Children's home run by Chillington Close Ltd

Inspection report children's home: 2605829 1 Registered provider: Chillington Close Ltd

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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 home is owned by a private company. The home provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children were present during the inspection and one spoke to the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022 and is suitably qualified and experienced. The manager is also registered to manage another children’s home in the company.

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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: 12 December 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2605829 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 15/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2605829 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive high-quality consistent care from staff who follow the home’s model of care. Children make good progress and receive care, which is in line with their individual needs, age and understanding. Children say that they struggle with the stigma of being a looked-after child in the care system. Staff are empathetic and sensitive in their approach, offering children understanding and respecting their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff speak warmly about the children and are committed to providing them with help and support so that they can achieve their full potential. Staff share ideas to identify solutions to support children who experience difficulties. Staff are supported by clinical consultations for guidance on applying therapeutic care to their practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. They are registered with local health services and attend their routine appointments. Staff work closely with the in-house clinical psychotherapist, who supports them to understand children’s individual needs. As a result, children’s physical and emotional needs are met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to use their voices. They are given the opportunity to contribute to decisions in the home and to their care planning. This enables children to understand that their views, wishes and feelings are important and what they want matters.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to maintain relationships in a safe way with people who are important to them. The manager and staff work proactively with the children’s social worker to make sure children spend positive time with their loved ones. This supports children to maintain a sense of their identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Feedback from parents and professionals is positive and highlights the effectiveness of the support children receive from staff. This positive feedback reinforces staff’s commitment to meeting children’s needs and ensuring children feel heard and supported. The positive comments from the professional network confirm that the quality of care provided is effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a welcoming, warm and nurturing home environment. Certificates, trophies and photographs are displayed. Children are given the opportunity to decorate their rooms so that they have a sense of individuality. The garden path to the front door is uneven and unsafe. Children and staff are having to use a back entrance to access the home. This has been raised with the local authority, but repair work is still to be carried out.

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

Children are safe and the home is a safe place for children to live. There have been very few safeguarding incidents in the home since the last inspection, but when safeguarding Inspection report children's home: 2605829 4 concerns have arisen, they are acted on without delay. The manager and staff manage incidents appropriately and follow the correct safeguarding procedures to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

Staff are aware of their expectations when children go missing from the home. Staff follow missing protocols and risk assessments. They report to and liaise with professionals to support children’s safety. When children do not return to the home but their location is known, staff continue to carry out their caring responsibilities by conducting welfare checks and staying in touch with children. Detailed and comprehensive records are kept of events. This robust approach means that patterns and trends can be identified to minimise risk.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and presenting behaviours. Children’s plans are regularly updated following significant incidents and risk assessments include all known risks. Staff are supported through regular discussions about events in the home. Risk assessments supported by open dialogue enable the staff to work together collaboratively to best support children.

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

Children build trusting relationships with staff, which helps children to feel safe. Staff respond consistently to children’s behaviour. This means that children understand the rules and boundaries that are in place to keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated to ensuring that children receive good care. She knows the children well and is child-centred in her approach. The manager works hard to build trusting relationships with the children, which gives them a sense of security and belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote a continuity of care for children. The home is staffed by a stable and consistent staff team. One member of staff said ‘having a settled core staff team has helped the children build very positive relationships with the staff. This makes the children feel comfortable enough to come to staff about anything and everything’. Staff said they felt very supported by the manager, who is easy to approach. Staff say team morale is high and there is genuine care for children. This culture promotes healthy working relationships, and as a result, children have progressed well and benefit from a caring staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of training. For example, they are appropriately trained in the chosen therapeutic model, meaning care is delivered in line with the statement of purpose. In addition, staff complete training relevant to the children’s specific needs, to ensure that they can meet their needs effectively. The manager secures training from various sources, involving online and in-person training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use effective monitoring systems. They understand the home’s strengths and areas for development and act to continually review and develop the quality of care provided to children Inspection report children's home: 2605829 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and environment immediately surrounding the home, such as the paths leading to the home. The manager should ensure there are strategies for managing these risks and escalate concerns with authorities when they have not been resolved. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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 children's home: 2605829 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chillington Close Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Heritage Park, Hayes Way, Cannock, WS11 7LT

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Inspector

Tonia Dubidat, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2605829 7 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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