Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 1 Registered provider: Caldecott Foundation Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and operated by a registered charity and provides care and accommodation for up to five children. The home provides care for children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

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

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Good

Date of last inspection: First inspection

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Not applicable Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children receive good care from staff who understand the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. The staff have developed very positive relationships with children in a relatively short time from the home being registered.  Children are making good progress in education from what were previously disrupted education experiences. Attendance and punctuality are good, and children now enjoy school.  The environment is homely, clean and suitably furnished. The children have made this their home. The children are encouraged to express their feelings and wishes in all aspects of the care that they receive.  Staff encourage and support children to see their families and those important to them. The staff work in partnership with other agencies to ensure that meetings with family members are both enjoyable and safe. Staff advocate on behalf of children and support the child’s views regarding their contact with

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Key findings from this inspection

family members.  The psychological and emotional needs of children are a priority for the registered manager and staff. The staff receive advice, guidance and the support of a clinical psychologist to inform their practice.  Staff understand the risks and vulnerabilities of children and take effective action to keep children safe.  Staff have undertaken training and development in safeguarding and child protection. Their application of this training is good. Helpful behaviour management plans support the staff in managing children’s behaviour effectively.  An experienced and suitably qualified registered manager leads the staff team that is provided with good training, support and supervision to give staff the competencies to meet the needs of children.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager has not always ensured that her actions in relation to potential safeguarding incidents have taken place in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection of the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to 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 person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1) and (2)(a)(vii)) 23/06/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This is the first inspection of this home since registration. Children receive good and consistent care from staff who understand the children’s needs and vulnerabilities. This understanding has enabled children to settle into their new home and start making progress in a relatively short time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress with education and both attend school. One child attends the school attached to the home, while another child attends a local school. They are both doing well, and this amounts to very good progress from their respective starting points at the home, as these children’s education has previously been disrupted. A social worker for one child stated, ‘She now attends school daily [and] gets ready for school. There has been a big improvement as she was not engaging in education prior to this home.’ The registered manager and staff recognise the crucial importance to children of good school attendance and achievement. Consequently, they have developed a clear culture and ethos of promoting and supporting the education of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The health and well-being needs of children are a priority for the registered manager Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 4 and staff. Children are registered with local primary healthcare professionals and attend appointments, accompanied by staff when required. Some children who struggle to engage with health professionals receive support and encouragement to allay any worries or anxieties to help them to access good healthcare provision. Some children have previously smoked tobacco and, since moving to the home, their use of tobacco has decreased considerably. The children enjoy good diets that are balanced and varied, and the children, in collaboration with staff, develop the menus. The registered manager and staff benefit from the services of a clinical psychologist working with them to help to meet the emotional and psychological needs of children. The psychologist holds regular meetings with the staff team, in which they discuss the children individually and develop

