Children's home run by Channels and Choices Limited in Dover

Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 1 SC434517 Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There were four children living at the home at the time of inspection, and one child had recently moved on.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation that operates several registered children’s homes.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2024.

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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 outstanding

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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: 23 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 07/03/2022 Full Outstanding 09/07/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The house is well presented. It is well maintained and decorated to a good standard with a homely feel and look. The children’s bedrooms reflect their individual identities and interests well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have many opportunities to express their views, wishes and feelings. Their views are welcomed and valued. Staff communicate clear responses, both to individual children’s and group feedback. They share written and visual updates about the actions taken in response. One child said, ‘If you’re worried or unhappy, tell the staff, and they will do something about it. They listen and change stuff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff demonstrate a thorough understanding of each child’s background and current needs. Through establishing strong connections and relationships with the children, they have developed effective strategies to help the children manage their emotions when they feel upset or distressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending time with their family members and people they are close to. The staff actively promote and enhance family time, making it a positive experience for both the children and their families. A key strength of this home is the staff’s ability to successfully support and advocate for children to spend time with their families, even in challenging situations. One family member said, ‘I feel the care. They (the staff) always accommodate our plans and do all they can to help us have time together.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is very well supported. The manager and staff maintain close liaison with school staff to ensure that the children receive the support they need. Managers advocate for the children to continue to be able to attend the most suitable school for them. Consequently, several children are accessing education after significant periods of being out of school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff recognise the importance of good planning when considering a new child moving into the home. Managers carefully consider the needs of all the children, including how the current children may feel about the change, and they document these clearly. All children are well prepared for these changes before they occur. If a new child needs to move in at short notice, arrangements are made to ensure they receive a warm welcome and the support necessary for them to settle in quickly.

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

Children feel safe and are safer as a result of the care they receive. The children can identify staff they can go to if they are worried or upset, and they readily approach them with their worries or concerns. Staff are attuned to the children’s emotional well-being and support them well if they are becoming upset or angry. One family member said, ‘They (the child) are kept safe and are the happiest I have seen them.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 4 The manager and staff are committed to keeping children safe and ensuring their well- being. They reflect on the reasons behind children’s behaviours and continuously monitor them to better understand each child. This helps inform changes in approach and improve outcomes for the children. Staff maintain close collaboration with partner agencies and report and address any concerns quickly. Staff receive high-quality training in all areas of safeguarding. Their knowledge is regularly updated through refresher

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

training, discussions during therapeutic thinking meetings and supervision sessions. As a result, staff demonstrate appropriate professional curiosity and consistently act to ensure children remain safe.

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

The manager ensures that children’s concerns or allegations are thoroughly investigated and managed appropriately. Information is promptly shared with relevant partner agencies, including the local authority designated officer for safeguarding. When there are areas of concern, managers proactively implement appropriate actions and support. There is clear evidence of the decisions made, and feedback, along with discussions with the children, is handled sensitively and consistently by staff. This approach ensures that children feel heard and reassured, receiving consistent support and messages from the staff.

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

The recording and management of incidents are effective, providing valuable insights for learning and ongoing support for the child. Incident reports are thorough, allowing for a clear understanding of the follow-up actions taken by staff. When managerial oversight identifies any gaps, managers ensure staff updates are completed. In some cases, the responsible individual conducts additional monitoring to ensure all aspects are addressed.

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

The high-quality support provided by the staff enables the children to better understand and manage various risks, including those related to the internet, bullying and vaping. The staff support the children in developing the skills needed to build positive personal relationships. Children rarely go missing from the home, marking a significant improvement for some children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a leader who is dedicated to providing children with top-quality care. She has developed a culture of high aspirations and positivity, inspiring the same values in her staff team. The manager ensures that a child-centred approach is integrated into the staff’s practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has comprehensive oversight of the home through effective monitoring systems. Records clearly document children’s engagement, experiences and achievements. Care planning is consistently kept up to date. As a result, a high standard of support is maintained that encourages children to make steady progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 5 The manager places a strong emphasis on the well-being of the staff. Consequently, they feel exceptionally well supported. To ensure this support, the manager provides comprehensive professional development through regular team meetings, therapeutic thinking time and training tailored to meet the children’s needs. Individual supervision is offered, which is both reflective and engaging. This comprehensive support system helps develop the staff’s expertise, ensuring they consistently feel both challenged and supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff members said that there is a genuine sense of teamwork and shared commitment to providing the children with consistent, dedicated support while ensuring their safety. The care and authentic relationships with the children are clearly evident. A staff member said the manager ‘is an amazing manager, and since coming to our house, she has made a huge positive impact on the children and staff’s lives’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is deeply committed to working together with professionals from health, education, therapy and social care to meet the diverse needs of children. External professionals praise the manager and staff for their outstanding communication skills, and they highlight the significant progress each child has made in all aspects of their lives since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The responsible individual visits the home regularly and has a strong understanding of each child’s unique support needs. The children know her by name, and she enjoys spending time with them. This approach demonstrates effective leadership and conveys positive messages to both the children and the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a strong understanding of the strengths of her staff and is consistently eager to improve through reflective practice. She demonstrates integrity and humility in her interactions with both children and staff. Her role modelling inspires and empowers the staff to adopt a similar approach in their own practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The requirements from the last inspection have been addressed. No requirements or recommendations were set at this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 6

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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: SC434517 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 15 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RE

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Inspector

Sharron Dormand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC434517 8 regulates 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 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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