Children's Home run by Channels and Choices Kent LLP in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: 2624222 1 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Registered provider: Channels and Choices Kent LLP

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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 registered to provide care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. There were five children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private organisation that operates several registered children’s homes. There is a school on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2025.

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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

Date of last inspection: 19 November 2024

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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: 2624222 2 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/11/2024 Full Good 06/03/2024 Full Good 21/03/2023 Full Good 22/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2624222 3 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by a skilled and knowledgeable staff team. Children’s individual needs are well understood by staff, and children make good progress as a result of the care they receive.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in education because staff work well with external agencies to identify support befitting to children’s educational needs. This has ensured that all children now have school placements and improved attendance, which is a significant achievement from their starting points. For one child, returning to full-time education was a cause for celebration and a source of pride for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are taken seriously, and their contributions are acted on. Children make good use of daily meetings, ‘let’s talk about you’ sessions, to have their say on how the home is run. Children express their views confidently and are clear that there is always someone they can speak to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support from staff to develop their independence skills and to prepare practically and emotionally when moving out of the home. This preparation is carefully coordinated with key workers, leaders and therapists to ensure that children know what to expect and to give children the greatest chance of success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s physical and emotional health is prioritised by staff, and there is a wide- ranging therapeutic offer that children benefit from. Children are individually supported by dedicated therapists to discuss difficult feelings and find alternative strategies to avoid behaviours such as self-harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, there has been an improvement in how staff promote inclusivity and celebrate cultural diversity. By learning about each other’s cultures and heritage together, children have gained a greater understanding of one another and also about their own identities.

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

Since the last inspection, medication management has improved and there has been a reduction in errors. Managers have introduced new protocols and staff training, which has improved outcomes in this area. As a result, children are receiving their medication as prescribed, and records are maintained accurately.

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

Staff have a good understanding of risks affecting children and know how best to support children to reduce their exposure and vulnerability to harm. Staff respond effectively to challenging behaviours. This is due to the good-quality relationships that they have with children and the effectiveness of the strategies that they follow. Consequently, the frequency of physical interventions has reduced. After children are Inspection report for children’s home: 2624222 4 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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

physically held by staff, children’s views are recorded and used to inform future practice.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Staff help children understand the potential risks involved in going missing. This education combined with a high number of staff has meant missing-from-home episodes are minimal and children make safer choices

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

Allegations are managed swiftly and effectively. The manager liaises with external professionals and acts on any guidance from the local authority designated officer as required. Leaders carry out thorough investigations, which determine the steps taken to resolve any concerns about staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, a new registered manager has been appointed. The new manager has reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has introduced a therapeutic model of care. Leaders and staff have recognised the positive impact this change has made. Children are better able to talk about how they feel, and this has led to a reduction in behaviour incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well supported in their role and talk positively of this. They know there is always someone in the management team who they can talk to no matter what time of day. They can see the positive in changes that leaders are trying to make and fully invest in this. Staff retention is good, and there is a stable core team providing consistent, nurturing care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have a good understanding of the progress children make. Leaders use the home’s ‘stepping stones’ programme to quickly identify what is or is not working well for children and change whatever is needed to support them. This has also enabled leaders to advocate for the children. This has enabled children to have a greater voice when it comes to planning their futures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are supported to develop their skills through effective supervision and bespoke training. Supervisions create a safe space for staff to receive feedback and to explore areas for development in relation to providing care for the children. Leaders have also used individualised training to support staff to deliver therapeutic care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

No requirements or recommendations have been made as a result of this inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624222 5 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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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: 2624222 6 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Kent LLP

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 15 West Street, Brighton BN1 2RL

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Adam Holland-Hobbs

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Inspector

Mark Newington, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2624222 7 FOR PUBLIC RELEASE

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Inspector

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 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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