Children's home run by Cruckton Hall Limited in North Kesteven

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people speak positively about the care that they receive and the quality of their relationships with staff.  Staff knowledge of young people's risks and vulnerabilities is underpinned by good safeguarding systems and procedures.  Staff ensure that young people feel safe and are protected by good safeguarding practice in the home.  The manager ensures that young people’s care is personalised, well planned and takes into account their individual needs.  The manager and staff ensure that young people’s views and opinions are central to the running of the home and carefully considered in all decision- making  The manager makes sure that staff work well with other agencies to promote positive outcomes for young people.  The manager ensures that young people know the complaints procedure.  Managers and staff ensure that every young person has the opportunity to develop personal and social skills and to spend time in freely chosen play

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The children's home provision is good because:

and leisure activities through the extensive facilities available in school and the surrounding grounds.  Healthcare is an integral part of everyday practice. Young people have easy access to health professionals that oversee their physical, emotional and psychological well-being.  There are a few shortfalls in practice. These include the manager not having sufficient oversight of school attendance, key-working, staff qualifications and the recording of complaints.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure (2)(a) that staff (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education (x) help each child to attend education in accordance with the expectations in the child's relevant plans. 31 July 16

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard In order to meet the positive relationship standard, the registered person must ensure - (2)(a) that staff(vi) help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. 20 August

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to key working and complaint records, the registered person must - (2)(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 20 August

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate experience, 20 September qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. An individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained(a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. (5) The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014. The date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)4(a)(b)5(a)(b))

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home offers an integrated residential education and care package to boys who have learning disabilities, specifically, autistic spectrum disorders. Young people are generally in the higher performing range, with associated emotional and behavioural difficulties. The school can accommodate up to 92 residential students, mainly in small house groups located on the main campus, or at one of two off-campus facilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Good

Staff have a very positive view of the young people whom they look after, and work hard to engage with them. This helps young people to feel confident about their relationships with staff and supports their progress. Professionals and parents make positive comments about the way in which young people are looked after. For example, a parent reported, ‘I feel that staff have been truly motivated to help every child reach his full potential both academically as well as socially. I am very happy with the support that both myself and my son receive.’ A social worker reported, 'The care that [Name] receives seems to be of a very high level.’ Young people are in good health. Staff ensure that they are registered with primary healthcare and specialist services. This ensures that young people can access services and receive treatment without undue delays. This in turn helps to enhance their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. For example, care

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Good

planning includes input from the clinical psychologist team that creates a responsive plan that reflects the young person’s needs and the responsibilities of staff in meeting their emotional and psychological health. The manager ensures that medication is stored safely, and that records accurately reflect the administration of medication. Staff encourage young people to express their views through formal house meetings, the school council, and informal conversations and during communal mealtimes. One young person reported, ‘The staff are good at listening to us. Even when they are busy, they will find the time.’ Staff hold regular key-worker sessions with young people. The quality of the key working is variable. Some of the sessions are of a high standard while some are shorter pieces of work that do not focus on a young person’s specific needs. For example, some young people have expressed that they would like to engage in relationships beyond the home. However, no key

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Good

working about healthy relationships has taken place. This means that young people may be in danger of becoming involved in negative or exploitative relationships. Young people maintain contact with their parents and carers. Staff are available for parents to discuss the current and future needs of the young people. Staff work with parents and have good lines of communication. One parent reported, ‘I think they are very well organised. My son is happy, considering he has complex needs. They have long conversations with me. We discuss different strategies and I feel that they listen to what I say.’ The service operates across a number of sites. The older pupils are located away from the main site, and this provides opportunity for them to develop independence skills before leaving school. Transitions between sites are well planned. Young people are given information about the home and are able to visit

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Good

and meet other young people and staff before being admitted to the home. This helps to reduce any anxieties that young people may have about moving and helps them to settle into their new home. Young people enjoy a wide range of social activities. These include swimming, playing football for a local team, trips out to places of interest, cycling and cinema trips. Staff discuss any identified areas of interest with young people and endeavour to arrange for them to try out new things during their time at the school. This means that young people are given opportunities that help to keep them fit, while enabling them to acquire new skills and improve their self-esteem. Young people’s educational attainment is variable with care staff reporting that some young people refuse to attend lessons despite encouragement from staff. This hinders some young people educational progress. To counter the impact, staff

p.8

Good

provide alternative activities in the home, such as developing life skills. For example, cooking or getting young people involved in sport.

