Children's Home run by Cherry Lane Therapeutic Homes Ltd in East Sussex

Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 1 Registered provider: Cherry Lane Therapeutic Homes Ltd

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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 privately owned and is registered to provide care for one child who experiences 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 manager has been registered since the home was registered in December 2024. This was the home’s first inspection.

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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: not previously registered

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living in this home shares warm and positive relationships with staff which are full of good humour and genuine connection. This helps them to feel secure in the home and positive about the care they receive from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

These relationships support the child to share their views openly and frequently. The child contributes to the development of their care plans and day-to-day activities. As a result, the child is looked after in line with their preferences, which supports their sense of autonomy and value. For example, the home is fitted with alarms on the front and back doors. Although the use of these is appropriate for this child and regularly reviewed, the child said the chimes were too loud and were upsetting them. This was immediately rectified. The chime volume was reduced and isolated to sound in the office only.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to develop their understanding of the child’s identity and lived experiences. They skilfully apply this knowledge, along with the home’s chosen model of care, when caring for the child. As a result, the child has made progress in their social and personal development. They have new strategies for managing complex or challenging emotions and this has resulted in a stark reduction in the frequency and severity of incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education and learning are a priority for the manager and staff. They are aspirational and share a belief that the child can achieve well in life. They support the child to have healthy routines around learning while they are without a full-time provision. Staff provide clear structure to the child’s day that includes online education and activity- based learning outside of the home. As a result, the child maintains their interest in education, which supports their confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is tenacious in her efforts to secure full-time education for the child and, when necessary, will challenge external professionals. She has also supported the child to write a letter to education staff, expressing their desire to return to school. This has led to an increase in the interim provision the child receives and has helped them to feel heard and supported by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met well. They have access to appropriate therapeutic interventions and benefits from knowledgeable staff who are carrying out therapeutic work with them and their family. This has had a positive impact on the child’s relationship with their parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of supporting the child’s relationships with people who are important to them, which are not limited to their immediate family. Staff are creative and accommodating in their approach. This has supported the child to explore some complex relationships in a safe way and further develop their own understanding of risk. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 3 The home is well maintained, welcoming and has a warm feel. The child’s bedroom is personalised to their taste, which promotes their sense of belonging.

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

The child has confidence in their relationships with staff and shares concerns freely, knowing they will be responded to robustly.

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

Leaders and staff have developed a rich understanding of the child’s strengths and vulnerabilities, by working closely with the child’s parents and external professionals. Risk assessments and plans clearly describe how to keep the child safe. This is underpinned by an excellent culture of safeguarding in the home and robust oversight from the manager. As a result, the child feels safe at the home.

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

Leaders have successfully embedded their chosen model of care. This means that when the child shows behaviours of distress, staff respond sensitively and in a way that aligns with the home’s therapeutic approach. When the child is calm, staff have further discussions with them. During these discussions, staff maintain firm boundaries and role model positive strategies for managing challenging emotions, empathy and taking responsibility. This has helped the child express their feelings and de-escalate situations that would previously have resulted in crisis. For example, the child has been able to improve their relationships with neighbours by taking gifts of chocolate and flowers to them as an apology for some of her behaviour.

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

Physical intervention is rarely used. When it has been used, there is excellent oversight by managers, and thorough follow-up conversations with the child and staff support learning.

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

The child has had no missing-from-home incidents. However, there are clear protocols in place for staff to follow should this happen.

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

Overall, there are good systems in place to monitor the administration of medication. However, when the has child refused medication, the recording of this is inconsistent. The manager is fully aware of this and has plans in place to address it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by compassionate, child-focused and knowledgeable leaders. Together, they have successfully embedded their chosen model of care in their own and staff’s practice. Leaders are supported by a dedicated and proactive team of staff who share their dedication to the chosen model of care and the vision that the child can achieve well in life. As a result, the child receives high-quality care from a well-informed, stable and cohesive staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and responsible individual work closely together and are present in the home. They have highly effective monitoring and quality assurance systems in Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 4 place that provide the information they need to thoroughly scrutinise the quality of care the child receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager promotes the practice of co-creation and works transparently with other professionals and parents to develop plans that are well informed, creative and multifaceted. This gives staff the best understanding of the child’s needs, and also helps parents feel included and empowered. The child’s parents said, ‘We feel extremely confident in staff. They keep us involved, build our confidence as parents and have our child’s interests at heart.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager actively seeks the child’s views through daily conversations and life-story sessions. She works hard to advocate for the rights of the child and act on the child’s wishes and feelings, when appropriate. This supports the child’s self-esteem and trust in the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff praise the support and guidance they receive from leaders. There is a consensus among staff that leaders take an interest in their well-being and development and encourage them to take pride in their work, which makes them feel appreciated. Staff highlight the experience and ambition of leaders as being key to the positive experiences the child has had.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff practice is regularly reviewed in high-quality supervision sessions that are shaped around the quality standards and therapeutic model used. This promotes good adherence to the home’s model of care and helps staff feel respected. This also promotes a culture of positivity and inspires staff to provide nurturing care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff and leaders attend regular team meetings and group supervisions. They use these forums to discuss the child’s needs, progress and plans for support, while also exploring their own challenges. This means that all staff fully understand how to meet the child’s needs, in line with their care plans and risk assessments. As a result, the child is looked after by exceptionally well-informed staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that records of the administration of medication include details of when medication is refused. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 17.15)

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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: 2816504 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cherry Lane Therapeutic Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chapel Cottage, Chapel Lane, Westfield TN35 4QX

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Inspector

Becky Paradise, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2816504 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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