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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 1 SC385631 Registered provider: Channels & Choices Kent LLP Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children. It is operated by a private organisation. The home caters for children with social and emotional difficulties. There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since April 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 07/03/2022 Full Good 05/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consistent support from staff and the registered manager helps children to make good progress in important areas of their lives. Staff know the children well. They enjoy spending time with them and offer a wide range of positive experiences each day. Favourite activities include playing chess, going horse riding and having pampering evenings. Staff skilfully use these opportunities to seek children’s views and help them to reflect on how they are feeling. This approach helps staff to develop strong and trusted relationships with children. Children are positive about staff and talk to them if they are worried or upset. One child said, ‘The best thing about the home is the staff; the second best thing is the activities that you do.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend school and the children make good progress from their starting points. When children are not in full-time education, staff ensure that they are involved in positive educational activities during the day. Staff work closely with other professionals and ensure that everyone is committed to supporting the children back into school effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff meet children’s physical health needs well. They also place particular focus on promoting children’s emotional and psychological well-being. Consequently, children become more settled and start to engage with therapists. For some children, this represents significant progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop children’s self-esteem and to enable them to be proud of who they are. Successes are celebrated and diversity embraced. Consequently, children’s confidence improves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to develop their independence skills at a pace that is right for them. For example, several of the children are keen cooks and one child has just started getting the bus to school by themselves. This is something that they are rightly proud of. Children are encouraged to help with some daily household tasks, which they generally complete enthusiastically.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to stay in touch with their friends and family when this is safe and appropriate. When family relationships are strained, staff offer comfort and support to children. They help them to express their views and share how they feel.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been several serious incidents since the last inspection. Leaders moved quickly to tackle these issues, consulting appropriately with other professionals when required. They identified and implemented learning from each incident. Consequently, staff practice improved and children have been supported. Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 4 The registered manager and staff are alert to the risks that children face and the impact that trauma and abuse have on children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Children rarely go missing. On the two occasions that a child has gone missing since the last inspection, the registered manager ensured that the staff response was swift and effective. Consequently, the child returned home quickly and safely.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Helping children to understand and manage their emotions is a particular focus of this team. The registered manager and staff have strong relationships with other professionals, including those in the provider’s therapy team. Staff are reflective and open to advice and guidance, responding consistently when children start to struggle. Consequently, children’s behaviour improves, and the frequency of incidents reduces.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Physical intervention is sometimes required to keep children and staff safe. Leaders oversee staff practice and take decisive action on the rare occasion that this falls below an acceptable standard. Records are clear and generally detailed. However, on some occasions, several different techniques are used during one incident. The description of each technique is not always clearly recorded, nor the duration of each individual intervention. These shortfalls have not had a negative impact on children. However, they have the potential to hinder effective oversight.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff do not use consequences in response to any negative behaviour, preferring a more restorative approach. Any incidents when children are unkind, or talk inappropriately to each other, are dealt with quickly through education and guidance. Consequently, children start to consider the impact of their behaviour on others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious for the service, the staff and the children. She is well supported by the area manager, who regularly visits the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses well. She uses a range of monitoring processes and has a clear overview of the progress that children make. The independent person’s reports are detailed and offer particularly good challenge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager completes quarterly reports covering a range of different areas, including the use of physical intervention. These reports reflect children’s progress and clearly consider factors that may be impacting on them. However, the focus on staff practice when managing incidents and consideration of which staff are on shift when incidents occur are lacking.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is generally clear and informative. However, there is some ambiguity about the number of staff that will be on each shift, particularly when four children are living in the home. The document also references several COVID Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 5 restrictions, which no longer apply. These details have not had any impact on children. However, they could cause confusion for other professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has strong relationships with a range of other professionals, who talk positively about her. She is passionate about helping children to succeed and advocates for them when she feels that this is required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are positive about their work and are well supported by the registered manager. One member of staff summed up the views of several of their colleagues, saying, ‘Children are always the focus; it feels like there is so much love in this home.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)) 1 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s statement of purpose is child-focused and indicates how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in its care. In particular, ensure that staffing ratios are accurately described, and any out-of-date references removed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. In particular, ensure that monitoring systems consider patterns and trends in relation to the individual staff involved in incidents. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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: SC385631 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels & Choices Kent LLP

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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

Matt Hedges, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector, Social Care Inspection report for children’s home: SC385631 8 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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