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

Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 1 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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SC408584 Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation. The home provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were three children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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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.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 4 December 2024

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 2 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/12/2024 Full Good 16/01/2024 Full Outstanding 21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 22/03/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 3 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive attentive care and nurture from staff who are devoted to them and know them well. Staff speak to children with care and affection, which means that children feel a true sense of belonging. As a result of this stability and these relationships, children feel safe, they flourish and they make exceptional progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have developed trusting relationships with children, who display genuine affection for the staff who support them. Staff carry out life-story work of the highest quality, which helps children to learn about and understand their life journey. These conversations also help staff to provide individualised care that is well informed and considerate of each child’s needs. This helps children to make exceptional progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive therapeutic input from a team of professionals. Specialist plans and assessments which are individualised for the children mean that staff can confidently respond to their needs. Children’s plans are reviewed regularly, ensuring their progress does not falter.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have made excellent progress in engaging with education and learning. Managers advocate strongly for children and work effectively in partnership with social workers and education staff to ensure children achieve to their full potential. A social worker described the quality of the partnerships that staff create with a school as ‘exemplary’. Children who were previously not in education now attend school regularly and receive awards for their achievements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children enjoy positive time with their loved ones. Staff understand the significance of this and go to great lengths to help children reconnect with their families. It is now possible for one child to return home to live with their birth parent, and another child has rediscovered their relationship with an estranged relative. One family member said, ‘You [the home’s staff] have cared, understood, loved and supported him, always going above and beyond. He would not have flourished or come so far without the genuine love and support.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are very attentive in meeting children’s health needs. They support them to attend routine appointments and are tenacious in advocating for them to receive the right support from health professionals. Staff request that assessments are renewed so that children are prescribed medication only when necessary, and that previous diagnoses are reviewed to ensure they reflect children’s current needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to engage in a variety of activities outside the home that recognise their individual interests. Children enjoy piano lessons, table tennis club, swimming and Cubs. Staff go to great lengths to ensure that children’s diverse cultural Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 4 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

and religious needs are met and celebrated in ways that are meaningful. This fosters a culture of tolerance among all the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff value children’s views, wishes and feelings. They use creative ways to help children to express themselves and children’s contributions are visible throughout the home. Children’s bedrooms reflect their personalities and interests, and as a result the children take pride in caring for their space and claim it as their own.

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

Children feel safe and secure with the staff who care for them. Staff understand children’s vulnerabilities and well-informed risk assessments underpin their practice. Children are involved in designing their safety plans, can express what support they need and tell staff how to notice if they are upset. Children’s plans are personalised in line with their interests, which helps them to feel more invested and to take some ownership of their safety.

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

Children have made remarkable progress in relation to managing and expressing their emotions. As a result, there has been a significant decrease in incidents and use of physical interventions. This is because staff and managers have built meaningful relationships with each child, which has helped children to feel safe and secure.

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

Children respect boundaries, and staff communicate effectively with them to ensure that they understand why certain decisions are taken to keep them safe. Children receive recognition for good behaviour and are incentivised to work towards specific rewards.

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

The manager has excellent oversight of all incidents in the home. Staff are supported to reflect on how they can best help children in times of crisis. Staff also support children to share their feelings and develop coping skills. As a result, children and staff understand the importance of being kind to themselves and others. External professionals commented that all the children had learned to significantly reduce behaviours that were having a negative impact on their progress, sense of safety and emotional well-being.

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

Clear safeguarding procedures are in place and adhered to by all staff. When concerns arise, they are managed appropriately, and children are at the forefront of practice.

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

The children living at the home do not go missing from home. Despite this, staff have a clear understanding of the risks associated with children going missing and have sound knowledge of procedures to follow.

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

When a child who has previously self-harmed moved into the home, managers were proactive in requesting additional training for the staff team, to ensure they were well equipped to offer the right support at the right time.

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

Children adhere to the boundaries staff set for them around online safety. Even when children do not like the rules in place, they have a good understanding and accept them, knowing that staff care for them and want them to be safe online. Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 5 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is highly skilled, demonstrates good oversight and knows the children well. She is supported by a committed deputy manager and together they work very well as a team. She is aspirational for the children and staff. Her positive attitude is infectious, and the staff team consequently have high ambitions for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The previous requirement has been met. The registered manager is focused on the progress of children and demonstrates close oversight and monitoring, using effective systems to ensure that children’s plans continue to evolve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager promotes a culture of learning and ensures that her staff develop in a way that is aligned with her vision. The manager has strong relationships with her team and across the organisation. She is an effective advocate for the children and demonstrates passion and enthusiasm for capturing their voice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has excellent oversight of the care provided and is a very present and approachable figure for staff and children. Children identify the manager as someone they can approach with any concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager talks confidently and in depth about children’s needs and aspirations for their development and progress and knows them well. The manager and deputy manager set a high standard for the care that should be provided and see this as the expected norm, not exceptional.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high, and they are well supported through good-quality supervision and purposeful team meetings. Staff training is prioritised and tailored to the changing needs of the children. Staff engage in reflective group supervision, which further strengthens their practice and ensures progress is always evolving.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A particular area of strength is the commitment of leaders and managers to supporting children to develop a sense of self, and supporting them to make and maintain connections with family members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made at this inspection.

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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: SC408584 6 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Channels and Choices Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Adam Holland-Hobbs

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Inspectors

Alexia Hosker, Social Care Inspector Lee Kirwin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC408584 7 SENSITIVE-OFSTED USE ONLY

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Inspectors

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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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