Children's home run by Cherry Trees Care Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 1 Registered provider: Cherry Trees Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home registered with Ofsted in April 2022 and is privately owned. It provides care for up to three children who may have experienced childhood trauma and have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2024 Full Outstanding 01/11/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Two children have lived at the home for over two years, and one child has recently moved in. The inspector spoke with all three children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is spacious, with comfortable rooms and a large, well-kept garden. Children’s bedrooms are highly personalised. Staff help children to choose their wallpaper, paint and furnishings before they move in. This helps children to feel welcome and settle in. There is a positive homely atmosphere. One professional said that they love spending time at the home because of its open and warm staff. The interactions between staff and children are nurturing, positive and calm.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported by staff who are highly committed to helping them to achieve their best outcomes. An independent reviewing officer described staff as offering ‘unconditional support’. A parent described the staff as ‘impeccable’ and said they do everything they can and more. This helps make children feel loved and wanted.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children all make significant progress, and one child has made excellent progress. Children achieve well in school. They express and cope with their emotions in a healthier way. Another child has made incredible progress and has overcome several difficulties. Staff have remained consistent in their support.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise and value the relationships children have with their families. From the beginning, they work hard to create positive relationships with parents. A parent said they have a close relationship with the staff and that they come to decisions together. When appropriate, parents are involved in meetings and planning. This provides further stability and consistency. Children spend quality time with their brothers and sisters and create fond memories, such as going to concerts and on trips.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have accomplished many new achievements. One child became the captain of a football team, while others enjoy fishing and kayaking. They raise money for charity events and attend the school prom. Children enjoy a wide range of activities and holidays that provide positive childhood memories. Photos and memory books capture these experiences. Children go abroad on holidays, enjoy special trips with family, have sleepovers, and go to music concerts and festivals. These experiences help children to build esteem and confidence, as taking part in activities is a huge personal achievement.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made positive friendships and successfully manage independent time. These achievements are exceptional when considering children’s starting points. The staff are incredibly proud of them. Children have extremely positive, trusting relationships with staff, managers and the responsible individual. One child said, ‘This is a lovely, nice home.’ Another child has recognised their individual progress since living at this home. Children appear relaxed and comfortable. They enjoy having conversations Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 4 and humour with staff. Based on these strong relationships, the children go to staff for help and advice when required.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make substantial progress with their physical and emotional health needs. For one child, this has meant regular therapy. Staff meet with the therapist and involve them in making safety plans for the child. One child has made significant progress in meeting their physical health needs.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children think about their future aspirations and believe that they can achieve highly. One child is thinking ahead to having driving lessons and would like to be a mechanic. The child has work experience at a local garage. One child has been helped to apply and successfully gain employment. These significant achievements develop children’s life skills.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to develop their independence skills and prepare for adulthood. Children learn skills in budgeting, cooking meals, self-care and learning how to maintain a home in readiness for becoming an adult.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children to experience positive endings and moves from the home. Managers challenge the local authority if they have concerns about children’s future plans. When children move into the home, there is careful planning so that the experience is as positive for them as possible. Managers seek to fully understand children’s needs and experiences before they move in by speaking with the right professionals. However, when staff are assessing the needs of all the children, they could be clearer about group dynamics, identifying potential harm, and how these risks can be minimised.

p.4

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

The staff understand risk, and risk management plans are comprehensive. The manager is exceptionally good at communicating and using professionals to regularly review and adapt plans according to children’s changing risks. Professionals said that communication from the managers is a consistent strength. Parents and children are involved. This shows children that the adults involved can work together to respond to help keep them safe.

p.4

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

Staff are proactive when one child goes missing from the home. This includes having clear, individualised missing-from-home procedures. Staff follow children and search for them until they return. The staff seek to understand any harm they may have come to. There is a positive working relationship between staff and the missing-person coordinator.

p.4

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

Sometimes, children use self-harm when they feel distress. One child receives consistent, well-coordinated help from all professionals to develop positive coping strategies. This includes specialist services that share resources and develop safety plans. A child said that they receive help when they need it, and a parent agreed. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 5 Children know how to make complaints and can name a member of staff to talk to if they are unhappy about something. Staff have meaningful conversations to help children to think about their safety. There are examples of positive risk-taking and children being helped to have time away from the home with friends without adult supervision.

p.4

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

When necessary, staff members are proactive in sourcing specialist help. An example of this is their response to substance misuse. Staff help children to understand the risks associated with such behaviour and review their approach and strategies in team meetings. They ensure that plans are followed when a child has been under the influence of alcohol.

p.5

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

Staff have never used physical intervention with children. They use their established relationships to help children at times of distress. There has only been one occasion when they needed additional assistance from police. Following this, they reflected and revisited their de-escalation techniques to prevent it from happening again.

p.5

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

There has been one occasion when there was a delay in notifying Ofsted about a serious incident. Reporting serious incidents at the earliest time allows for external oversight.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The children living at this home benefit from an established senior leadership team. They have exceptional relationships with the team and benefit from this consistency. Children like living at the home. They receive care that is predictable and from staff who they know and trust. This has led to children making sustained progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is qualified, highly experienced and dedicated to achieving the best outcomes and experiences for children. She is highly organised and excellent at communicating. Recently, she has been promoted, and the dedicated deputy manager has applied to Ofsted to become the registered manager. Leaders and managers have carefully planned the changes to support continuity for the children and staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are strong recruitment systems in place. Managers value children’s views and involve them in decision-making. For example, they are involved in creating interview questions and interviewing new members of staff. This shows children that their views are important, and they are valued. Agency staff are not used, which contributes further to consistency.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers reflect regularly on ways of working. They evaluate incidents and children’s progress. The responsible individual is involved in reviewing children’s care and is highly motivated to continue to develop and improve children’s experiences.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said that they are well supported and experience regular supervision sessions and team meetings. One member of staff said that team meetings cover many discussions and are like ‘little training sessions’. There are high expectations of the staff. The manager is an excellent role model. She spends quality time with children. At the Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 6 inspection, she prioritised visiting a child in their new place of employment. She spends meaningful time with children, including taking them on trips and holidays.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home currently provides care for three children. However, after supporting one child's transition to independence and adulthood, the home will resume caring for two children. There is a strong emphasis on commitment to child-centred practice. Staff know their areas of strength and areas for development and have a clear vision in helping children reach their potential and prepare for the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 7

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious incidents are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. In particular, ensure that assessments fully explore potential risks in the group and make plans to address them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

p.7

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: 2676061 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherry Trees Care Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: C/o DPC Stone House, 55 Stone Road Business Park, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 6SR

p.8

Inspector

Carrie Twinn, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2676061 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9