Children's Home run by Chances CCFSS Limited in Gloucestershire

Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 1 SC016697 Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The privately home provides therapeutic care for up to four children who have experienced childhood trauma and have social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2001.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Outstanding 06/02/2024 Full Outstanding 10/01/2023 Full Outstanding 03/08/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The inspector spent time talking with the child.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The registered manager and staff are nurturing and intuitive practitioners. They show the child that they are loved, respected and highly valued. The child has close bonds with leaders and tells them that they love them. The child has developed meaningful relationships with other staff, showing an increased willingness to trust adults. Staff deliver personalised care that takes account of the child’s views, wishes and feelings.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has been living in the home for approximately six years and has made exceptional progress from their starting point. They have developed a strong sense of identity, attributable to the home’s therapeutic care. Staff have supported the child to process their lived experiences and to develop coping strategies that help them feel safe. The child has become increasingly confident and able to advocate for themselves. They have also reconnected with their family and are keen to strengthen ties with them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have gently encouraged the child to make and maintain friendships. They have also promoted hobbies and age-appropriate freedoms. The child has established positive relationships with other children at police cadets and they enjoy participating in activities with them and having sleepovers. Staff have supported the child to learn that some friendships can be harmful. The child now quickly recognises this, seeking help from staff to distance themselves from negative influences.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The child has been struggling to engage in education and professionals believe this is linked to undiagnosed health needs. The registered manager made appropriate referrals several years ago and since then, she has relentlessly advocated for specialist assessments. Despite these efforts, the child has not been seen by relevant specialists. The provider has offered to privately fund specialist assessments but this has been rejected by the local authority and health professionals. The child’s school attendance has dipped.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff make concerted efforts to promote education to the child and, at times, they have been able to agree practical learning initiatives with the school, such as in woodwork. However, this has not been sustained due to resourcing issues at the school. Staff therefore encourage the child to participate in educational activities with them. They are receptive to this and enjoy visiting caves, and taking part in animal experiences and glass-making workshops. Staff continue to promote the child’s love of reading.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

External professionals and the child’s family have shared extremely positive feedback about the home and the quality of care delivered by staff. The social worker said that staff ‘go above and beyond’ to support the child and staff have never given up on the child during challenging periods. A family member said that staff have always acted in Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 4 the child’s best interests and have supported the child to make sustained progress at a pace that works for them.

p.3

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

Over the years, staff have developed an in-depth understanding of the child’s needs, vulnerabilities and risks. They can accurately read the child’s behaviour cues and therefore know when they experience emotional turmoil. Staff take proactive steps to help the child feel grounded, safe and secure. The registered manager has used research to help the child understand how the brain functions under stress, resulting in increased emotional literacy and self-awareness.

p.4

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

Since the last inspection, there have been nine notable behaviour incidents. On two occasions, staff used physical interventions, which were necessary and proportionate to keep the child safe. Staff use their positive relationships with the child to help them in moments of crisis, encouraging the child to express their emotions verbally. If the child is not ready to talk, they use alternative strategies such as calming activities, breathing exercises or communicating via text.

p.4

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

Staff are observant and quickly recognise when the child is confused, over-stimulated or frightened. They are curious to understand events that have occurred online or in the community and take robust and timely action to safeguard the child. Staff interventions include educational conversations with the child, collecting them when they have been hurt in the community and reporting serious incidents to the police.

p.4

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

The child has confidence in staff’s ability to protect them and keep them safe. When the child is worried or when the child makes mistakes, they tell staff because they feel they are reliable and trustworthy adults. The child also recognises when perceived friendships are negative and exploitative. This awareness comes from healthy boundaries modelled by staff and learned values and morals, as well as educational chats. The child has demonstrated resistance to peer pressure and an ability to protect themselves in the community.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has embedded and maintained a culture that prioritises the child’s needs, welfare and safety. She is a tenacious advocate and firmly holds other professionals to account if she believes they fall short of their duties towards the child. She has developed strong working relationships with professionals and pushes for collaborative working to achieve positive outcomes for the child.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders are present in the home and have well-established relationships with the child and staff. Leaders work alongside staff and model excellent practice and values. This enables staff to learn, strengthen their skills and mould their practice. On the rare occasions leaders identify shortfalls in care, they take appropriate action by having reflective discussions with staff and reiterating expectations. Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 5 Since the last inspection, the registered manager has supported staff to adjust to new caring strategies, for example, staff encouraging the child to have age-appropriate freedoms while being alert to emerging risks and responding in a timely manner. This flexibility means that the child is able to exercise independence and explore relationships in the knowledge that staff will help them if things go wrong or if mistakes are made.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a qualified and skilled psychotherapist. She understands the importance of ensuring that staff have the right training to meet the individual needs of the child and to deliver therapeutically-informed care. For example, staff are encouraged to complete a complex trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder qualification, as well as low arousal training and a suite of mental health modules. The manager has excellent oversight of the home and uses her direct observations and audit activity to assess the quality of care delivered. Additionally, she takes care to listen to the child’s voice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager continues to participate in community initiatives, with the aim of improving standards of care and support for vulnerable children and adults. She is a critical friend to a supported accommodation provision and is a member of a network that advocates against restraint and seclusion. She is also working with a therapy service to devise enhanced neurodiversity training.

p.5

Information about this inspection

Inspectors has 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: SC016697 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Chances CCFSS Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3 Fairview Court, 119-127 Fairview Road, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL52 2EX

p.6

Inspector

Tara Webb, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC016697 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7