Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Staffordshire

Requires improvement

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.

p.2

The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Staff and senior managers do not consistently follow safeguarding procedures. Managers do not refer allegations to the local authority designated officer in a timely way. They sometimes complete investigations prior to referring allegations.  Managers do not robustly promote young people’s safety and welfare within the home. They do not verify reference checks on agency staff who work in the home.  The young person does not always have the opportunity to express their views, thoughts and feelings regarding physical interventions.  Managers do not ensure that staff receive in-depth safeguarding training.  Audit trails regarding safeguarding decisions are weak and do not always provide detail regarding the manager’s decisions, such as how risks were assessed.

p.3

The children's home strengths

 The young person attends school and is making educational progress.  Relationships between staff and the young person is good.  Key working sessions help the young person to talk about his behaviour.  The young person directly contribute to their care planning.  The manager has started to implement changes regarding the systems within the home, such as the admissions process for young people. However, these changes are in their infancy.

p.3

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person must comply with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

12. Protection of children standard. In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that staff – (2)(a)(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. 13 May 2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

13. leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that they enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children's home that – (1)(b) promotes their welfare. 13 May 2016

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within five 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)(C)). 13 May 2016

p.4

Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people. The provision specialises in providing therapeutic placement for young people who display sexually harmful behaviours.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Requires improvement

The recent transition of a young people has resulted in only one young person being in placement. He is now attending and engaging with education after a significant period of time without attending school. Staff work collaboratively with education providers to support the young person’s progress and to encourage and support him with attending on a full-time basis. He says he enjoys school and he is making friends. He takes part in hobbies and activities, such as going to a trampoline centre. He says he feels happy now. He has positive daily experiences within the home.

p.6

Requires improvement

Staff promote the young person’s progress through the positive relationships they build with him. Staff work proactively and have regular open discussions with him regarding behaviours and progress. Key working sessions are purposeful and explore areas such as anger management, aims, ambitions and relationships. Staff follow up on direct work with the young person from their therapeutic sessions. Staff now work in partnership with the therapeutic team to review behaviours and staff interventions. These support progress.

p.6

Requires improvement

Behaviour management plans are personalised and purposeful. Staff regularly review the plans and ensure that they continue to be effective. The staff reflect on the effectiveness of behaviour management strategies with the young person as well as with the therapeutic team. The young person has clear behaviour management targets and he works towards them with incentives. Positive behaviour is reinforced through staff praising the young person and also through extra activities. These are effective.

p.6

Requires improvement

Staff and managers supported young people to have positive transitions into their new placements. This helped the young people to prepare for their moves. Judgement grade

p.6

Requires improvement

Overall, staff promote the safety and welfare of the young person. However, the management team, including the safeguarding lead within the organisation, has failed to promote a young person’s welfare on occasions, as they did not adhere to their internal safeguarding procedures when managing allegations. For example, they did not refer to the designated officer in a timely way and prior to completing their own investigations. Senior management decisions regarding safeguarding incidents are not consistently well recorded and do not document the reasons for decisions being made. For example, they do not detail how staff will effectively and safely manage risks between young people after allegations have been made. This impacts on the safety and welfare of young people due to a lack of transparency and accountability.

p.7

Requires improvement

Staff are knowledgeable regarding young people’s complex needs. Staff have recently attended an in-depth training course around issues such as sexually harmful behaviour and the therapeutic approach of the home. This has equipped them to be able to meet the needs of the young person within the home.

p.7

Requires improvement

Incidents within the home are low. The young person’s incidents of risk-taking behaviour, such as missing and poor peer relationships, have reduced as he become a solo placement. Staff adhere to detailed and comprehensive risk management plans. They have followed young people when they have leave the home without permission and reported any concerns. Staff complete detailed debriefs with young people after these incidents. They reflect with young people on their behaviours and encourage them to use alternative strategies, such as mindfulness or colouring, to manage their risk-taking behaviours. However, staff and managers do not consistently ensure that young people have the opportunity to share their views regarding physical interventions.

p.7

Requires improvement

Boundaries are consistent. The young person is clear regarding the house rules and expectations relating to behaviours. There are clear sanctions in place, although this means that staff are unable to have some autonomy when deciding how to respond to incidents of challenging behaviour. The manager is currently reviewing this. Staff listen to young people when they are unhappy and they try to resolve the situation. For example, changing young people’s key workers.

p.7

Requires improvement

There is a consistent core staff team in place. While agency staff are used within the home, the manager endeavours to ensure that these are consistent agency staff with whom the young person feels safe and has established a good rapport. The management team have not always verified references for agency staff and have relied solely on the agency to ensure that agency staff are suitable to work within the home. This is currently being rectified by the management team.

p.7

Requires improvement

There is a manager in post is qualified up to NVQ level 5. He is an experienced manager and is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. The manager is focused on improving the home and has taken action to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection, such as training for staff, a focus on reflective practice and stronger partnership working with the therapeutic team. These changes continue to be embedded into staff practice. The manager has met the requirements from the last inspection with the exception of two, which have been raised again within this inspection. The manager is committed to the young person in his care. He has taken difficult, but necessary, action to address the concerns regarding poor peer relationships identified at the time of the last inspection. This has resulted in there being only one young person in placement. However, this has had a significant positive impact

p.8

Requires improvement

on the progress and experience of the young person. The home is currently very stable, with staff providing focused and strong support to the young person. As a result, his incidents of missing and violence have reduced, he is engaging with education and he reports that he feels happy. The manager is aware of the strengths of the home, and the areas of development required. He is implementing new ways of working and new systems to ensure that the home continuously makes improvements and promotes the well-being of young people. For example, the manager is going to be assessing potential new young people to be placed in the home with the therapeutic team. However, these changes remain in their infancy. The manager is supportive and committed to enabling staff to develop their skills. Team meetings reflect on the progress and experiences of young people. The manager encourages staff to look at what behaviour management strategies are

p.8

Requires improvement

effective and what improvements could be made. The manager ensures that staff receive good quality and regular supervision. Staff say that they feel well supported and that the manager is child-focused. This means that young people receive support from a dedicated and supportive staff group. The home is currently achieving its aims and objectives as outlined within its statement of purpose. The manager and staff work with partner agencies effectively and in partnership. This means that young people’s placements in the home are purposeful and clearly planned. This promotes their progress.

p.8

What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.9

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

p.10

Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards’. the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.10

Information about this inspection

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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

p.11

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.11