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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 1 Registered provider: Cherish Children’s Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is newly registered and run by a private company. 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

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024 and is suitably qualified.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are well cared for and looked after. Professionals speak positively about the manager and his team and say that the children have settled well. Children progress, and staff are creative in ways to help children to settle. Children who move into the home do so gradually. Careful consideration is given to how a new child will fit in. Compatibility assessments are carried out to ensure that the children are suitable to live together and staff can meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education has been an ongoing struggle for all the children in the home. Staff are aspirational for them. Despite difficulties in attending formal education, children are encouraged to push themselves out of their comfort zones and engage in activities that are of interest to them through tutoring and alternative provisions. Staff want the children to succeed and think outside of the box to achieve this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are being met and improve over time. Staff are supported by the in-house therapist, who offers guidance and support. Two children are on prescribed controlled medication, and this is stored securely and administered appropriately. A child was observed being given medication, which was overseen by two staff members and recorded accurately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children feel safe and say that they are listened to. Key-work sessions indicate that they willingly talk with staff and discuss any issues that are important to them. One child has had 16 placements before coming to this home. The child said that she is happy, the staff understand her, and it is her forever home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home promotes positive relationships for the children. Time with family and friends is supported in line with agreed plans, and this helps develop relationships and positive memories. Any concerns about these arrangements are shared with partner agencies to ensure that the child’s welfare is paramount.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. When they do, they experience a well- coordinated response. Staff use their relationships with the children to support them in making positive decisions, and managers work with professionals and their families to reduce these risks. All staff are trained in the missing-from-home procedure and know how to respond appropriately, and in time, to reduce the risk.

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

Staff are proactive in supporting children when they feel overwhelmed by their feelings. They ensure that children receive suitable support in response to all episodes of self- harm, and each response is individual to the child and the situation. Children are encouraged to learn from incidents when things do not go to plan, and they are helped with how to deal with things differently in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 3 Staff are recruited safely, and processes are in place to ensure that the right staff are employed to keep the children safe. The manager and the provider are confident that the staff are suitable to work with children. Agency staff are not used in this home.

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

Staff focus on promoting children’s positive behaviours. Children are rarely restrained and only held when necessary to protect themselves or those around them. Methods used are proportionate and only last as long as necessary. Staff are highly trained, and all incidents are recorded, reviewed and monitored by the manager. The views of the child, dependent on their age and understanding, are sought afterwards and are documented.

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

Staff carry out room searches; however, these are not always carried out in a timely manner. On one occasion, a child was not challenged about potential cannabis use. This is a missed opportunity to educate the children on substance misuse.

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

The home has clear risk management plans in place and staff safeguard children effectively. Any allegations or risks are clearly documented in care plans, and all staff are aware of how to deal with any risks associated with each child. Staff have a clear understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities of the children in the home and how to manage and support them. Staff can respond appropriately and swiftly to emerging concerns, and the manager has clear oversight of the safeguarding incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is new in post, and this is his first position as a registered manager. He is child centred and nurturing and has high aspirations for the children and the staff. The manager knows the children well and leads the staff in supporting the children’s progress and overall well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team, which offers consistency for the children. Staff say they enjoy working in the home and feel supported by the manager. External professionals who visit the home say that the manager is receptive to them and is familiar with the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular, practice-related supervision. This gives them an opportunity to reflect on their practice and receive additional support if required. Staff receive inspiring, yet adaptable, support to be able to deliver care to the children, and the staff say they feel valued and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that team meetings take place regularly. This gives staff an opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge and learn from any incidents or good practice that have occurred over the previous month. The manager regularly challenges staff about their knowledge, which allows him to develop the quality of care provided. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 4 The manager consistently monitors the quality of care provided to the children. He has established effective systems to maintain oversight of the home, which allows him to identify strengths and weaknesses. The manager has a hands-on approach and leads by example. He has a strong working relationship with all his team, and staff say how much they enjoy working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work effectively with professionals and carers to support children to make progress. They are focused on achieving positive outcomes for children. Partner agencies are consistently positive about the home. One social worker commented on the exceptional progress a child has made in their short time in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an in-depth training programme for all staff, and it is completed in a timely manner. All staff are up to date with the home’s mandatory training. They have also received specialised training to meet the specific additional needs of the children in the home and have the necessary skills to care for the children well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 5

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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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, when cannabis is suspected to be present in a child’s bedroom, room searches must be carried out immediately and not delayed, allowing the child the opportunity to leave the home and dispose of such illegal substances. 30 November 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 30 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 6 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

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (4)(b) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, when police are called to the home regarding the behaviour of the children, regardless of who notified the police, Ofsted must be informed.

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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: 2776999 7

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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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Inspector

Nicola Jeffery, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2776999 8 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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