Children's Home run by Chances CCFSS Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 1 SC016697 Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides therapeutic care for up to four children who have experienced childhood trauma and display social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2001.

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Information about this children’s home

Staff are referred to as carers throughout this report, which is consistent with the home’s ethos.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Outstanding 10/01/2023 Full Outstanding 03/08/2021 Full Outstanding 16/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child was present during the inspection. The inspector saw the child and spent time speaking with him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has been living in the home for approximately five years and receives excellent care. The home offers the child stability and consistency. As a result, he has developed positive and trusting bonds with carers and refers to them as his ‘care family’. The carers’ interactions with the child are warm, affectionate and nurturing. The child has developed a strong sense of belonging because carers show him an abundance of love and unwavering commitment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Carers have supported the child in making remarkable progress across various aspects of his life. For example, the child is more confident in his identity, has established friendships, and shows increasing emotional resilience. Carers seek to amplify the child’s voice by involving him in his care planning and encouraging him to attend meetings relevant to his life and well-being. They remind the child of his rights and support him to advocate for himself.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Carers champion the child’s interests, which has resulted in positive outcomes. For example, the child has a passion for wildlife, and he has become a skilled photographer. He attends air cadets and police cadets, which has boosted his social skills and helped him become more disciplined. The child is developing career goals, and carers are helping him understand how to achieve them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Carers are incredibly ambitious for the child. They have supported him in learning how to read, which has become a passion for the child. Staff at the child’s school said that he has been ‘devouring books’, and they described his reading progress as ‘phenomenal’. The child has developed a love of poetry and has started writing poems to express his feelings. Carers and school staff have noticed that the child’s language, phonics and spelling have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Carers support the child in spending time with his family, former foster carers, and friends. They understand the importance of helping the child to maintain and strengthen his relationships, as well as broadening his social circle. The registered manager is mindful of the risks that some of these relationships present and works closely with the child and social worker to ensure his emotional and physical safety.

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

Carers have an expansive understanding of the child’s needs, which means they can anticipate behaviour and proactively intervene to minimise distress. Carers adopt a calm and empathetic stance and encourage the child to talk about his feelings. The child has Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 4 learned from this, so behaviour-related incidents and physical interventions are rare. Carers update the child’s social worker after incidents so that she can check in with him.

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

Carers have honest, meaningful and empowering conversations with the child about his life experiences. They acknowledge his feelings, provide praise and, when appropriate, offer alternative viewpoints. They help the child to navigate emotional challenges, which gives him the confidence to make decisions. Carers skilfully educate the child about recognising risks, how to seek help, and the importance of healthy boundaries.

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

The registered manager ensures that any concerns made by the child are handled sensitively and with compassion. Her response to a serious safeguarding concern was robust and effective. This meant that the child accessed the right support, at the right time, and with people he was familiar with. The registered manager challenges professionals when their response falls short of their safeguarding duties towards the child and other children.

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

The registered manager makes good efforts to ensure that adults who spend time with the child are safe people. For example, when the child wishes to spend time at a friend’s home, she met their parents and carries out a home visit. The home manager complies with safer recruitment procedures when employing new carers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an enthusiastic individual whose values and ethos are embedded in the home. She has high expectations of carers and helps them strengthen their practice through training, supervision, and working alongside them. She keeps the child’s well-being at the core of decision-making and will not accept anything less from external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and home manager are both strong advocates for the child. By modelling this attitude, the child has learned that it is acceptable to voice concerns. Their daily presence in the home means that they have an in-depth understanding of the child’s needs and help him to make sustained progress while working towards new goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a social worker and psychotherapist. She has skilfully helped the child to process traumatic experiences at his pace. This has allowed the child to become open to new ways of thinking and to bravely explore opportunities he would have previously feared. Helping children to resolve trauma and to live happy and healthy lives underpins the exceptional practice in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a highly influential and respected professional. She consistently strives to enhance the knowledge of external professionals. For example, she helps air cadet leaders to enhance their understanding of neurodiversity. Additionally, she commissions a specialist to work with her and the local authority to prepare for the child’s future. She actively engages in research with established charities and psychotherapy networks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 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: SC016697 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Fairview Court, 119 to 127 Fairview Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 2EX

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Inspector

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC016697 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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