Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 1 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in 2022 and is run by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties or special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2024. He also manages another setting.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/06/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 03/05/2023 Full Inadequate 24/05/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are three children living at the home. One child has lived at the home for several years. Managers consider all children’s needs before they come to live at the home. This means that children enjoy positive relationships with each other. When children leave, managers work with placing local authorities to ensure that children move on to suitable new homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build secure, trusting relationships with staff. Managers and staff ensure that care is provided by a consistent staff team, without the use of agency staff. Consequently, children are cared for by staff who are familiar to them and who understand their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children talk to staff about things that are important to them, and relationships are based on mutual respect. One professional said, ‘The team focus on understanding why [name of child] behaves in a certain way and understand that things can be up and down for them. They stick by them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to all universal health services and staff support them to attend health appointments. One child has been supported to access specialist health services when needed. Staff talk to children about issues that impact on their health, such as vaping and alcohol misuse. This supports children’s physical health and emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged and supported to attend education. Two children attend school regularly and are making good progress. One child has recently moved to the home and a suitable school has not been found. Managers are working closely with the placing authority to ensure that the child is provided with the right educational support. Staff are working with the child to establish positive routines and prepare them for a return to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with people who are important to them. When children spend time with friends, staff check in with them to make sure that they are safe. Staff have built relationships with children’s family members and support them to spend safe time together with their child. One family member said, ‘I come to the house to see [name of child]. The work they do is outstanding, I haven’t got one bad word to say about them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious and decorated to a good standard. Staff encourage children to personalise their bedrooms. Children and staff spend time together in shared areas of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 4

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

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know how to keep children safe. Risk assessments are updated regularly and following any incidents. Individual support plans detail what staff should do when children are distressed. Staff talk to children about how they like to be helped. This ensures that the strategies used by staff are effective. Children have not needed to be held to keep them safe.

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

Managers and staff understand children’s previous experiences. Staff support children to manage their feelings safely and positive behaviour is rewarded. Incidents in the home are managed well and clearly recorded. Managers review all incidents and consider potential triggers for behaviour. The actions of staff are evaluated, and any learning is used to improve staff practice.

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

Children have clear plans that set out what actions staff should take if children go missing from the home. Staff go out looking for children, and police, parents and professionals are informed. Children are welcomed back to the home and staff talk to them about their experiences. Any concerns about risks to children are escalated appropriately.

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

Staff complete searches of children’s bedrooms when there are concerns for their safety. Children are informed when room searches take place, and items that present a risk are removed. Room searches are appropriately recorded and risk assessments are updated when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. He is supported by a strong deputy manager, and they both work alongside staff and children. As a result, managers know the children well. They have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well together to provide children with consistency and stability. They have specific areas of responsibility in the home. For example, one member of staff works with children to create memory books. Staff take pride in fulfilling their responsibilities. This promotes a sense of shared ownership about how the home operates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they feel supported by managers who are available to them, and to children, when they need them. Managers provide guidance to staff and help them to develop in their roles. One member of staff said, ‘I feel staff are supported through regular supervisions, training, and genuine open-door policy from the management team to help staff to continually develop new skills and improve practice.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of therapeutic approaches to caring for children. Guidance from a commissioned therapist is proactively sought and disseminated to all staff. Staff receive training to help them meet children’s individual needs. This includes Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 5 understanding self-harm, substance misuse and exploitation. However, not all staff have completed the diploma within the time frame set out in regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision that is supportive. Managers provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and children’s progress. Staff receive an annual appraisal of their performance. However, feedback from children or professionals is not considered. This is a missed opportunity to further develop staff practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 6

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period;

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 1 September 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 7

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff appraisals take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of children and other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 1271998 8

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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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Inspector

Anna Belshaw, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1271998 9 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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