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Good

Young people say that they feel safe. A parent validates this. ‘I feel that my son is safe and happy at school and feel confident that staff are giving him every opportunity to become a valued member of society.’ Young people confirm that bullying does not take place in the home and, if the issues were to arise, they feel confident the staff will appropriately address these concerns. Staff receive comprehensive training on safeguarding, and are clear about safeguarding procedures should they need to use them. Staff are clear about the use of the internet and monitor this closely. Young people are well supported to learn how to keep themselves safe both in the community and online. Risk assessments clearly identify potential risks for young people and highlight the strategies used to reduce these risks. These assessments are subject to ongoing monitoring and reviews to reflect any changes in young people’s needs and

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Good

emerging risks. This demonstrates that the welfare and safety of young people continues to be priority. Due to young people’s complex needs, they can at times display extremely difficult and challenging behaviour. Staff have a good understanding of these behaviours and know what action to take to address them. This ensures that young people, including the most vulnerable, benefit from effective support and protection. A social worker reported, ‘They keep firm and regular boundaries with him, so that he knows what he can/can’t and should/shouldn’t be doing.’ Staff receive training in the appropriate use of physical restraint but only ever use this as a last resort, preferring to use de-escalation techniques, which are more effective. Records made when a physical intervention has occurred receive management oversight. This is helping to ensure that the use of restraint is proportionate and that staff and young people are receiving opportunities to reflect

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Good

on incidents. A member of staff reported, ‘We have weekly supervision/support from an educational and child psychologist. This supervision is vital for a number of reasons: emotional support when working on complex cases and professional support and development of my knowledge and skills.’ Incidents of young people going missing from the home are low. This is because staff work with young people, their families, social workers and local police, to identify triggers to these events. One parent reported, ‘I am always consulted before any decisions are made. We are a team.’ Young people know how to make a complaint. Young people are clear that their concerns are taken seriously. Staff make sure that complaints made directly to them are thoroughly investigated and that young people receive a written response. However, some complaints are recorded in the main complaints book while some are kept on a separate piece of paper. This lack of a consistent

p.9

Good

approach means that not all complaints are being captured in one area, and this hinders future scrutiny. The manager ensures that location and environmental health and safety risk assessments are comprehensive. They detail the specific risks associated with the large size of the site. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks, routine servicing of equipment and robust risk assessments to ensure that the home is safe for young people. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so that they understand how to leave the home safely in an emergency. Young people are protected by the organisation's robust recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. The accommodation in which young people live is of a good standard and is well

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Good

maintained and decorated. Young people have the opportunity to personalise their bedrooms, enhancing their sense of identity and belonging. Judgement grade

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Good

An appropriately qualified registered manager is in place. The manager has been in post since January 2016 and holds a national vocational qualification in leadership, health and social care at level 4. The manager ensures that the home has clearly defined policies for the supervision and appraisal of staff, and a comprehensive induction programme designed to ensure that all staff have the skills and qualities necessary for effective childcare practice. One member of staff reported, ‘I receive supervision once a month. I find it to be supportive of me and my practice.’ The manager ensures that staff receive regular training and have the skills and competencies necessary to meet the diverse needs of the young people whom they look after, and there are systems in place to ensure that important training is regularly updated or refreshed. The manager ensures that the statement of purpose clearly demonstrates the aims

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Good

and objectives of the home. This makes it possible for parents or placing authorities to have a clear understanding of services available. The manager ensures that young people are provided with an informative children’s guide, providing them with information that is important for them to know and understand. An independent visitor calls at the home once a month, in line with legislation, to monitor and report on the quality of care. Independent monthly monitoring reports review the home’s performance and young people’s progress and identify areas for improvement. Regular consultations with young people, parents and other professionals influence the progress of the home and ensure the monitoring of the quality of care provided. The manager ensures that communication between agencies is prompt and effective in keeping all parties well informed of young people’s progress. A social worker reported, ‘I get regular, detailed feedback from the home, and they

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Good

respond to requests quickly.’ This ensures that there is a greater partnership approach with key stakeholders. The manager has a development plan in place in order to support the continuous improvement in the home. The home seeks feedback from all agencies to identify where improvements can be made. An example of this was found at the reception area with a tick-box questionnaire available to visitors, to capture their views. Managers do not have sufficient oversight of staff qualifications. For example, a few members of staff who have worked for the organisation for over two years have yet to complete their level 3 diploma. Managers have also not checked other staff qualifications are equivalent. This means that management do not have a full picture of numbers of staff with the required qualification and those staff now out of timescales for achieving their level 3 qualification. In response to the requirements made at the last inspection in September 2015

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Good

and monitoring visit in March 2016, the manager has improved the management and recording of physical interventions and has made sure that risk management plans now give clear direction to staff.

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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’.

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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 children looked after 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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

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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 that 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 whom 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

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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 .

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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, workbased 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,

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

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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

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