The manager has committed to having no additional children move into the home. She has done this having considered the needs of the children at the home and her perception of the likely disruption this would cause.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly accomplished at multi-agency working. All feedback received noted her communication skills. A local authority placements team commented on how ‘strong’ the home is and also spoke positively about the managers ability to ask for help if needed. There is a proactive use of the team around each child, and this helps to increase children’s stability. Leaders and managers openness to learn and develop as a leadership team increases the potential for the outstanding practice to be sustained and children to continue to thrive at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff receive excellent support from the manager. The staff recognise this and feel extremely well supported. They receive regular supervisions that focus on children, staff professional development and staff well-being. Team meetings are regular and have a strong focus on children’s needs. This helps staff provide the consistency that enables each child to progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are proactive in reviewing their service and looking at any areas they can improve. They have a great insight into their strengths and areas where improvements could be made. When improvements are neccesary, swift and decisive action takes place. For example, they have identified a new independent visitor and meet with them after each visit to consider any areas for improvement. Even with low staff turnover, they are keen to learn lessons where they can. As a result, they have completed a review of their recruitment and retainment processes. Inspection report children's home: 2676061 6 They have identified areas for improvement and are acting on these to ensure that staff can offer long-term support to children in line with the ethos and values of the service. This consistency is what allows the children to make such strong progress from a secure base. Inspection report children's home: 2676061 7

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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 children's home: 2676061 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cherry Trees Care Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: D P C Chartered Accountants, Stone House, Stone Road, Stoke-on-trent ST4 6SR

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Inspector

Mary Costello, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 2676061 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 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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