Children's Home run by Your Chapter Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 1 SC489416 Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to 4 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in 2015.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no registered manager in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/06/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/12/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/10/2024 Full Inadequate 06/02/2024 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 3 Summary of findings

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Children generally have positive relationships with staff and enjoy living in the home, but placement planning is weak. Important risks were not fully assessed before a child moved in, and delays in escalating concerns about education and health needs meant one child did not receive timely support.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

While safeguarding practice is mostly strong, several areas need attention. Risk management plans are not always updated, records of room searches and incident debriefs are inconsistent, and follow ‑ up work with children is sometimes missing. Behaviour management relies on rewards, but consequences are not always reviewed or followed by reflective sessions.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Staff support family relationships and children benefit from access to health services and therapeutic support, but gaps in planning limit progress in key areas.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

The departure of the registered manager has led to disorganised systems, inconsistent oversight, and communication issues. High staff turnover, irregular supervision, and training gaps have affected consistency.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, three children have come to live in the home and two have moved out. The needs of children moving into the home are not fully considered. For example, high risks, including exploitation and substance misuse, were not considered when discussions took place about one of the children moving into the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are making some progress in education from their starting points. One child is now accessing school daily, and another is engaging well with their tutor. However, the previous manager did not escalate concerns about one child’s education, health and care plan in a timely manner, which resulted in delays to the child receiving the right support.

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improvement to be good

Children benefit from access to all universal health services. Additionally, the children have access to external therapists and other professionals who visit the home to provide therapeutic support.

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improvement to be good

Children say they like living in the home and spoke about trusting adults they could talk to if they had any worries or concerns. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to reflect Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 4 their likes and interests. The children enjoy a range of activities, such as fishing, boxing and football.

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improvement to be good

For one child, there has been a lack of preparation for independence. Children’s plans are not clear on what targets they are working towards. This does not equip them with the skills needed as they move towards adulthood.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their families and are proactive in strengthening these relationships.

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improvement to be good

Incidents in the home are well managed, and professionals say safeguarding practice is strong. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of restraint. There has recently been an incident of fire-setting in the home. Staff completed follow-up work with the child involved, and the fire service visited the home to discuss the dangers of fire.

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improvement to be good

Overall, risk management plans are regularly updated and contain all children’s known risks. However, one child’s plan was not updated to reflect changes regarding their time in the community. This has the potential to cause confusion for staff.

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improvement to be good

Records in relation to room searches and incident debriefs for children and staff are poor. There is a lack of direct work with children following some incidents. Inspectors found shortfalls in risk management in relation to the storage of sharps. Leaders addressed this during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s risks. There have been some incidents of children going missing from home. However, these have reduced, which demonstrates progress for children who have previously been missing frequently. When children go missing, staff have taken prompt action in line with children’s plans. This includes searching the local area and liaising with all relevant people.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage positive behaviour using rewards and incentives. However, consequences are not always evaluated for their effectiveness or proportionality. Additionally, key-work sessions following consequences have not always taken place. This is a missed opportunity for children to reflect on their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are in place. This ensures that suitable staff are employed to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the registered manager has left the home. As a result, there are gaps in monitoring and reviewing systems, with actions not always followed through. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 5 Systems are chaotic and disorganised. Leaders have recognised this and have a plan for improvement. A new manager has been appointed, and experienced staff have been recruited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff and children say there has been a high turnover of staff. There have been occasions when the home has been supported by staff from other homes and agency staff. Feedback from staff stated that there have been challenges in relation to leadership and communication. At times, there has been a lack of clear direction, support and oversight from the house manager, which has impacted consistency across the home. This has, at points, led to gaps in communication and uncertainty within the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings, which are an opportunity to discuss children and improve consistency. When supervision takes place, it gives staff the chance to reflect on their practice. However, not all staff receive regular supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all staff have received training in line with children’s needs. For example, not all staff have completed missing-from-care or substance-misuse training despite these being known risks for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Feedback from professionals was positive. They said staff communicate effectively and listen to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation (5)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that where there is a lack of response from external agencies, this is escalated to ensure there is no drift for the children. 12 June 2026

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished, and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to— 12 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 7 the safe storage of all sharps in the home, including ligature cutters, and that staff are clear where these items are stored;

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Requirement Due date

ensuring that all necessary follow-up work is completed with children to help them understand the dangers of missing and substance misuse;

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Requirement Due date

ensuring that all risk management plans are updated when there are changes to children’s time in the community and this is effectively communicated with all staff; and

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Requirement Due date

that all items in the garden shed are secured or removed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires, and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; 12 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

ensuring there is sufficient staff working in the home who understand the children’s need and are familiar to them.

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Requirement Due date

ensuring that all staff have received training about missing from care and substance misuse; and

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Requirement Due date

ensuring there are effective and robust monitoring systems in the home that contain robust management evaluation.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that there is a thorough assessment of each child’s needs prior to their arrival and that there is an effective induction into the home. 12 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 9 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time, and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that any consequences are evaluated for their effectiveness and 12 June 2026 Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 10 proportionality, follow-up work is completed by staff as part of any consequence given and children’s plans are updated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specially relates to children’s records not always being kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 12 June 2026

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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: SC489416 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Your Chapter Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hobart House, Oakwater Avenue, Cheadle Royal Business Park, Cheadle SK8 3SR

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Inspectors

Judith Birchall, Social Care Inspector Sam Baird, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC489416 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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