Children's home run by Changing Lives Care Group Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 1 Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group 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 home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home. At the time of this inspection, no children were living in 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: 6 November 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A compliance notice was sent under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. This was judged to have been met during a monitoring visit on 10 December 2024. This report has been published on the Ofsted website. Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and well maintained throughout. Children’s bedrooms are decorated neutrally with the purpose of allowing them to choose their own decor. The manager is keen to add personal touches to the home but is waiting for a new child to move in so they can influence this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A child has recently moved to a new home that is closer to their birth family. The move was well considered and thoughtfully planned. Introductory visits took place and the child’s wishes and views were carefully considered throughout the process. Feedback from the child’s new home has been positive, highlighting that staff played a key role in sharing important information, particularly around risks, which supported the successful move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During their time in the home, the child only had access to online education. The manager acknowledges the limitations of this and the negative impact it had on the child’s routine and the child feeling isolated. Staff supported the child to have structure in their day through encouraging independence skills. This included supporting the child in activities, such as food shopping, meal preparation and cleaning their room.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child developed positive relationships with some staff members. They participated in activities of their choice, and this supported positive engagement, which also included some important and meaningful discussions. In instances where relationships with staff became challenging, the child was supported through reconciliation efforts.

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

A child was subject to court-directed restriction of their movement. The child was at high risk of child criminal exploitation and serious offending behaviour. Significant improvements were made to ensure that the child’s risks were clearly reflected in their care plan and risk management plans. These updates supported staff in understanding the significance of the risks and informed their approach to managing challenging behaviours effectively.

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

The manager took action to reduce the level of risk for the child. Staffing levels were increased at night to ensure full oversight of all nighttime activity in the home. This provided the child with a greater sense of security, knowing that staff remained vigilant and were attentive to their actions during the night. Previous concerns, such as cooking at night and ordering late-night takeaways, were no longer an ongoing issue.

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

The child occasionally went missing from the home. This was typically for short periods, during which they would stop responding to welfare checks while spending free time in the community. Staff followed the missing-from-care protocol, ensuring that these incidents were reported to the police. There was strong management oversight, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 4 staff debriefs were conducted to confirm that appropriate actions were taken to ensure the child’s safe return to the home.

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

There were significant concerns regarding risk associated with the child’s use of devices and the internet. To address this, a new internet security device was installed in the home to assist in monitoring online activity. Unfortunately, staff did not have the support of the child’s wider network, which contributed to ongoing issues with the child attempting to override the security measures. Despite this, staff were honest and transparent with the child about their concerns, leading to some discussion about online safety and ensuring that a device agreement was in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate and committed to her role. She is enthusiastic about how she can develop the service. She sets high expectations for staff, who feel confident in her leadership. Her dedication is evident in the swift and effective actions taken to address the shortfalls identified in the last inspection, reflecting her proactive approach to improving the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported and enjoy working at the home. They have shown determination and dedication to improving the levels of care. Through engaging in supervision and reflective practice, staff have shared their learning and the positive impact this has had on driving improvements in the home. To further support staff development, the manager has implemented learning cycles to encourage staff to challenge their knowledge of caring for children and identify any gaps that need to be addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are productive and purposeful. The manager has introduced workshops on key topics, focusing on exploring theories and underpinning research. This encourages a culture of learning and reflection. This whole-team approach has supported staff to work in a connected and consistent manner, enhancing the overall effectiveness of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The induction process for new staff is comprehensive, ensuring that they are well prepared for their roles. Staff have access to a broad range of training opportunities, equipping them to meet the needs of the children coming into their care. In response to shortfalls identified during the last inspection, staff undertook training that was tailored to the specific needs of the child living in the home. This has enabled staff to adopt a more therapeutic approach, enhancing their ability to provide effective support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are current vacancies in the staff team. The manager is actively recruiting, but prioritising that the right staff are employed to ensure that the recent improvements are maintained. The manager has stated that children will not move into the home until the staff team is established. Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 5

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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: 2787278 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 7, 35-37 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JN

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Inspector

Kayleigh Spinks, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2787278 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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