Children's Home run by Choices Home for Children Limited in Stockport

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 1 Registered provider: Choice Home for Children Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager’s post is vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of inspection, three children were living in the home. They spoke with the inspectors about their experiences of living there.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspectors evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Leadership and management arrangements in the home are not adequate.  The registered manager’s post is vacant. Interim arrangements do not ensure that there is effective oversight of staff practice or of the care provided to children.  Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that suitable staffing arrangements are in place to provide consistent care to children.  Leaders and managers have failed to implement robust risk management processes and have not responded appropriately to known risks to ensure that children are adequately safeguarded.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. This has negatively impacted on the quality of relationships between staff and children and on the quality of care provided to children. There is a lack of loving, warm and nurturing care. Children do not feel listened to, respected or valued. Consequently, children’s experiences of living in the home are poor.

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Findings from the inspection

There are shortfalls in the leadership and management of the home. There has not been a permanent manager in post for some time. Staff and children were unclear about what management arrangements were in place. One child said that they are not introduced to new staff or prepared before children move into the home.

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Findings from the inspection

One child has been living in the home for over two years and has achieved a sense of belonging. However, the child does not have a sense of stability. Since the last inspection, three children have moved out of the home and one child has moved in. Managers did not obtain the information needed before moving children into the home and neither did they consider the impact on the children already living there. One child’s move was planned. However, two children were moved abruptly due to staff not being able to meet their needs. This resulted in the children having a negative experience of moving out of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s bedrooms are well furnished and personalised. However, some areas of the home appear unclean and flooring in communal areas is in need of replacement or repair. In addition, loose blind cords on window fittings in a conservatory pose a hazard to some children.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff responses to children’s behaviour are inconsistent. Children say that they feel unclear about some rules and boundaries. Staff do not always challenge children appropriately or help them to understand and manage their behaviours safely. For example, one child openly uses a vape in the home. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 3 Staff have not always understood the underlying causes of children’s behaviour or supported them effectively during incidents. Incident records lack detail, reflection and management oversight. Serious incidents are not always reported to Ofsted, which limits the regulator’s oversight of the home.

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Findings from the inspection

When children go missing from home, staff take appropriate action. This ensures that children are safe. On their return, children receive return home interviews from an independent person. The independent person said that staff’s communication and engagement with their service was good.

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Findings from the inspection

An older child in the home is being helped to learn and develop skills for independence.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s risk and behaviour management plans are updated regularly and identify most of the children’s risks. Relevant guidance is provided within the plans to help staff minimise risks and provide the appropriate support to children. One social worker said that the team is ‘doing all they can’ to support a child who goes missing from home regularly, and described communication with the team as effective.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff receive supervision sessions and attend team meetings. However, neither are provided regularly or consistently. This limits staff’s opportunity to reflect on and improve their practice for the benefit of children.

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Findings from the inspection

There is a vacant manager position. The responsible individual is being supported by two area managers to provide some leadership. Action has been taken to recruit a new manager.

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Findings from the inspection

Management monitoring and oversight is not consistent across all areas. A review of the quality of care report has not been completed or shared with Ofsted since 2023. This was raised at the previous inspection and has not been addressed. The lack of oversight means that opportunities for the leadership team to make continuous improvements are missed.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have not met all the requirements from the last inspection and a number of these have been restated. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 19/06/2024 Full Inadequate 21/11/2023 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; and

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a) (2)(a)(i)(v)(viii)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should:

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff spend time with children and develop meaningful relationships with them, and that these relationships are based on mutual respect and trust.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff provide children with nurturing, loving and respectful care that meets their emotional needs. 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 6 Ensure that children’s views, wishes and feelings are considered and that staff communicate clear expectations to each child about their behaviour.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that when decisions are made regarding children’s day-to-day care, this is explained to children and that this is accurately recorded.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff are provided with supervision sessions and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions presented by children, and to help children do the same.

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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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

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;

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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)(a)(b) (2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that leaders and managers have oversight of all work undertaken in the home. This includes reviewing and evaluating all incident’s and key-work sessions to identify any learning and to support and develop practice in the home. 27 April 2025

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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— 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iv)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that staff help children manage relationships safely and prevent children from vaping in the home. In addition, that the home does not present any hazards to children and is maintained to a high standard.

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Requirement Due date

This was a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

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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

develop positive relationships with them;

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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. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 27 April 2025

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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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 27 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees— 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 8 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (3)(a) (4)(i)) 27 April 2025

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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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 27 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Choice Home for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 31 Wellington Road, Nantwich, Cheshire CW5 7ED

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Inspectors

Zillah Brooks, Social Care Inspector Caroline Bertram, Regulatory Inspection Manager Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2724171 10 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 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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Inspectors

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