Children's Home run by Changing Lives Care Group Ltd in Leicestershire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 1 Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group 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

The home is owned by a private provider and provides care for up to three children who may experience social or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

There were no children living at the home at the time of the 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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/06/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child recently moved out of the home having lived here for 16 months. The child wished to live closer to their hometown. The manager advocated for the child and supported a planned move. However, a safeguarding incident resulted in the child leaving suddenly in an unplanned way. Therefore, at the time of the inspection no children lived at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understood the child’s individual needs and experiences. This enabled staff to provide attuned and responsive care. The child experienced a level of stability, routine, and the chance to develop meaningful relationships with staff while living here. Staff connected with the child through shared interests and personalised interactions. Staff supported the child’s interests by going on late-night walks, watching TV shows and going on outings together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is nurturing and supports a sense of belonging. The child helped decorate their bedroom and communal areas, helping to create a personalised space. Positive experiences were captured through photographs and memory books. This provides an opportunity for children to reflect on meaningful memories of their time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage participation in social activities such as board games, baking, cooking and movie nights to promote social skills and relationship building. The child also enjoyed a holiday with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff supported the child to grow in confidence and progress towards independence. Positive choices were recognised and reinforced through praise, gifts and financial incentives. This promotes responsibility and preparation for adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s views are regularly captured through children’s meetings and discussions with staff. Staff worked hard to support the child to maintain family relationships. When safeguarding concerns arose within family time, staff collaborated with the social worker to implement a safety plan.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work effectively with the wider professional network. Feedback from the child’s school and the social worker indicated that the child’s time at the home had a positive impact with evidence of progress in some areas. Staff support the child to attend routine health appointments and access emotional well-being services and engage with their education. This promotes the child’s health, well-being and educational attainment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 4

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

Staff have completed a comprehensive induction programme, which includes both online and in-person safeguarding training, ensuring they are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to keep children safe. The provider’s clinical team offers ongoing support to staff to help them understand children’s behaviours and inform care and risk management strategies.

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

Staff completed an additional two-week training course with CAMHS, followed by training with the organisation’s in-house therapist. This enhanced staff’s understanding of trauma and adverse childhood experiences, strengthening their safeguarding knowledge and care approaches.

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

The child benefits from a consistent, nurturing approach to behaviour management. Staff use de-escalation strategies and communicate clear expectations. Consequences are appropriate, proportionate and evaluated by managers. Positive behaviour is consistently acknowledged, which helps motivate and support children.

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

The child has tailored risk assessments and a behaviour support plan, including a child- friendly version to aid understanding. Staff support children to recognise and manage risks through educational resources and guidance, helping them make safer choices.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans clearly outline children’s known and emerging risks, with clear strategies in place to mitigate. Documents are regularly reviewed to keep children safe in a less restrictive manner.

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

Staff demonstrate vigilance and professional curiosity, prioritising children’s safety. Risks such as child criminal exploitation and unsafe community relationships were promptly identified and addressed with appropriate safety measures.

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

Online safety is managed well. Risk assessments and safety plans include online activity, supported using an app that monitors internet usage. This early intervention tool allows staff to act quickly when concerns arise. The child receives key-work sessions about online safety with materials adapted to engage and educate effectively.

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

The manager reviews and maintains oversight of incidents, with identified learning used to improve practice. Incidents are responded to promptly. There is a good level of recording and debriefing processes. However, record-keeping relating to the use of physical intervention does not contain all the necessary information as required by regulation.

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

Allegations are taken seriously and handled in accordance with the provider’s procedures. Children are kept informed throughout the process and supported to understand the outcomes. Managers also work in partnership with the local authority designated officer and support staff who the allegations are about. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong and supportive relationship between the manager and the responsible individual, who promotes service development and offers clear guidance. There are effective monitoring systems in place to continually assess and improve the quality of care and to celebrate best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders spend time with children, getting to know them. The child’s social worker said, ‘The manager has been great. She has a very good understanding of the child’s needs. There has been strong communication. The manager has gone over and above to lead and support the team when things were difficult. The child really struggled with relationships with adults. Staff took a long time to get to know them. When the child got comfortable, they were able to talk about past trauma and experiences. The child made progress.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders are aware of the service’s strengths and areas that require improvement. They work towards enhancing standards in practice. However, managers do not support the annual survey facilitated by the regulator, representing a missed opportunity to seek feedback from others to drive improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A team around the child approach is evident, ensuring comprehensive support for a child’s needs. This insight ensures that risks and challenges are addressed proactively. Staff are supported through access to clinical consultation, which deepens their understanding of trauma-informed care. This develops empathy and emotional connections, helping staff build trust and form positive relationships with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The well-being of staff is recognised as central to the culture and care offered to children. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their practice and are supported to share ideas to improve practice. Managers provide empathetic yet directive leadership, ensuring accountability and support. Staff speak positively about the support they receive and feel valued at work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure safe recruitment of permanent and agency staff. When new staff start work, they have an in-depth induction and regular reviews of their progress. Staff attend regular team meetings and receive effective supervision discussions. Team meetings and supervision discussions cover personal welfare, child updates, health and safety and training needs. Annual appraisals are used to identify and meet professional development needs. Staff express interest in career progression and appreciate the opportunities and encouragement provided for their continued development. Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that advice to staff, in children’s risk assessments, is clear that any allegation of harm or abuse must be addressed in line with the home’s child protection policy. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)  The registered person should ensure that they actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. This also includes ensuring that the point-in-time surveys are distributed to all relevant people, so they have the opportunity to provide feedback. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2769507 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Office 7, 35-37 Ludgate Hill, London EC4M 7JN

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Inspector

Tazim Akhtar, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2769507 8 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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