Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 1 SC489416 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

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site. A manager has been in post since September 2024 and has submitted an application to register. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. The inspector met one child, as the other child was missing.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that a serious incident that occurred at the setting since the last inspection is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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good

Date of last inspection: 18 December 2024

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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: SC489416 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/10/2024 Full Inadequate 06/02/2024 Full Outstanding 28/02/2023 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into the home. One child was successfully moved into semi-independent living, and another child’s placement unfortunately ended abruptly. Leaders and managers have taken learning from this experience and have put plans in place to strengthen the matching processes.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers conduct assessments of children’s needs before they move to the home. However, planning for children does not carefully consider all of their needs. Ineffective care planning meant staff were not able to meet the needs of one child. This resulted in the child leaving the home in an unplanned way, which caused distress and disruption to that child and the other children in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage children to attend the on-site school. The children engage well in education and benefit from a clear structure and routine to their day. On occasions where there have been concerns around children and their education, staff have worked with teaching staff to understand each child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. In addition, staff support children to spend time with friends when it is appropriate. This ensures that children maintain important relationships.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is welcoming. The children can personalise their bedroom to their taste. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging. In discussions with one child, they said, ‘I like the home; I like the staff. I get a choice of activities and can earn additional pocket money, and the staff help me with budgeting and saving.’

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improvement to be good

Despite the new team’s ongoing development, a serious and avoidable safeguarding incident took place when children’s behaviours became challenging. Staff misjudged risks, proceeding with an activity in a personal car instead of rearranging the activity. This led to an emergency on a motorway, necessitating police assistance to ensure the safety of all. This incident exposed children to direct harm. Immediate action was taken by leaders and managers to review children’s plans and ensure that this type of incident does not reoccur.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff recognise behaviours that involve risk. However, inconsistencies in practice and a lack of team confidence in the staff team, led to an avoidable police intervention after a child took the house keys and money, which they later returned. However, staff still chose to call the police. The manager acknowledged this incident Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 4 could have been avoided and managed differently. Involving the police unnecessarily risks criminalising the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff receive on-the-job training from the manager and follow the missing-from-home procedures. However, the manager failed to identify inconsistencies in documenting overnight support for children before they left the home and were reported missing. These gaps hinder the oversight and monitoring of missing-from-home incidents.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is encouraged by staff. Staff use proactive techniques to help children to manage their frustrations and anxieties. Children respond to this approach. When there have been incidents of physical intervention, this has been to keep children and others safe. The manager ensured that children have been spoken to after the incidents, so they understood why the hold was necessary.

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improvement to be good

Direct work with children covers a range of topics, including smoking cessation, risks, emotions and making safer choices. This helps children to develop their understanding of risks and supports their social and emotional well-being. Sessions are purposeful and in line with children’s placement plans.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the policies and procedures relating to the management of allegations and whistle-blowing. This helps staff to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

When children’s whereabouts are unknown, multi-agency collaboration is strong. The manager ensures that all shared information is current and valuable. These efforts increases the likelihood of children being found quickly and returned home safely.

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good

The manager has the experience and skills necessary to lead the home. He is working towards a relevant level 5 qualification. He recognises areas for improvement. Senior managers have increased their presence to provide direct support to the manager and develop new processes within the home.

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good

The home has experienced a difficult period and staff turnover. On one occasion, staff burnout and escalating behaviours from a child led to two staff members leaving the home. This left a single staff member to manage the children alone, causing them to feel anxious about keeping the children safe. Although informal discussions occurred, leaders and managers did not take formal action.

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good

Team meetings are a forum for learning. The manager has supported team building and challenged staff practice. However, during a difficult period when one child’s behaviours escalated, team meetings and handover discussions lost impact due to low attendance.

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good

Despite these challenges, staff report feeling valued by the manager. Records confirm that staff receive supervision. Partnership working is a strength. The Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 5 manager and staff work well together and share information with parents, social workers and the on-site school. One professional said, ‘I have regular communication and receive updates.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that all staff remain vigilant to risks for children and that they are supported to understand and follow children’s plans to keep children safe. 10 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 7 The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the skills to support children’s behaviours and needs. Involving the police for behaviour that could be managed within the home can damage trust and increase the risk of criminalising children. 10 July 2025

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 10 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 8 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that the staff team has the necessary skills, knowledge, expertise, training and confidence to meet the assessed needs and risks of each child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must have effective oversight of the quality of care provided to children so that they can identify and address areas of concern.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that moves in and out of the home are carefully considered and well supported in a planned way.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement has been restated. 10 July 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 9 The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s case records contain up-to-date information about the child and the support offered by staff, specifically when recording incidents in daily records. 10 July 2025

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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: SC489416 10

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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

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 11 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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