Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Tameside

Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider runs this home. It provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose highlights that the staff are trained to apply a specific model of care.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is currently pursuing registration with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 17 October 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following an assurance inspection on 13 February 2024, Ofsted imposed an urgent condition to vary the home’s conditions of registration to reduce the number of children living in the home from four to two. Furthermore, compliance notices were issued under Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 2 regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

We carried out a monitoring visit on 12 March 2024 and was provided assurances that the provider had met both compliance notices. Since this time, the home has varied its conditions of registration to provide care for up to three children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 28/06/2023 Full Inadequate 21/02/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s care has vastly improved since the organisation made wholesale changes across managerial positions. The organisation has appointed experienced practitioners to the roles of deputy manager, the manager and responsible individual. In doing so, the children have since experienced assured and consistent care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager drives staff to be curious and explorative around meeting the children’s cultural, dietary and linguistic needs. This approach to care has given the children a sense of belonging, comfort and familiarity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s access to education is now well planned. One child is proud of their academic progress following a significant period of there being little or no engagement. This child has a renewed sense of hope and more aspirational goals to pursue for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to visit family members who are important to the child. When there are barriers around children having access to important family members, the manager gives respectful challenge to the child’s local authority. When doing so, the manager gives rationale to the child’s social worker to aid the local authority’s decision- making.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work collaboratively with the home’s allocated therapist. This contributes to the staff developing a deeper understanding of the children’s needs. As a result, the staff are better placed to forge meaningful and trusting relationships with the children. One child spoke lovingly about the relationships that they had with the staff. This sentiment was confirmed by a professional who is involved in that child’s life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is greater evaluation and planning around children moving to the home. This gives the children a better chance of succeeding in their new home. However, since the last inspection, three children have moved on from the home prematurely. On one occasion, the organisation gave immediate notice to a child’s local authority. The organisation has since taken credible steps to lessen the likelihood of children prematurely moving on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children to read and contribute to their plans concerning the children’s care and future goals. However, staff use jargon and depersonalise aspects of the children’s experience in the children’s written records. Consequently, some of the children’s written records are not relatable for the children to better understand. Additionally, if read back by the children in later years, their written records may result in the children having a conflicted understanding of what their care looked and felt like.

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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 5 There is a strong focus for the children to lead healthier lifestyles. One child spoke proudly of the support that they have received from staff to move on from substance misuse and vaping. Staff encourage and inspire the children to partake in physical pursuits. Additionally, the manager is aware and confident to respectfully challenge health professionals to review the children’s prescribed medication and seek natural methods to promote positive mental health.

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

The staff support children to incrementally develop their ability to responsibly manage their mobile phones. This is a gradual process that educates and better prepares the children to manage the online world and social media platforms. The boundaries around mobile phone use also support the children to enjoy undisturbed sleep patterns.

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

Staff are creative in terms of helping the children to better understand how to overcome undesirable behaviours. There is an educative approach to this. Additionally, the staff better understand their role and how to portray effectively as role models to the children.

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

The children’s risk assessments clearly highlight the known risks associated with the children’s behaviours. This increases staff’s confidence around supporting the children in difficult times. Furthermore, it strengthens accountability as the manager is clear in the guidance that they give staff.

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

Staff clearly record incidents that involve physical interventions with children. This strengthens the transparency and accountability around incidents that carry more risk. Safeguarding the children’s welfare is a fundamental driver in staff making the decision when and when not to physically intervene.

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

There is effective collaborative partnership working with the police. Additionally, the manager makes good efforts to create opportunities for the children to better understand the police’s role. However, valuable information is missing from the agreed local protocol document that staff share with the police when staff report children as being missing from the home. This could create delay to the police’s response.

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

Although the self-closure systems fitted to the children’s bedroom doors are compliant with fire regulations, they are weight bearing. Known risks associated with some children have not been effectively mitigated by fitting compliant alternatives that are not weight bearing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has taken proactive steps to establish much-needed stability, leadership and oversight of the home and the children’s care. The organisation has a plan to maintain stability in this area for the benefit of children and the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 6 The manager invests in the development of the staff. They immediately arrange an introductory supervision once new staff begin to work in the home. This means that the manager can quickly reinforce and apply staff’s learning from their corporate induction into the home. In doing so, inexperienced staff confidently embark on their new role in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a substantive understanding of the children’s backgrounds, circumstances and needs. In particular, the manager has a good understanding of the legal processes involved in childcare proceedings. For children that experience this emotive and uncertain process, the manager ensures that these children have the necessary emotional and practical support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation has revised the training offer to staff. The revised programme has seen a significant reduction in online training and an increase in face-to-face training. Staff said that training is dynamic and inclusive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers support new staff to better understand the concept of therapeutic parenting. The revitalised staff induction programme better equips staff to learn the skills and knowledge associated with residential childcare. New staff undertaking their induction present as being confident and knowledgeable in their role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The organisation meets its legal obligations around supporting staff with additional needs. In doing so, staff can undertake their roles confidently as they have access to the necessary aids and adaptations. Additionally, staff have access to a range of healthcare support. Cumulatively, these steps are inclusive, make staff feel valued and the provider is more likely to retain their services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good consultation to seek children’s views and feedback from significant others concerned with the children’s care. However, there has consistently been no endeavour from the manager to seek to provide input into the regulator’s annual survey. This oversight undermines the organisation’s efforts to run a transparent service. Additionally, it undermines the regulator’s ability to act if concerns are raised via the regulator’s annual survey. Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should create a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. In particular, given the known risks, consider fire door closing systems that are not weight bearing. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should work in partnership with relevant people as appropriate to ensure that each child is provided with support (appropriate to their age and understanding) to communicate their views, wishes and feelings and participate as fully as possible in all aspects of their care planning and daily care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph

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Recommendations

4.6)  The registered person should ensure that the home’s procedures take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing person’s incidents in the area where the home is located. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.29)  The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. In particular, the registered person should glean learning from when children’s placements are ended prematurely. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-

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Recommendations

party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2519592 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, 3 Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspector

Steve Guirey, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2519592 9 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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