Children's home run by Castlecare Cymru Limited in North Northamptonshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This good children’s home has continued to provide a secure, consistent base for three children to experience as ordinary a childhood as they can. It has established positive outcomes for children’s health, education and safety, and helped them develop constructive family relationships. It also helps children to cope when their family lets them down. Staff have had skilled, active leadership from a committed registered manager. The registered manager is currently off work due to ill-health and her deputy has assumed responsibility in what is hoped will only be an absence of some months.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have undoubtedly made progress from their starting points at the home. They go on holidays, take part in community activities and go to the local gym, and they make local friends. They go to school and college when previously they have not. They develop skills that enable them to be out and about with their friends and enjoy their childhood. They learn to be considerate towards their peers at the home, and have fewer angry outbursts. They are making plans for their futures. Conversations and relationships between staff and children are key to this progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children have experienced turbulence and uncertainty and a dip in their progress, but they have continued to receive strong support from a small, stable staff team and a committed registered manager. Some children have had personal crises; while one child is back on track, another child is struggling, particularly with education, and is currently not at school or college. For this child, the structure and routine of a school day has been lost. The registered manager is clear that, since the crisis, the home has prioritised emotional support for this child. She is a strong educational advocate, but not all staff are familiar with the educational resources and entitlements for children looked after, including knowledge about support from the virtual school head. Potential to achieve at GCSE has been affected by the drift and lack of a clear academic focus at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have needed a member of staff to be awake at night, after an incident of arson. This has put pressure on the permanent staff, who are working additional hours. They have been determined to be the faces the children see when they wake up. Three known and trusted agency staff are used to support day shifts. The registered person has recruited to fill vacant posts, and new staff are waiting for full checks before beginning work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children live much safer lives since moving to the home. They are safer away from their urban homes, away from gangs and with positive adult role models. Staff respond as good parents when children have stayed out at night, and implement coordinated action with police and social workers. When children have dabbled in cannabis use, staff have helped them to stop. There have been no child protection issues at the service, but children have been at risk when away from the home on agreed, unsupervised home visits. There has been no review of one such serious event in the life of one child. The registered person has missed an opportunity to learn lessons and strengthen good practice around the staff’s response.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work closely in partnership with parents, schools, youth offending services and social workers, and are mutually supportive of each other in their help towards the children. The registered person has committed to providing counselling support to children at this home to meet the requirement from the last inspection. Children have ongoing needs to talk to skilled professionals about their earlier experiences and the effect these still have on their lives. Staff have few practical resources to assist with creative, direct work with children about the issues they face, such as learning about sex and healthy, respectful relationships. Children and staff would benefit from the many media resources available, such as apps and safe websites, to learn about such issues.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Systems for internal and external monitoring are good. The six-monthly review of the quality of care is very likely to deliver further improvement. It is focused on children’s outcomes and is based on effective consultation with children, their parents and placing authorities. External monitoring has a strong focus on children’s safety and well-being.

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Information about this children's home

This children's home, which is operated by an independent provider, offers care and accommodation for up to three children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/11/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/09/2015 Full Good 10/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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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 (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.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, with respect to securing counselling, the registered person must ensure: (2)(c) that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. 31/03/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in reviewing incidents, such as safeguarding concerns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. Specifically, creative resources and tools to support their direct work with children about the issues they face, such as learning about sex and healthy, respectful relationships. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Recommendations

 Support children to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child’s education and training targets and their next steps for learning. If a child’s progress is not in line with their agreed targets or next steps, staff should seek expert advice from education professionals, such as the virtual school head, SENCO, learning mentor or teacher. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 29, paragraph 5.11)

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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’.

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

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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 .

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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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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