Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Unique reference number SC367551 Inspector Elaine Cray Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Crystal Care Solutions Limited Registered person address Nelson House, Boat Horse Road Kidsgrove STOKE-ON-TRENT ST7 4JA Responsible individual James Maxwell O'Leary Registered manager Laura Ann Richardson Date of last inspection 24/07/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 05/02/2015

p.1

Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

p.2

This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

p.2

This inspection

Young people enjoy living at the home and continue to make progress. They have positive experiences and have good relationships with staff. Safeguarding strategies continue to be effective because they respond to the significant vulnerability of and levels of risk presented by the young people. Young people are safe because the manager and staff have good insight into their needs and risk taking behaviour. Missing from care protocols respond to young people’s vulnerabilities, but are yet to fully impact on the frequency of some young people going missing. Staff have effective working partnerships with local police to explore links between going missing and potential exploitation.

p.2

This inspection

Young people compare this home very favourably to others homes they have lived in. They say staff show they care. This includes checking friends and looking for young people when they go missing. This level of commitment did not happen in their previous placements. Young people feel valued because staff listen. They say staff are always there for the young people; no matter how upset and cross young people feel and behave.

p.2

This inspection

Young people are safe because staff are pragmatic and assertive in establishing clear and sometimes challenging boundaries for young people and their families. For example staff work closely with social workers to support young people’s family contact to promote young people’s safety and promote their emotional welfare.

p.2

This inspection

A positive sense of belonging leads to happy and interactive times in the home. Young people enjoy doing activities with staff and appreciate the help they get budget, shop and cook as they develop towards living more independently. Cooking and eating together is an important part of the home’s routines. As young people become more engaged with education, they enjoy returning home, preparing food and chatting with staff about their developing sense of independence and learning. 3 of 6 Young people enjoy attending college and doing voluntary work.

p.2

This inspection

Staff are sensitive to and tenacious in exploring the diverse needs and backgrounds of young people and their families. Some young people have chaotic backgrounds and they often struggle with finding stability and reaching for their potential. The well-monitored care planning framework ensures their care is organised and needs- led. The stable transition of more recently admitted young people demonstrate effective assessment, planning and matching of placements.

p.3

This inspection

Transition planning is effective and supports young people to move on from the home in a planned way. The manager and staff support young people and their families to explore family background, events and develop emotional resilience. Facilitating young people’s reunification with family members demonstrates the staff team’s skills in working in partnership with families and promotes good outcomes for young people.

p.3

This inspection

Developments in independence programmes impact positively on young people. More focused weekly programmes go hand in hand with the new care planning format. Expectations are clear and meaningful targets mean young people understand expectations and grow in confidence as they practically progress. Better self-esteem enables young people to feel more able to access college and work placements. Young people receive positive reinforcement and praise; they enjoy and are proud of their achievements and facing up to new responsibilities. They feel better about themselves and recent re-engagement with learning and work gives young people greater opportunity to look towards developing their potential.

p.3

This inspection

Strong relationships and an effective approach to working in partnership with health agencies helps young people improve their health. Young people manage significant medical conditions with self-administration of medication and monitoring from staff. Young people with histories of drug use and self-injurious behaviours feel more comfortable talking to staff about their emotions. Staff are effective in encouraging and engaging young people to talk to health workers in drug, alcohol and mental health agencies. Young people explore links between emotions and are more willing to look for safer strategies to manage risks such as self-injurious behaviours.

p.3

This inspection

Young people appreciate a core team of experienced staff working at the home. They acknowledge that some staff changes have been unsettling, but they like the new staff. They have a good sense of permanency because the same agency staff work at the home and alongside the established staff members. Everyone gets the chance to get know each other and effective key working relationships provide a good sense of stability.

p.3

This inspection

Young people feel valued because staff ask them about their views and help them find ways to manage behaviour and feelings. They experience a strong sense of security due to meaningful bonds with staff and strong boundaries. The manager and staff are effective advocates; always placing the needs of young people at the 4 of 6 centre of their liaison with families, working with placing authorities and agencies.

p.3

This inspection

This service has gone through several changes; including a new manager, staff moving on and some well-established young people moving on. Operation of the home is effective and remains generally stable due to a dedicated team of staff and strong leadership. Positive outcomes continue as the management team achieve effective improvements in care and independence planning, promote staff development and carry out rigorous monitoring checks. 5 of 6

p.4

Information about this children’s home

The service is a children's home that is registered to care for three young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is managed by a limited private company.

p.5

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2014 Full good 31/01/2014 Interim good progress 30/05/2013 Full adequate 06/12/2012 Interim good progress Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.5

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.6

What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

p.6

Information 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.

p.6

Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

p.6