Children's home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . The home continues to be led and managed by a highly committed and supportive registered manager. She ensures that the young people living in the home have positive experiences and that their needs are fully met. This results in their making good progress in all areas of their lives. In a consultation form, one young person said, ‘I am happy because I have not had any incidents this month and I am now having telephone contact with my family. I would not make any changes in the home.’ The registered manager has taken effective action to address the recommendations made at the last inspection. She has updated the location and safe area report to include all known risks in the community and the strategies in place for managing these. The records in the home are now regularly reviewed by the registered

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager during her monthly audits. Furthermore, a consistent staff team is in place and, as a team, it has improved the recording in the home so that records are now more consistently detailed and completed in a timely manner. The health needs of young people are managed well. For example, the registered manager and staff quickly identified health concerns about a young person and fully supported her in seeking medical advice and intervention. This led to securing a diagnosis and then further engagement with health professionals to ensure that the young person receives appropriate care and intervention to manage the condition. A consultant wrote to the home and stated, ‘The young person was supported by a very helpful carer.’ Furthermore, the manager has identified that the staff team needs to seek further advice, guidance and training to manage the young person’s diagnosed illness. The young person’s health plan and risk

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

assessment have been updated in a timely manner to include details relating to this diagnosis. Both young people living in the home continue to make good progress in their education. The registered manager and staff fully support young people to attend education and to achieve well. For example, one young person attends a college some distance from the home. As this is the best place to meet her educational needs, staff transport her to and from college each day. They have good relationships with college staff and request a daily update to ensure that they are fully up to date with her experiences and progress each day. In addition, they attend open evenings and other events at the college. The registered manager spoke about the young person being the ‘star of the show’ at the recent Christmas show in college. Safeguarding practice in the home continues to be good. A staff member commented, ‘Safeguarding is a real strength in the home.’ The registered manager

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and staff receive regular direct and online training in relation to safeguarding, which ensures that they are adequately trained to identify and respond to any safeguarding issues relating to the young people whom they care for. For example, the registered manager and deputy manager attended the local authority safeguarding board training the day before the inspection and spoke positively about how this will influence their practice. The home’s location and safe area report has been updated, following the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. Furthermore, risk assessments for young people are regularly updated in a timely manner to show the current risks and the strategies in place to manage them. One young person is believed to have been smoking in the home, so a risk assessment is now in place to manage this. Direct work has also been undertaken with the young person to raise her awareness and understanding of the risks relating to

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

this. Missing-from-care protocols in the home have been updated and now include individual timescales for actions in response to young people going missing. The home has worked collaboratively with a placing local authority to allow a young person to have free time in the community. They are aware that this poses some level of risk. However, they have appropriate measures in place to manage this risk effectively. This demonstrates that young people are safeguarded in the home and community. Young people’s behaviours are managed well in the home. The relationships between staff and young people demonstrate good levels of communication, negotiation and compromise that support the positive behaviour of young people. This avoids the need for constant sanctions for managing behaviour. Young people regularly receive rewards for positive behaviour. Since the last inspection, there have been two incidents of physical intervention. This was used, in both instances,

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures, and the incidents were recorded appropriately. The young people and staff involved had an opportunity to discuss the incidents independently and to use this time to reflect. The registered manager has a clear overview of all incidents and carefully considers the information to evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of intervention. This reflection is then used as an opportunity for learning and development with staff and young people. The views, wishes and feelings of the young people are prioritised in the home. In addition to regular young people’s meetings and key work sessions, the registered manager provides young people with a monthly consultation form, so that she can regularly ascertain their views, wishes and feelings and, if possible, take appropriate action in response. The consultation forms viewed during the inspection were very positive, and the young people stated that they are happy

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and feel supported in the home. The registered manager and staff have positive relationships with the young people and spend a lot of time with them. They engage in various recreational and social activities together, and staff support young people to socialise safely with their peers. This includes attending cadets and youth clubs, visiting a trampoline centre, football and a running club and going shopping. In addition, during Christmas time, arrangements were made for the staff and young people to spend time with the staff and young people from another home within the company. The social and recreational opportunities for young people support them in building their social interaction, confidence and self- esteem. The registered manager and staff have developed strong relationships with professionals in the local area and those involved with the young people living in the home. These include social workers, health and education professionals, the

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

police, the local authority designated officer and activity centre staff. Professionals share information regularly about young people, to ensure that the appropriate support is in place to meet their identified needs. This results in a consistent approach in supporting young people in all areas of their development. Young people know that professionals work together to ensure that they receive a high quality of care, that their needs are met, that they are safeguarded and that they have positive experiences. Young people are supported to build and maintain positive relationships with people who are important to them. The staff are proactive in ensuring that contact arrangements are appropriate, safe, productive and enjoyable for young people. The home has supported a young person to build relationships with family members whom she has not had contact with for a number of years. Weekly telephone contact now takes place, with a view to this increasing to direct contact

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

at a suitable time in the future. The young person stated that she is ‘super happy’ about this. However, she recognises that it will take time to develop their relationships and it is currently too soon for them to have direct contact. A clear contact plan is in place to reflect the changes in contact and how it is being managed, and this supports her developing relationships with her family. Monitoring and review systems in the home continue to be effective and to support the manager to identify strengths and weaknesses in the home. She quickly addresses shortfalls in professional practice raised by the home’s independent visitor. The independent visitor’s reports are evaluative, and there is a clear focus on the young people’s records, progress and safeguarding. However, the independent visitor does not always send the completed report, with the manager’s comments and response to recommendations for action from the visit, to Ofsted in

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

line with regulations. This means that the regulatory body is not always aware of how the home intends to make improvement to address any shortfalls. Since the last inspection, the home has not received any complaints. It has received a number of compliments from professionals and a young person who has left the home. For example, a professional said, ‘I want to thank the staff team for being so supportive to the young person, following a recent incident.’ The young person who has left the home said, ‘I just want to thank everyone. You all helped me a lot.’ This clearly supports the good professional practice and quality of care provided in the home.

p.4

Information about this children’s home

The home is one of several homes within a private organisation that provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Recent inspection history

15/07/2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.6

Statutory requirement

This section sets out the action which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must consider whether or not to take action in response to the recommendations identified in the independent visitors report. (Regulation 44(5)) In particular, the report should include the registered manager’s signature and evidence of the response to the recommendations for action in the report. 24/02/2017

p.7

What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, 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.8

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

p.8

Information about this inspection

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 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.8

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,

p.9

Information about this inspection

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

p.9

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.9

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.9