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the way in which staff will care for the children to help them with emotions and behaviour. These meetings develop the skills and knowledge of the staff group so it is better informed regarding the emotions that can so often drive challenging behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff provide very good emotional and practical support to enable children to see their families and those important to them. Some children have ambivalent and, at times, emotional relationships with family members. The staff are aware of this and help to prepare children for visits with their family. They supervise such visits and support the children emotionally following visits. Family meetings take place within clearly agreed plans, and arrangements are closely supervised and monitored. This ensures that family visits are in the best interests of the children and balance children’s needs to see their families with ensuring their safety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager completes robust assessment and planning prior to children moving to the home. The assessments incorporate the views from key agencies working with the child. The registered manager has discussions with previous carers and completes an objective assessment of the staff team’s ability to provide good care, which also includes an overview of the impact that this placement would have on children already resident at the home. This leads to effective transition for the child moving to the home, at a pace that is suitable for them, and provides them and other children with the optimum chance of a successful move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well furnished and comfortable. Children quickly feel relaxed in their home. The children’s bedrooms are furnished and decorated as the children wish and reflect their tastes and interests. Additionally, the children now have pets ─ a rabbit and guinea pigs ─ which they enjoy very much. Staff support the children in the care of these pets; this helps children to develop a sense of responsibility.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The views of children are a priority for the registered manager and staff. The children have regular meetings with staff and provide their views and opinions regarding all aspects of their care. The children have also produced a development plan for the home, which sets out the main priorities that the children have over the next six months for the home. The children know how to complain and receive support from an independent advocacy service. This demonstrates that children’s views and rights are respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from good and nurturing relationships with the staff caring for them. Staff enjoy the time that they spend with the children. For example, mealtimes are fun Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 5 and interactive. Staff bake cakes with children, and there is a lot of laughter. One child stated, ‘Staff let you know they have time for you.’ Consequently, in a relatively short period, relationships are strong, and this provides a positive indication that the children will remain settled and make progress.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff have completed strong behaviour support plans for children. Plans detail the behaviours of children that require specific support and guidance. The staff understand and implement these plans, and this helps to improve behaviour. The staff have used physically restrictive interventions to prevent children from harming themselves or others. These physical interventions take place proportionately to the situation. The registered manager ensures that the child involved has individual work carried out with them regarding their feelings and emotions over the incident. The staff involved receive a thorough debrief. This information is utilised by the registered manager and staff to learn valuable lessons that may prevent future incidents and help the child to progress behaviourally.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff keep children safe. They understand the risks and vulnerabilities of children and take effective action to keep them safe. For example, during the inspection, one child tried to leave the home against the wishes of staff. Staff were able to dissuade the child from leaving the site for several hours. They were successful and the child returned home. The child reported, ‘Staff stood there, not letting me go because they knew I wouldn’t be safe.’ The registered manager and staff work in partnership well with other agencies, specifically the local authority. This good inter-agency communication and coordination of plans help to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The registered manager and staff do not tolerate bullying between children. Staff carry out work with children regarding relationships and respecting each other. This has led to a positive relationship existing between the children. The difference in age between the children has not lead to conflict or frustration; instead, there is patience and kindness. This has led to both children enjoying a good and caring relationship.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Prospective new staff coming to work at the home undergo a rigorous employment process. This includes criminal history checks, references, exploration of full employment history and cross-referencing of information. This helps to minimise the risk to children of harm being perpetrated by those caring for them. Staff receive regular training and development in relation to safeguarding and child protection and they understand what actions to take should they be concerned for the safety of a child or behaviour of a colleague. This practice helps to keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The medication administration systems are safe and robust. Staff have completed medication training, which includes both the administration and safe storage of medicines. The manager completes daily checks and audits to prevent mistakes from occurring with children’s medication. Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 6 The registered manager has not always acted in accordance with the policy and procedures of the organisation in relation to safeguarding. Following a child making an allegation against a staff member, then immediately retracting the allegation, the manager did not demonstrate how she had satisfied herself that there was no substance to the allegation. Additionally, internal guidance was not referred to when deciding in what circumstances a risk assessment was required. Safeguarding policies and procedures are crucial in guiding the practice of the registered manager and staff in keeping children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is qualified and experienced. She has been instrumental in developing this home prior to registration and she has a child-centred approach and is very committed. The manager is well liked and respected by staff who report that she is open and approachable and works collaboratively with staff to improve services to children. The registered manager receives a great deal of support from senior managers within the organisation and colleagues within the wider management team. The manager has a clear vision for taking the home forward, and the staff team shares this vision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the individual plans for children. The registered manager completes the initial plans for children when they move to the home. She then works with staff to ensure that the plans receive regular updates to reflect the changing needs of the children. The manager attends planning meetings, regularly consults with key professionals and attends the consultation meetings held with the clinical psychologist. This approach to managing the children’s plans demonstrates diligence from a manager who knows the children and their plans extremely well and means that she can advocate for what is in the children’s best interests.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff starting with the organisation receive a tailored induction programme that equips them to provide good and safe care to children. The oversight and guidance provided to new staff is good. They receive training in crucial areas, such as safeguarding, restraint training and health and safety. This training is complemented further with more specialised training and development in areas such as trauma and managing self-harmful behaviour. This helps new staff to feel equipped and confident in their ability to provide good care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from staff that receive regular professional supervision, support and guidance. Supervisions between the staff and supervisors take place monthly. The structured supervision agenda ensures that the safety and well-being of children takes precedent. The staff member has their overall performance discussed, together with their training and development needs. In addition to regular supervision, staff members have annual developmental appraisals. These review training that they have completed and any gaps in training that can assist the staff member in their overall development. This means that children receive good care provided to them by skilled staff, equipped with the training and knowledge to provide good, consistent care. Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 7 The staff benefit and enjoy regular team meetings. Individual staff report that these meetings are helpful and they feel confident to raise any issues, knowing that their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

comments are valued and treated seriously. Staff members have mutually respectful relationships that are positive and constructive. This supports the team to reflect on its care practice with children, and this provides a further opportunity to improve care practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality assurance monitoring systems both internally and externally are effective in identifying strengths and relative areas for improvement. The home receives a monthly visit from an independent visitor who provides the registered manager with a report. This, together with information from the children and professionals, assists the manager to identify any potential problems and take action to put these matters right.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caldecott Foundation Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caldecott Fostering Ltd, Riverside Campus, Thanet Way, Chestfield, Kent CT5 3JQ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnett

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Inspector

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1244117 9 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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