Children's Home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited in Lancashire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 1 Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care 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 owned and operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional needs. Three children are currently living in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since the home opened on 6 June 2022.

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Inspection date: 12 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children do not have relationships of trust with all staff. There have been changes to the staff team which mean children have not yet had the opportunity to build secure relationships with some staff. However, all children have some staff that they would approach with any concerns.

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Findings from the inspection

The communal areas of the home have photos of children on display. Maintenance issues and damage in the communal areas are fixed quickly. Children’s bedrooms are personalised in line with their wishes. However, one child’s bed was damaged. A requirement has been made in relation to this.

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Findings from the inspection

Not all children have a school or college placement or are in employment. When children have a suitable school, they attend regularly and are making progress in relation to their individual starting points. Staff support children to visit education settings to identify suitable provision for them. When children are seeking employment, staff organise and take them to job interviews.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s health needs are known and supported. Staff support children to be healthy by taking them to physical activities, such as at the gym. Staff support children’s mental and emotional health by encouraging them to engage in assessments and any identified therapy. Staff encourage children to make informed decisions about their health and well-being.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have positive relationships with children’s families. Staff take children to see their families, in line with their individual plans, particularly when they live a distance from the home. When necessary, staff stay with children and their families to support their time together. Children regularly see the people who are important to them.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff understand the risks to children. Risk assessments are clear and outline presenting behaviour that indicates increasing risk. Risk assessments are updated regularly and contain strategies for the staff to follow to manage risk.

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Findings from the inspection

Risks for children are reducing. Since living in the home, one child has had a significant reduction in missing-from-home episodes. However, on one occasion, staff did not make every effort to locate the child when they were missing from the home. The manager’s oversight did not identify this as a practice shortfall. Staff practice in relation to episodes of children going missing has improved and the manager has identified areas for staff development and addressed these learning areas with individual staff. Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 3 The manager supports the staff to learn through discussions with them following incidents. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and identify where this could improve. However, triggers for children’s behaviour are not always successfully identified and therefore opportunities for further learning are lost.

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Findings from the inspection

The home is managed by a permanent and suitably qualified registered manager, who knows the children well. Staff say the manager is approachable and supportive. The manager manages any staff issues proactively and sensitively. They have made changes to their own working pattern to support the staff team, such as being in the home at the time of handovers.

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Findings from the inspection

An independent person visits the home once a month. The manager responds promptly to any recommendations made by the visitor in their report. However, the reports do not contain regular feedback from children, their relatives or staff working at the home. A requirement has been made in relation to this.

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Findings from the inspection

An allegation was recently made by a child. There was a delay in notifying the placing authority and Ofsted. A requirement has been made in relation to this.

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Findings from the inspection

The manager has addressed the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/06/2023 Full Good 13/12/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/09/2022 Full Inadequate Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 4

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that any required repairs or replacements of children’s bedroom furniture are made. 19 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

is instigated; or 9 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 5 concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)) 9 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS

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Inspector

Sarah Huntbatch, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: 2689544 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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