Children's home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Tewkesbury

Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 1 SC059437 Registered provider: Crossways Care Ltd

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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 children’s home was set up by a small private company which is now part of a large national care provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people of either gender, who may have emotional and/or 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 requires improvement to be good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 31 January 2017

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff team has high aspirations for the young people. With the help of staff, young people take part in a variety of activities, social groups and community projects that are linked to their ambitions. Young people grow in confidence and resilience.  Managers and staff understand how to keep young people safe and how to help young people manage risks. Young people have set the staff team some challenges. However, these have decreased significantly and young people are not going missing.  A stable workforce provides the young people with good-quality care. As a result, young people make good progress from their starting points. Young people are happy and safe in the home and cared for by staff that know and understand them well.  A newly appointed manager demonstrates a commitment to improving the recording and reviewing systems used in the home.  Staff feel very well supported by the new manager and are looking forward to

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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

 Leaders and managers must ensure that they follow the principles of safer recruitment.  Supervision must be provided to all staff on a regular basis.  Development of the home must be informed through more meaningful consultation with young people, family and stakeholders.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/06/2016 Full Good 09/09/2015 Full Good 26/05/2015 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7(1)(c)(2)(a)(iv)) 27/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

Fitness of workers The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(3)(d)) 27/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. Demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. In particular, ensure staff receive regular supervision to guide them in their role. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)(g)(ii)) 27/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The newly appointed manager and her staff team make a home that the young people feel comfortable in. Young people speak positively of the staff team, saying ‘they are like family’. Safe, warm and homely rooms are personalised and reflect the young people’s choices and individuality. A strength of the home is the trusting relationships that young people form with the staff. Staff know each young person well and have high aspirations for them. Staff encourage young people to participate in a variety of activities that are designed to broaden their experiences and to develop their skills. For example, one young person really enjoys fishing and plans to work as a marine biologist. The staff have been proactive in identifying learning opportunities and fun days out to help this young person achieve their ambitions. Staff recognise the importance of school in improving young people’s lives. Both young people who live in the home are supported to attend and achieve at school. Attendance

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and achievement rates are very good. One young person has now completed school and plans to begin college and study forensic science. The staff work hard to establish effective links with the families of the young people, the young people’s friends and the local community. Young people enjoy regular, positive time with their families. They also take part in charity events and regularly bake cakes and share them with local businesses. These positive relationships help the young people as they move on from the home and when they are away from the home without supervision. Young people are cared for by a stable and qualified staff team that knows the young people well. This means that staff respond to the young people consistently well. Despite an unsettled period for one young person, episodes of challenging behaviour, the use of physical intervention and young people going missing from the home have significantly

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

reduced. Warm and sensitive responses from the staff mean that young people grow in confidence and learn to respond more maturely. Care plans and other documents that detail the needs of the young people are in good order. They provide all of the required information, and regular updates mean that support and care remain informed and current. Records indicate that both young people are in good health and are supported to attend all necessary health appointments. The staff understand the importance of working collaboratively with professionals, and feedback about the quality of care from one professional is very positive. Young people are actively involved in the running and development of the home. Unfortunately, there is insufficient evidence of young people and their families’ views being routinely captured. A requirement is made to ensure that consultation is more evident and meaningful. Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 5

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improvement to be good

The home offers a safe environment for the young people to live in. The manager and staff take responsibility to ensure that building checks and risk assessments are up to date. Behaviour plans and risk assessments provide the required detail about each young person, including what may trigger their behaviour to become challenging. Staff make practical use of the documents and use regular support from the company psychologist to help the young people manage their anxieties and worries. Staff are clear that they want to avoid using physical intervention and, instead, focus on positive behaviour management strategies. As a result, young people are making very good progress in respect of their behaviours. For example, young people are enjoying small but frequent periods away from the home without supervision. As a result, episodes of young people going missing from home are not a concern. The use of sanctions has decreased significantly. Staff, with the agreement of the young

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improvement to be good

people, use an appropriate range of restorative measures. Young people are responding much more sympathetically and learning from their actions. The manager implements an effective child protection policy, and the staff have a clear understanding of this. As a result, there is consistency in the approach staff take to managing risk, reporting concerns and sharing information. One young person spoke very positively about their relationships with the staff, saying ‘I feel safe’ and ‘staff keep me safe because they are honest and give me advice’. The manager and staff work hard to ensure that young people do not come into contact with inappropriate adults. Visitors are supervised in the home and staff make sure that they know the whereabouts of young people when they leave the home. Recruitment of new staff is in the main very safe. However, on one occasion the home’s safer recruitment policy was not applied. The young people were not placed at risk and the

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improvement to be good

member of staff is no longer working for the company. A requirement is made to ensure that safer recruitment procedures are followed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A newly appointed manager demonstrates a commitment to improving the outcomes of the young people and home. After a period of change in management, the staff are enjoying the consistency and stability the new manager brings. Staff speak very positively of the new manager, saying ‘she’s supportive and proactive’ and ‘we receive really good support’. The manager leads the home with enthusiasm and is extremely motivated. Systems in place to monitor the quality of care, for example reviewing and evaluating records and observing practice, are efficient. The manager is just beginning to collate data by using the new electronic behaviour management tool. Early signs of its effectiveness are positive. The manager has a clear vision for the home and is excited about driving forward Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 6 improvements. A development plan and workforce development plan identify these improvements. However, this document is in its infancy and lacks evidence of how

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

consultation and supervision of staff is informing its production. Collaborative practice takes place between the manager and all other professionals. A social worker spoke very positively of how helpful this is. Records scrutinised confirm that all assessments and plans are updated regularly and are ratified by the local authority responsible for each young person. The statement of purpose is up to date and clearly describes the home and the approaches it takes to support young people. The children’s guide is informative and useful for young people when they move into the home. Regular team meetings with the added attendance of the company psychologist mean that staff feel supported. They say that they receive ‘plenty’ of training and supervision by the manager. However, on scrutiny of records, it is clear that staff are not receiving supervision in line with the statement of purpose. A requirement is, therefore, made to

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

ensure that supervision takes place regularly to guide staff in their role and develop their potential.

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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 who 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: SC059437 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Crossways Care Ltd, Unit B2, Elmbridge Court, Cheltenham Road East, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL3 1JZ

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine Cameron

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC059437 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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