Children's home run by Cherish Children’s Care Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 1 Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care 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

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to two children. The home’s statement of purpose states that children living in this home may have a range of social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The previous manager left their role in January 2024. A new manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024. She is suitably experienced and working towards the relevant qualification.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection. The inspectors spoke with both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 3

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improvement to be good

The care and safety planning for children moving into the home is not always effective. For one child, known risks such as the use of ligatures, going missing from home and alcohol misuse have not been considered. This means that prior to moving into the home, an accurate analysis of the child’s known behaviour has not been carried out. Strategies have not been identified to support the child or to mitigate risks. Consequently, the other child living in the home has experienced some unsettling incidents and this has had an impact on their sense of security in their home.

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improvement to be good

Children do not always have up-to-date plans from their placing authorities, such as care plans and pathways plans. One child’s care plan has not been formally reviewed since they moved into the home. In addition, there is no evidence that requests for these plans have been escalated effectively with the placing authority.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are not always acted on. When children have discussed that they feel unhappy living in the home at house meetings or during direct work, there is no written evidence of this having been explored further with the child to reassure them or to resolve their concerns.

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improvement to be good

Children’s social workers and family members spoke positively about the care and support provided to children. Children told inspectors that they have developed some positive relationships with staff, with whom they can talk about any concerns. Individual staff members take the time to understand and learn about children’s identities. Children are encouraged to participate in fun activities with staff to help develop their relationships further.

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improvement to be good

Children are mostly in good health and their health needs are well monitored. When children have shown resistance to engaging in additional support related to substance misuse, smoking or their mental health, staff continue to pursue this with them to reinforce the importance of this external agency support on their well-being. Children also have access to an in-house therapist, who provides regular support and guidance for both children and the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to attend college and to find employment. Children are supported to develop their independence life skills to prepare them for adulthood. They have age- and risk-appropriate independence time to spend with their friends. Family time is arranged in line with children’s wishes and managed at their own pace.

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improvement to be good

The home has been redecorated and refurbished. It is more homely, comfortable and welcoming for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 4

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to follow appropriate safeguarding processes in the management of one allegation made by a child. Consequently, both the child and member of staff have been left at potential risk. In addition, the child has not been provided with an outcome related to their concerns. Leaders and managers did notify the relevant professionals during the inspection about the allegation. Other allegations have been managed appropriately and staff spoken to were clear about their roles and responsibilities relating to the whistle-blowing policy.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments do not always include up-to-date information or clear strategies for staff to follow to ensure that children are safeguarded and protected from harm. Risk assessments for suicidal ideation, self-injury, substance misuse and allegation management do not provide staff with full guidance about the individualised support that children require to keep them safe.

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improvement to be good

Fire drills are undertaken with children and new staff so that they know how to respond should there be an emergency. However, for some children and staff, fire drills have been undertaken a few weeks after they have moved into the home or commenced their employment. There should be minimum delay in fire drills being carried out.

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improvement to be good

Restraint is rarely used by staff and only as a last resort. Staff debriefs are used effectively to review what went well and to identify any changes that could be made to support children. The in-house therapist supports debriefs when required to offer additional reflection of the management of the incident. However, following an incident involving the children, mediation work has not yet been carried out.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from the home, staff demonstrate that they try to prevent the child from going missing and take action to return them safely. Staff seek prompt medical support for children when their emotional well-being is a concern or if they suspect they have misused any substances. Leaders and managers communicate regularly with safeguarding professionals, including the police, to explore children’s incidents of going missing from the home and any associated risks. The manager has adapted the location of the premises assessment to reflect areas of risk for children in the local community.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers ensure that any staff practice issues or concerns relating to professional boundaries are addressed in staff supervisions, team meetings or through disciplinary procedures. They make changes to structures and procedures when necessary to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been significant changes to the staff team since the last inspection. This has left the staff team depleted and it has at times impacted on the continuity of care for children. One child reported that having to get to know lots of new staff has made them Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 5 feel anxious. Leaders and managers have recruited new staff, and, in the interim, staff from other homes have covered gaps in the rota. The manager requires time to stabilise her new staff team, to build on their experience and to embed their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has failed to ensure that safeguarding records consistently include clear and organised chronologies to evidence the course of action that has been taken in response to an allegation made by a child. They have also failed to notify Ofsted about an allegation made by a child in relation to a staff members alleged conduct. These concerns were set as requirements at the last inspection. They have not been actioned and so they have both been restated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s review of the quality of care report does not always evidence feedback from children, staff, professionals and families about their experiences of the home or how this feedback has been used to improve the service. The independent visitor reports have improved. They evidence more frequent feedback from children and people involved in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is receptive to feedback. She demonstrates a willingness to learn and to develop her confidence in her role. She has made some effective improvements to the home, such as the use of incident packs and checklists to ensure that she has full oversight of all incidents. She has also worked to establish positive relationships with the neighbours, and there have been no complaints from the local community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are provided with regular practice-related supervision. The sessions are used to discuss children’s progress, safeguarding matters and staff’s professional development. Training needs for the team are monitored by the manager to ensure that staff’s knowledge is kept up to date and that they understand children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings have been used to feedback lessons learned from serious incidents. However, they would benefit from having a standing agenda to address specific areas at each meeting, such as safeguarding matters. The meeting minutes are not always clear or detailed, in order for staff to access who were not able to attend the meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that they follow appropriate safeguarding processes in their management of allegations.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that children’s risks assessments include up-to-date chronologies and strategies to minimise risks and to safeguard children. 29 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 7 Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children are provided with outcomes in response to any concerns or allegations they have raised.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that safeguarding records include clear and organised chronologies to evidence the course of action that has been taken in response to an allegation made by a child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that they stabilise their new staff team, build on their experience and embed their practice so that children are provided with continuity of care by the staff supporting them.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 29 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 8 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, asset out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, strategies to reduce risks associated with children’s known behaviours should be identified at initial care planning stages.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is restated. 29 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are always acted on. This includes written evidence of any concerns having been explored further with the child in house meetings or direct work. 29 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 9 The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that they effectively escalate concerns to social workers when key documents are not available. 29 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b) (5)) 29 November 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home must complies with relevant health and safety legislations. Specifically, there should be minimum delay in fire drills being carried out when children move into the home and new staff start their employment in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2732651 10

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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: Unit 8a, Skyways Commercial Campus, Amy Johnson Way, Blackpool FY4 3RS

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Inspectors

Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Michelle Snape, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2732651 11 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 children who are looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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