Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Nottinghamshire

Unique reference number SC466284 Inspection date 21/05/2014 Inspector Amanda Ellis Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 05/12/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This children's home is intended for up to five young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is owned and operated by a registered charity. The home undertakes assessments for a period of three to six months, of young people in crisis and in need of either an emergency or planned placement.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

This is a good children’s home with elements of outstanding practice in the delivery of care and leadership.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from high levels of support, which enable them to develop and progress. Relationships between staff and young people are a key strength to promote improvement with young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Comprehensive assessment combined with individualised care planning effectively addresses individual needs. Young people’s health and educational needs receive very good levels of personal support that help to maximise health and potential learning outcomes.

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Overall effectiveness

The Registered Manager is committed to further improvement and leads a dedicated and enthusiastic staff team. She has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and clear plans in place for further development. She identifies ways to improve practice, with a continual focus on enhancing the care of each young person.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people live in a safe, secure, healthy and homely environment. Regular health and safety checks ensure the home is risk free and well maintained.

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Overall effectiveness

The inspection identified minor shortfalls in ensuring an up to date missing from care policy and that physical intervention records did not comply with regulation. These shortfalls have not influenced the safety or welfare of young people.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the registered person implements a missing child policy (Regulation 16 (4) (b) & (5) (i) (ii)) 12/06/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline, a written record is made which shall include; the location of the use of the measure; the duration of the incident and the effectiveness of any consequences of the measure. (Regulation 17B(3)(d)(f) & (4) (a)) 12/06/2014

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from having the support of a stable and committed staff team. As a result, they learn to make attachments with the staff that care for them. This builds firm foundations for individuals to develop their confidence, emotional resilience and understanding of their background experiences. Consequently young people learn to develop an improved self-view.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy good attendance at school and as a result, their attainment from their starting points is good. Overall, sound progress is achieved in all subjects including English and mathematics, with many young people making outstanding progress in individual topic work. Their achievements and efforts are celebrated, which means their confidence, motivation and engagement increases.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The health needs of young people are carefully managed. Young people benefit from a structured routine that promotes the benefits of regular exercise and healthy lifestyles. This leads to improved overall health outcomes for young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people engage in risk-taking behaviours, including self-injurious behaviours. In circumstances where young people engage in risk taking or damaging behaviour, clear safeguarding processes provide a robust response. Staff ensure that the safety and welfare needs of young people are rigorously addressed, with referrals to specialist agencies where necessary. This means the home promotes improved outcomes for young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are supported, where it is appropriate to do so, to develop and maintain links with their families. This means young people maintain their family identity. A social worker commented, ‘They are very supportive and have encouraged the young person to have positive contact, both face to face and by telephone. They have also been supportive of the family.’

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people develop skills that will benefit them as they move into adulthood. They learn skills such as, cooking, shopping, laundry and maintaining their own living space. These improved skills enable young people to build upon their ability to care for themselves with their eventual move to independence.

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Quality of care

The staff team are a cohesive staff team. They are committed, motivated and passionate about supporting young people. They strive to ensure that young people are immediately supported when they arrive at the home. This maximises opportunities for young people to feel secure and form beneficial attachments. Consequently, this enables young people to begin making progress and benefit from their time at the home.

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Quality of care

Care planning, risk management procedures and behaviour management plans are a particular strength. Equality and diversity issues are embedded within the care planning process and individual needs are addressed. The views of young people are sought and their views built into how their care is delivered. Plans are comprehensive, regularly reviewed and detailed. They identify the full range of needs for each young person. The multi-disciplinary team provide comprehensive assessments of young people. Ultimately, these inform planning for young people and enable them to make a transition to placements that are best suited to their specific needs.

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Quality of care

The home provides a healthy environment. Staff ensure young people access relevant services to meet their physical, psychological and emotional needs. Young people receive prompt medical attention when required and routine appointments ensure their holistic health needs are met. Young people benefit from the input of a team of therapists and a clinical psychologist. This integrated approach to health care ensures the young people’s emotional and psychological well-being is closely monitored and assessed. This means young people benefit from comprehensive health care that promotes improved health.

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Quality of care

The management of medication used within the home is rigorous and meticulous. Designated senior staff members maintain responsibility for daily medication processes. Only staff trained in medication are allowed to participate in this process. The security and organisation of medication practice, protects against any potential maladministration, thereby safeguarding young people.

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Quality of care

Education is integral to the home's assessment programme and is designed to meet individual's needs. Some young people have not been attending or engaging with education prior to their placement. In such circumstances, dedicated and highly experienced teaching and social care staff work closely with individual young people. Over time young people gradually increase their educational engagement, until formal classroom time is introduced and gradually increased. Young people benefit from the homes own on-site school and support to attend alternative education provision. Education and care staff have effective daily communication regarding the education and care routines. A teacher stated ‘The partnerships work between home and school is excellent.’ As a result, young people are making progress towards achieving their goals.

