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

Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 1 Registered provider: Changing Lives Care Group Ltd

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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 privately owned and provides care for up to three children who experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025.

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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 was 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 (where appropriate) 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 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 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 children’s home: 2709854 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/07/2024 Full Good 30/08/2023 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children acquire fond memories at the home. Their photos are displayed and reflect the lovely times they have enjoyed with the staff who care for them. Games, books and toys are visible and accessible for children to play with. Children personalise their bedrooms, which reflect their individuality. Children have memory books full of photos that capture unforgettable moments and significant events that they have enjoyed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given opportunities to engage in activities that they enjoy. This includes trips to a chocolate factory, eating at buffets, going bowling and visiting the cinema. Children also take part in activities in the home, such as Easter egg hunts and cultural evenings. This helps to ensure that children have opportunities that provide novelty and excitement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points, including their education and learning. Staff support children to attend their place of education, even travelling driving long distances to support children’s attendance. Staff advocate for children to receive the support they need in school. One social worker spoke about how staff worked tirelessly to advocate for a child to have an education, health and care plan which had been delayed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage well with the home’s linked therapist. This helps children to better understand their reactions and behaviours. This is further supported by staff who are helped to understand trauma through training and reflective support sessions with the therapist. This helps staff to respond effectively to children who may not trust others easily.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved on from the home. One child moved on from the home in a planned way. During a period of crisis, staff had challenges in managing the behaviours of another child. However, staff worked through this period of crisis in partnership with the child’s local authority to ensure that appropriate safety plans were put in place. Despite this, the risks for the child continued to increase, which resulted in an unplanned ending for the child’s time in the home. Consequently, not all children have experienced well-planned moves when they have moved on from the home.

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

At the time of the inspection, an investigation was taking place following an incident. Appropriate action was being taken to mitigate risks during this process.

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

Physical intervention is only used as a last resort to manage risk and prevent harm. In most cases, records include the views of the child and the members of staff involved following a physical restraint and records generally include the manager’s oversight. Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 4 However, leaders did not ensure that they had effective oversight of a physical restraint which involved managers in different capacities, nor did they have discussions about what occurred. This is a missed opportunity to ensure that all staff, including managers, only use physical restraint when necessary and to identify learning following such interventions.

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

Staff support children to understand risks, including those online. There are effective practices and measures in place to ensure that children do not access inappropriate information. Children respond well to phone agreements and boundaries around internet use. This helps to keep children safe online.

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

Staff have positive working relationships with external agencies to help support children. For instance, a local police community support worker has visited the home to talk to a child about acceptable behaviour. This has helped the child to have a better understanding about the difference between assault and self-defence.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. On occasions when they do, staff take appropriate action to ensure that children return home safely. Staff request local authorities to provide return home interviews with children, which are carried out. This helps managers and staff to have a wider understanding of why children have gone missing in the first instance and allows consideration of what measures can be taken to reduce reoccurrence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is currently absent from the home. An interim manager is supporting the home in their absence. Additionally, there has been a period of inconsistency in the leadership and management arrangements since the last inspection. This has resulted in an unsettled time for children, along with staff inconsistencies. Consequently, staff morale has been low.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Recruitment efforts have been effective, and a full staff team is now in place. Staff are positive about the training and support they receive. Although the staff have received additional support to better understand children’s needs and behaviours, there was a period when staff did not have a full understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have systems to monitor aspects of the home. However, these systems are not always effective. For example, safeguarding notifications are not always clearly written and are sent late to the regulator. This means that the regulator has limited understanding about incidents that happen in the home as they occur and what actions have been taken in response.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The quality of care reports do not include the views of children. Additionally, feedback from stakeholders is limited. Furthermore, the independent visitor does not always visit the home when children are present, and feedback from professionals is not consistently obtained. These shortfalls in monitoring compromise leaders and managers’ Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 5 understanding of the quality of the care that children receive and what they understand to be the strengths and areas of development of the home. Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 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

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—

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Requirement Due date

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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 29 August 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 7 The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 29 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 29 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c)) 29 August 2025 Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that serious events are notified to Ofsted in a timely way and that such notifications include details of the action taken in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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 children’s home: 2709854 9

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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

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2709854 10 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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