Children's home run by The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 1 SC015266 Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and education for up to 6 children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an independent school on site, which is registered with the Department for Education. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in 2016.

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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: 28 January 2025

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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: SC015266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/01/2025 Full Good 20/02/2024 Full Outstanding 20/02/2023 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children have lived at the home since the last inspection. One child moved out of the home; their transition was well planned and supported. Three children are still living at the home, and they have been offered a sense of stability. All of the children spoke with the inspector, and all 3 children were positive about the care they receive. Children spoke positively about living in the home, saying that, ‘They are nice people here, they help us.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are active and happy in this home. Staff know the children well and demonstrate warm, nurturing interactions. When children seek appropriate physical affection, staff respond sensitively. They use a playful and engaging approach that children respond to positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give lots of thought to creating opportunities for children based on their hobbies and interests. Children benefit from a wide range of activities. These experiences are celebrated through memory books and collages displayed around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support visits with family. They recognise the importance of maintaining family connections for the children. This is facilitated through video calls, telephone calls and face-to-face visits. Visits are planned, and staff respond flexibly when children request additional calls outside planned times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour is promoted through reward and incentive systems. Staff record achievements and share encouraging comments with children, using positive phrases such as ‘so proud of you’ and ‘well done, you are working well on your incentives’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from clear routines and structured days. They have access to personal planners and understand what is expected of them. Staff support children to develop independence skills, including laundry and cooking, and they are involved in menu planning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are consistently sought through monthly house meetings and informal daily conversations. Staff make effective use of everyday opportunities, such as mealtimes and car journeys, to engage children. This means their voices influence their day-to-day care planning.

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

Staff know children well and demonstrate a thorough understanding of their needs. When children experience difficulties in social situations or with managing their emotions, staff help children understand what went wrong and support them to repair relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 4 Physical intervention has been used on 2 occasions since the last inspection. These incidents are clearly recorded. Management oversight is clear. Conversations with the children also capture their views well.

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

Staff provide children with clear and helpful boundaries. On occasion, staff use natural consequences with children as part of a wider approach to behaviour management. The manager reviews and monitors these interventions to ensure that they remain effective. Children are offered the opportunity to discuss the incident, and consequences are explained clearly.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow the missing-from-care protocol. The police are contacted in line with procedures, and social workers and families are informed promptly. Children are given the opportunity to talk about their experiences on their return.

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

Risks are well understood, and risk assessments are clear, concise and easy to follow. However, they are not written in a child-friendly manner. Although improvements have been made since the last inspection, staff continue to use language that is not always written in a child-friendly way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and permanent registered manager. At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was on annual leave. The inspection was supported by the senior residential support worker and the responsible individual.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a strong understanding of children’s needs and maintain a child-focused approach. They understand the dynamics between the children and manage these effectively. The core management team has remained stable, providing stability for staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers promote consistency in routines and expectations, which supports children’s preparation for life and independence. Staff say that managers are approachable, supportive and responsive, creating a culture where staff feel listened to and safe. Managers work collaboratively with professionals. One professional said that communication from the home is consistently strong.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular and supportive supervisions, team meetings and yearly appraisals. Training opportunities are well structured. The induction process is clear and supportive, and staff are offered a range of training to develop their skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Due to the small team size, the registered manager works alongside senior staff and experienced members in the day-to-day running of the home. The statement of purpose needs to be updated to reflect the staffing structure and the experience and qualifications of staff. Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 5 Leaders and managers understand the home’s strengths and areas for development. The review of the quality of care report is very detailed, although feedback from children and families is limited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have responded appropriately to incidents, although they have not always included all relevant detail when they have notified Ofsted. This limits Ofsted’s ability to monitor incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must ensure that records about children are written in a child-friendly way. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(f)) 2 March 2026

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. Notifications must include all details relevant to the incident. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in regulation 45 at least once every six months. This includes gathering the views and experiences of children living in the home and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure that the elements of the workforce plan relating to the staffing structure and the experience and qualifications of staff are included in the statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 7

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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: SC015266 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Partnership of The Chartwell Group

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Chartwell House, Goodens Lane, Newton, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 5HQ

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Inspector

Sallie Bloomfield, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC015266 9 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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