Children's home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 1 SC477724 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited Company Number 05952454

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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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is part of a private organisation.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have built close bonds that are based on the principles of respect and trust, with a nurturing and consistent staff team.  Healthcare planning is rigorous and effective. Young people are supported sensitively to access specialist services for their emotional and physical health needs.  Education attendance and attainment is significantly improved. Young people attend mainstream schools having previously accessed specialist educational provision.  All young people are encouraged and supported to access positive structured activities and explore their interests and talents.  Young people have developed ways to reduce problematic behaviours and become increasingly safe, in the home and the community.  Risk management plans are detailed. All plans include the current risks and clear strategies for staff to follow.  A competent, experienced and child-centred manager leads the home. A strong

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Key findings from this inspection

deputy manager supports him.  Leaders and staff are provided with intensive support and regular input from a therapeutic partner agency to meet the complex behavioural needs of young people at the home.  Leaders work together in supporting the staff team to deliver a high standard of care to young people, who are making good progress across all aspects of their development.  Placing authorities, families and young people have provided positive feedback about the home.

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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 independent visitor to the home does not sufficiently demonstrate that the opinions of staff, children and relatives have been sought. The reports do not provide a conclusion as to whether the visitor feels that young people are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes young people’s well-being.  Leaders and staff have demonstrated sufficient challenge to other professionals when plans for young people are subject to delay. Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/12/2016 Full Good 04/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 4

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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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure that children’s needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person, if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home. The independent person must produce a report about the visit that sets out the independent person’s opinions as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 44 (2)(a)(4)(a)(b)) 31/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff at the home work hard to build strong and positive relationships with young people. They have developed structured but nurturing routines to help young people build a sense of stability and security in their home. Young people are provided with a guide to the home that is personalised to suit their individual interests. Regular meetings take place where young people are encouraged to provide their views on their day-to- day care arrangements. There is evidence that those views are taken seriously and responded to appropriately, which enhances relationships between young people and staff. One independent reviewing officer said, ‘The home do a really good job with the young person and have settled him really well. He speaks very positively about the staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people with a history of difficulties in engaging at educational settings have made significant improvement in their attendance and attainment. One young person has been supported intensively to return to full-time mainstream education. Staff from the home and their therapeutic partner service have provided training for teaching staff to ensure that the needs of the young people are accommodated when they are at school. When there have been resourcing difficulties in educational settings, staff have attended with young people. This has resulted in positive school reports and increased expectations in academic achievement. This is excellent progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are registered with local healthcare services and attend routine appointments. Staff also ensure that any specialist health needs are addressed. One young person has been supported to address a range of unmet healthcare needs including speech and language therapy, physiotherapy and optician appointments. Staff are pro-active in ensuring that young people lead an active lifestyle and have a balanced diet. Medication is administered efficiently and staff complete regular audits to ensure that arrangements are robust.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are encouraged and supported to access positive structured activities and explore their interests and talents. Young people are accessing local youth groups, an athletics club, cricket and horse-riding activities. Staff use creative methods to engage young people in educational trips to castles and other attractions. This enhances their emotional well-being and social development. When appropriate, young people are encouraged to cook and undertake basic household tasks to promote their independence in an age-appropriate way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to have regular contact with people who are important to them. Staff are receptive to the needs of families and provide regular updates and pictures for parents. One parent said, ‘They have been absolutely fantastic with him. Couldn’t wish for a better place for him.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 6

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

The setting has had no serious incidents or events that have required notification to Ofsted. There have been no allegations since the last inspection. One young person made a complaint that the manager dealt with promptly and the young person was happy with the outcome. Supervision levels agreed with placing authorities and families are very high and young people do not attempt to abscond. Staff are effectively trained in safeguarding procedures and know how to raise a concern if necessary.

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

Staff work closely with a partner therapeutic service to identify and plan each child’s individual behaviour management strategies. Using research-based principles in their practice, staff help young people to learn healthier ways to express their emotions. This includes therapeutic reading and an empowering and progressive approach to risk management. This has reduced the frequency and severity of incidents of negative behaviour. When incidents do occur, they are well-managed and recorded appropriately, and a de-brief with both staff and young people takes place. Subsequently, physical interventions and presenting challenging behaviour have decreased substantially, and this has been sustained over a prolonged period. Young people are supported to become increasingly safe at home and in the community. They have made considerable progress in being able to access community resources and enjoy appropriate levels of

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

independence. This is outstanding progress.

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

Risk management is excellent and staff are very knowledgeable about the young people in their care. Placing authorities and parents feel that young people are safe. Leaders and staff successfully achieve a very careful balance of affording young people appropriate freedom, without compromising their safety. Staff ensure that young people are educated about internet safety and supervised in accordance with agreed plans. The physical environment in the home is regularly checked for hazards and fire safety arrangements are robust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A qualified manager who has considerable experience of working in residential childcare settings manages the home. A committed and competent deputy manager supports him. Staff report that the setting is well managed and say they feel supported to carry out their roles effectively. Leaders ensure the team is supervised regularly and supported to deliver a high standard of care for the young people at the home. The home has had some recent resourcing difficulties but they have been well managed. There has been no detrimental impact on the young people due to the dedication of the core staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from frequent training opportunities, which provides them with the necessary skills to care for young people with complex behavioural needs. The home works in partnership with a therapeutic service that provides regular intensive support to both young people and staff. Leaders hold team meetings that enable staff to contribute their views in care planning and behaviour management for young people. Care planning processes are comprehensive and subject to regular review. As a result, young people Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 7 are making good progress across all aspects of their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is evidence of good standards of monitoring and evaluation of practice standards in the home. The manager has implemented a new monitoring system, which will provide greater ease in identifying patterns and trends of incidents and behavioural issues. However, the independent visitor to the home does not routinely evidence consultation with young people and staff or provide an opinion on whether young people are safeguarded. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff work positively with placing authorities and other services. One social worker said, ‘The home are very good at communicating. It is very welcoming and homely. They show good interaction and encouragement with the young person and prepare well for reviews.’ On occasions, some plans have not been produced in a timely manner by the placing authority. Leaders have requested them but have not asserted sufficient professional challenge. This has not yet had a detrimental impact on the progress of young people. A requirement is made to address this matter. The service is meeting the aims and objectives as outlined in the statement of purpose.

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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 differences 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: SC477724 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bank House, Market Square, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 1ET

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Inspector

Nicola Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC477724 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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