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Quality of care

Young people are enabled to experience a wide variety of activities. They play an active role in the local community and regularly visit the local shops, swimming pool and clubs. One young person said that the best thing about the home were the activities, he said the ‘home is fun, lovely and cool.’ One young person who has a strong interest in historic buildings was recently invited as a guest to a local historic country estate, Chatsworth House.

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Quality of care

The home environment is of the highest calibre. Young people benefit from a spacious home, which is designed and maintained to the highest standards. The interior and exterior of the home are ideal for ensuring that young people are kept safe and benefit from surroundings that convey respect to young people who may not have previously felt valued.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are safe and say they feel safe. Young people are kept safe through highly competent working practices and comprehensive, up to date risk assessments. Staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues and consistently review safe working practices to ensure they meet individual young people’s needs. Staffing levels are consistent and ensure the safety and welfare of the young people. Occasionally, agency staff are used to provide additional cover. These staff members are well known to the young people and receive the same mandatory training as permanent staff.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Incidents of young people who go missing from the home are very low. Where young people go missing from the home, actions are taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of young people and all relevant parties are updated. However, omissions to updating missing from care policy and protocols have the potential to cause delay in initiating safeguarding processes. Whilst this has had no direct impact on safeguarding young people, it has the potential for ineffective practice.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The Registered Manager has built effective and cooperative links with the local police service. Because of this collaboration, potential concerns about the safety or welfare of young people are shared in a timely manner. A local police officer commented, ‘We like to get in early to get to know the young people before incidents occur. We don’t get many calls which suggests good behaviour management.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

Physical interventions are appropriately used for the purposes of keeping young people safe from harm. All staff are suitably trained to undertake any physical intervention with regular refresher training. While physical interventions records are of a high quality, the recording of such incidents is not in line with the legislative framework. The omission of some details means that monitoring of the impact and effectiveness of the intervention cannot by fully evaluated by the manager.

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Safeguarding children and young people

In circumstances where serious incidents occur, the Registered Manager ensures that robust actions are taken to safeguard young people. This includes ensuring notification is made to the relevant bodies. This ensures that safeguarding services, placing authorities and Ofsted are able to review the home’s response to incidents. Consequently, this ensures appropriate action is taken to follow procedures and protect young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The health and safety of young people, staff and visitors within the home is prioritised. Detailed and regularly reviewed generic and specific risk assessments cover all aspects of daily living. The home has a continual programme of maintenance, which ensures timely repair and remedial work. Health and safety checks, including fire equipment and drills, are current and environmental risks assessments are in place. The prescribed level of public and employee liability insurance is in place.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The manager became registered in this post in November 2013. She has a National Vocational Qualification at Level 4 in health and care with children and young people. She is currently undertaking the Level 5 Diploma. These are suitable qualifications. She has substantial relevant experience of residential childcare within this and other residential services.

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Leadership and management

This is the homes first inspection since registration with Ofsted. The Registered Manager demonstrates commitment to providing high quality care and has an agenda of continual improvement. The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She has established areas for development to improve outcomes for young people.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager provides strong leadership to a committed and knowledgeable management team. She imparts professionalism and communicates high expectations to the staff about ensuring the highest standards of care for young people. Management arrangements are further enhanced through the appointment of two highly experienced deputy managers. This has enabled the Registered Manager to focus on developing the service.

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Leadership and management

Staff are very well supported, through regular and reflective supervision and appraisal. Additionally, a comprehensive and highly individualised training programme ensures all staff develop professionally and can deliver high standards of care to the young people. Training is regularly refreshed all staff are up-to-date in safeguarding, fire safety, restraint, first aid and food hygiene. As a result, young people benefit from a well-trained, appropriately supervised and well-supported staff team.

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Leadership and management

The Statement of Purpose has been amended in line with recent changes to regulation. It is a comprehensive, accessible and informative document. Consequently, placing authorities and parents are aware of the scope and remit of the home. Social workers are happy that the home meets the needs of the young people and achieves and the aims of the home as they are set out in the Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management

Young people know how to make any concerns or complaints they may have known, Stakeholders can make their views about the care of young people known to the home’s management at any time, by talking to the manager or by using the formal complaints procedure. In such circumstances, the Registered Manager is responsive in resolving any issues in a timely manner.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager undertakes routine monitoring activities and comprehensive monitoring visits by an independent visitor provide an additional level of quality assurance. These combined quality assurance systems identify areas of strength and development, which enable the manager to make improvements where necessary. These systems promote the development of the service and ensure that young people receive a consistently good quality of care.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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