Children's home run by Your Chapter Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter 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 owned and operated by a private provider. It provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

There were five children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: 13 February 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2024 Full Good 14/02/2023 Full Good 01/02/2022 Full Good 28/08/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The stable staff team provides children with clear, strong boundaries and staff work together consistently to reinforce these. Furthermore, children know from the outset what the routines are. Despite a strong behavioural response, this is necessary given the trauma experienced by the children and their responses. The approach taken by staff is to reparent children, but this is done in a warm and nurturing way. There is a real family feel to the home, with staff and children having meals together and spending time laughing and joking together. The manager and staff know the children exceptionally well and can easily identify any subtle changes in their behaviour or responses. They can then offer immediate support to the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The relationships between staff and the children are open and honest, which helps the children to build trust. Children spoke fondly about staff. They said that they feel safe and well cared for, and that the staff team is the best thing about living at the home. One child said: ‘Regardless of anything that has happened, staff have always really looked after me and nobody can ever take that away from me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

When children move in or out of the home, the experiences for children are positive and well planned. There is a strong multi-agency approach to assessing children’s needs before they move into this home. Care planning for children is child centred, and children are very much involved in their own plans. One child was supported to write a letter to their placing authority to express their wishes and feelings about their plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

School attendance has improved for all children, and they are all making exceptional progress in their education. Children talk positively about their education, and they are aspirational about future learning and employment. Staff understand children’s individual learning needs, and they work collaboratively with education professionals to ensure that children receive the right support in the on-site school. Staff provide children with opportunities for additional learning at home, such as support with homework, reading skills and to prepare for formal exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to enjoy a healthy lifestyle; this has led to improved physical health for some children. Staff provide children with reassurance and support when they are anxious about their health. This has led to them now attending health appointments and accessing the right support. Staff advocate for children to ensure that any unmet health needs are suitably assessed by health professionals, and they ensure that children are receiving the right help and support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s emotional and mental health is well understood by the manager and staff. Those children with an identified need for therapy are accessing support. The in-house clinical team has a strong presence in the home. Its members work directly with the children, and they have oversight of children’s plans. The clinical team consults regularly Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 4 with staff, which provides staff with an additional layer of support and provides them with a better understanding of children’s individual emotional and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are consulted with regularly. There are systems in place to ensure that children’s opinions are listened to at multidisciplinary meetings and staff team meetings, and for the children to receive feedback. This ensures that children are involved in decisions about their home and the care that they are receiving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are provided with a wide range of activities in line with their hobbies and interests. Some children enjoy going to youth group, and some are members of local basketball, football and ice-skating teams. All children enjoyed taking part in a sponsored walk charity event.

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

A psychological report is completed shortly after children move in. The information in the document provides staff with a clear psychological assessment of the child’s past trauma and how this has impacted them, and how it has an impact now on their emotions and behaviour. This provides staff with a clear outline of how they can best meet the child’s needs. The report clearly outlines the therapy used and this informs the research- informed practice that staff use.

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

The staff team is trained to use a well-recognised international model of assessment and intervention work with children. This incorporates new research and practice and is a structured programme of direct work sessions provided to children to educate them about risk. These sessions cover a wide range of topics and include some discussions to allow children to explore their feelings and the impact of their behaviours on others. Worksheets are also used to engage the children. The recording of these sessions demonstrates that the children are relaxed with staff to share their thoughts and feelings about some sensitive topics.

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

Risk assessments outline each child’s specific risks and vulnerabilities with clear, precise steps for staff to follow. This ensures that children receive a consistent message with clear boundaries and routines.

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

Children rarely go missing. When this has happened, staff search for the children, and they report them missing. Children’s individual missing plans are detailed, and they are reviewed regularly. Staff are clear about their responsibilities to children who go missing.

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

Positive behaviour management techniques are mainly used, with clear rules and boundaries in the home. Detailed behaviour support plans highlight clear strategies for staff to use and they include ideas provided by the child. Staff use their relationships with children to intervene when children become frustrated or upset, which means that incidents where children need to be physically held are rare. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 5 There is a balanced, individual approach to reducing the restrictions and the high level of supervision in place to keep children safe when they first move into the home. Children’s progress in terms of understanding risk is kept under review. They are supported to develop independence, including spending unsupervised time in the community.

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

There has been one serious incident when a child harmed themselves using a ligature. Staff responded to the incident, and they ensured that the child received medical attention and an assessment of their mental health. There are appropriate safeguards in place to reduce the likelihood of this happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has a wealth of experience in caring for vulnerable children, and she is suitably qualified. She values her staff and provides them with support and effective leadership. The manager sets high expectations for her staff. She is a positive role model, and she places a high importance on developing staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager knows the children remarkably well. She has an excellent understanding of the children’s individual needs and full oversight of the progress that the children are making. She is committed to wanting the best outcomes for children and these are the goals of the whole team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff said that they feel supported by their colleagues and by the manager. They receive regular supervision that allows them to reflect on their practice and provides them with the opportunity to talk about the children’s plans. Staff said morale is high and they described the team and the children as being ‘like a family’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings take place regularly. They are well attended, and are used as an opportunity for the team to refresh safeguarding knowledge and to discuss current research related to supporting vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff place a high importance on multi-agency working. They work collaboratively with other professionals, and they confidently challenge others to ensure that children’s plans are met. Other professionals hold the manager and staff in high regard. One professional said: ‘They are amazing. The work they have done with [name of child] is outstanding and the way that they have responded to the risks has been phenomenal.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff working at this home are skilled and experienced in supporting and safeguarding vulnerable children because of the rigorous induction and wide range of specialist training that they receive. Furthermore, the organisation’s clinical team delivers a wide range of training to staff which helps to provide them with the knowledge and skills to be able to deliver the home’s model of care for supporting children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 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: 1249035 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspectors

Rachel Webster, Social Care Inspector Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1249035 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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

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