The Cherrycroft Practice

Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 1 The Cherrycroft Practice Registered provider: The Cherrycroft Practice The Cherrycroft Practice Limited, Portland House, off Park Street, Bagshot, Surrey GU19 5AQ Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this adoption support agency

This agency provides a service to adopters and their children. The agency and manager were registered with Ofsted in October 2019. The aim of the service is to provide therapeutic consultation, support, assessment and treatment.

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outstanding

How well children, young people and adults are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The adoption support agency provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the adoption support agency contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for service users.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 2

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The agency provides an exceptionally high quality of support to children and their adopters. The therapeutic work provided is of a very high standard and the difference that it makes to the lives of children and their adopters is significant. There are excellent relationships between children and therapists. These relationships are built on trust.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children enjoy receiving therapeutic support in this service. The staff are warm in their welcome and they get to know the children well. The service is inviting, with equipment that encourages children to relax and play. The staff are consistent in their therapeutic outlook. They know how to help the children to feel comfortable. Children’s favourite snacks are available to them. The warming hot chocolate on offer creates an environment of calm.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The matching of children to therapists is exemplary. The process ensures that the child receives the best outcome from this intervention and engagement. When it was identified that a child would benefit from a different type of intervention, this was managed exceptionally well. The therapists worked together to ensure a seamless transition that reassured the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The impact of therapy is significant and meets the needs of the children receiving it. Outcomes are excellent. For example, one child is no longer self-harming, and they have stopped drinking alcohol. The experience of therapy has improved children’s ability to express their feelings. This has reduced stress and anxiety. A therapist supported one child to prepare for the loss of a parent. Ongoing therapeutic support means that the child has been able to adjust to this loss.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Therapy goals are being met and exceeded. For example, one child, who has experienced significant life challenges, has made substantial progress. They recognise the quality of the support that they receive. The parent said, ‘We travel many miles to come to the service. (Our child) looks forward to coming… they are happy to do the journey.’

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children are at the heart of the interventions. Their high level of engagement reflects the value placed on their views and opinions. The ‘feedback tree’ provides children with opportunities to express their views. The manager is highly responsive; she has a strong commitment to ensuring that children hear quickly the outcome of their suggestions. This enables children to feel respected and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

Children are also positive about the support that they receive. One child said, ‘I want you to know how amazing she (the art therapist) is…she has given me the confidence to pick art GCSE.’ Another child said, ‘I like all the toys and the tunnel. I feel excited to go there.’ Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 3 The direct work with parents is instrumental in ensuring that they understand their children. This includes understanding their feelings and behaviours. A strong and effective team supports the parents. They ensure that parents succeed in providing good, loving and therapeutic care to their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of service users: outstanding

The manager and staff build excellent working relationships. This is with each other and with external professionals. Professionals are impressed with the quality of the service that they provide. A commissioner said, ‘I am impressed with the resource that they put into providing the therapy… The occupational therapy room – I have never seen anything like it; it’s amazing!’

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outstanding

There is a strong safeguarding culture within this service. Children are safer because of this. The staff and therapists have a deep awareness about ensuring the safety of children.

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outstanding

There has been a significant amount of work completed around safeguarding. This has been to ensure the awareness of staff around the processes to follow when they need to raise a safeguarding concern. This is also evident in the quality of the recording. The staff use language that is sensitive and caring. This language takes into account the needs of the child as an adult who will have access to their records in the future.

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outstanding

Partnership working is strong and effective. This means that all professionals working with the children are aware of the agreed practices and processes. This partnership enables the service to offer training. For example, training is provided to schools around how to work with particular children.

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outstanding

An excellent working relationship exists with local safeguarding teams. This helps to promote a strong process for referring and sharing information. The service consults families and informs them when they are making a referral to a safeguarding team. This enables an environment where the safeguarding of children is central.

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outstanding

Therapists provide children and their families with strategies to manage risk. Because of this, children are better prepared for the world around them. Families feel better able to care for and support their children.

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outstanding

Safer recruitment processes are in place. This is to ensure that they employ only those of suitable character with qualifications and skills. However, this is weakened by the inconsistencies around the verification of applicant references.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A strong leadership and management team is in place. They are skilful and knowledgeable. The manager has high expectations of the staff and the way that Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 4 they work. This includes the case records and chronologies, which are clear and easy to understand. Language used in case records is warm and sensitive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are aspirational for the children and families. They have high expectations of what children and their families can achieve, through the support and therapy that they provide. They ensure exceptional adoption support that leads to consistently good outcomes. The multi-disciplinary team provides wrap-around holistic support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers know their strengths and work to continuously improve. They have carried out significant work around policies and procedures. A strong audit process is in place to ensure the quality of the work that they undertake.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professional relationships are broad between the agency and partner agencies. This ensures the provision of only the best quality care and support. There is strong liaison with education and health professionals. This approach is effective and ensures the best outcomes for children. An impressed commissioner said, ‘I know no other service like it… they need to replicate this around the country.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff feel exceptionally well supported. They are positive about the quality of the training and supervision available to them. They value the opportunities for professional development. They recognise the warmth of the atmosphere in which they work. They appreciate the non-judgemental culture.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Research-informed practice is a significant strength of the agency. This permeates all the work that they do. Additionally, they complete research with universities and provide learning opportunities to student therapists.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers ensure an environment that is inclusive and open to all. They ensure that children and their families receive a service of high quality that is respectful and meets their needs. Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the agency can demonstrate, including from written records, that it consistently follows good recruitment practice, and all applicable current statutory requirements and guidance in the recruitment of staff, volunteers and persons on the central list. This includes Disclosure and Barring Service checks. All personnel responsible for recruitment and selection of staff are trained in, understand and operate these good practices. This particularly relates to ensuring that references are verified consistently as part of the safer recruitment process. (Adoption: national minimum standards 2014, paragraph 21.2)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, young people and adults, using the social care common inspection framework.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the adoption support agency, how it meets the core functions as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with The Adoption Support Agencies (England) and Adoption Agencies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2005 and the national minimum standards. Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 6

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider: The Cherrycroft Practice

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Adoption support agency details

Registered provider address: Knoll House, Knoll Road, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3SY

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Adoption support agency details

Responsible individual: Sarah-Jane Knight

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Inspector

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for adoption support agency: The Cherrycroft Practice 7 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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