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

Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 1 SC466284 Registered provider: The Caldecott Organisation

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a registered charity.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children make exceptional progress in all areas of their lives. This is attributable to the excellent care and support that they receive from staff and managers.  Children engage extremely well in education and make strong progress in relation to their learning.  Children learn to manage their own behaviours particularly well. They feel safe and state that staff protect them from harm.  Children learn how to interact positively with their peers. They enjoy a wide range of social activities. This increases their self-esteem and confidence. Children have opportunities to see their family members and those important to them. Staff fully support this and provide both practical and emotional support to children.  Children make very positive transitions. There have been no unplanned placement endings. Children have either returned to live with family members or with foster carers. Such positive outcomes are testament to the high-quality support that

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Key findings from this inspection

children receive.  The registered manager is an inspirational and highly regarded leader. She has a very inclusive approach and is commended by professionals for her excellent communication skills. She and her team are very determined advocates for children.  Research-informed practice underpins all of the work done to support children. There is clear evidence of how this is leading to outstanding outcomes for children and young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 03/08/2016 Full Good 15/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make significant progress in all areas of their lives. They grow in confidence and self-esteem and display fewer potentially harmful behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

One child experienced numerous placement moves before living in this home. His independent reviewing officer stated, ‘The progress he has made has been the best he has made in the whole time of being in care.’ This view is supported by his social worker, who stated, ‘It was the best decision we made, to place him at this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children engage extremely well in education and training. They have all experienced extreme difficulties prior to moving to this home. These difficulties include being excluded from mainstream classes due to behavioural issues and not feeling able to cope with large classroom settings. All children now fully engage in their education and training. Some attend the on-site education provision. Others attend local mainstream schools and colleges. Staff advocated forcefully for one child to access a mainstream school. They challenged schools and the placing authority. They also secured an independent advocate to support the child with their appeal. This demonstrates how committed the staff are to ensuring that children re-engage with education. A local school representative said, ‘The staff are excellent. I cannot fault them in the support they provide to the young person and the school.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Detailed initial assessments are undertaken for those children attending the on-site education provision. The teacher works closely with the registered manager to consider children’s educational histories, care plans and risk assessments. They ensure that plans reflect the needs of each child and support them very well with their social and educational learning needs. One child previously could not cope in mainstream education and large classes. He is now often the first pupil to arrive in class each day. This reflects the skill and commitment of education and care staff in re-engaging children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive excellent healthcare support. An independent clinical psychologist is employed to support staff and managers to meet children’s highly complex needs. She visits the home every week and undertakes case management and therapy sessions with the team. She assists in setting and reviewing therapeutically based targets. She stated, ‘The staff are all fantastic. This home provides some of the best childcare I have seen. Staff are reflective and very competent in managing some very difficult and challenging behaviours.’ Staff also ensure that children receive external specialist counselling and support. A support worker from a local child and adolescent mental health team stated that a child ‘is making fantastic progress. He is shining. The staff work extremely well with us to ensure he is getting all the support and help he needs.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff fully support children to keep in touch with family, friends and those important to them. Staff supervise contact meetings, even when they take place some considerable distance from the home. The staff provide excellent feedback to placing social workers. One social worker noted how invaluable this information has been in relation to ongoing Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 4 court proceedings. Staff realise the huge impact that seeing family members can have on children and young people. They help them to regulate their emotions and behaviours before and after contact. They provide a secure base for them from which to express any concerns or worries that they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff understand the emotional impact that transitions can have on children and adapt their plans accordingly. One child is currently being supported as they prepare to move on from the home. Staff have devised a flexible transition plan that increases the independence skills of the child at a pace that they can manage.

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

Children and young people feel extremely well protected and safe. There have been no missing from care incidents for a considerable period of time. Local police officers speak very highly of the staff and the very positive work done to support young people to be safe. One young person had a prolific history of missing incidents. A police officer said, ‘This home and this young person are not on my radar now. The staff have supported the young person to eradicate their missing incidents. This is by far one of the better children’s homes we work with.’

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

Children and young people have clear and detailed behaviour management plans and risk assessments. Staff closely monitor and track all relevant incidents. They meet weekly with the clinical psychologist to consider any necessary changes to plans or targets. A social worker reflected on the significant changes in a child’s ability to manage their emotions. They stated that frustration or anger had previously led to extreme violent outbursts. The child is now able to self-regulate and has more effective coping strategies.

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

Staff take any reported incidents of bullying, or other forms of harassment or discrimination, very seriously. Focused work is undertaken with relevant children to address any such issues. Staff undertake training in relation to radicalisation and extremism. They demonstrate excellent skills in the identification and management of any such concerns. Children and young people are able to voice their concerns but there have been no formal complaints recorded for some considerable time. One young person, when asked how they would score the care and support that they receive, said, ‘I would give the home 1000 out of 10.’

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

Staff use physical interventions as a last resort. They do so with skill and sensitivity. They discuss the use of restraints with children and debrief as a team following incidents. Management oversight of restraint is excellent. The manager considers all incident reports and analyses patterns of concerning behaviours. Further monitoring and review of risk assessments take place in the weekly case management meetings. Over time, children and young people learn how to manage their emotions more safely, reducing the need for physical interventions. Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is an inspirational and committed leader. She is supported by equally committed and talented deputy managers and care staff. She sets consistently high expectations for the children and young people in her care. She acts as a strong advocate for their needs. She regularly challenges placing authorities and other agencies to meet their duties. She has extensive experience and is well qualified to perform the role of manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

High staffing levels reflect the complex needs of children and young people. Staff work as a cohesive and united team around each child. They want the very best for each child and take great pride in their achievements. Staff celebrate the achievements of each child daily. Each child and young person has a photo album and memory books. These contain photos and memorabilia and provide a lovely keepsake.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Communication is a key strength of the staff team. The manager and staff place high value on information sharing with involved professionals. They ensure consistency of care and support and fight for the rights of each child. This advocacy leads to children feeling hugely valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive excellent supervision, training and professional development opportunities. The manager actively encourages staff to take on additional responsibilities. She has also devised an induction plan for new deputy managers recently. This includes their undertaking research and sharing their findings with the staff team. There is a strong learning culture in this home, led by the manager. She said, ‘My staff are the leaders and managers of the future and I want to equip them to take the next step.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A detailed development plan sets out the manager’s plans for the coming year. She regularly reviews and updates it. Impressively, she has also encouraged the staff team to devise their own development plan. This sets out their aspirations and goals for the coming year. Staff have been given lead roles to ensure that agreed actions are completed. There is also a children’s development plan, created by the children. It includes requests to be involved in fundraising events and having a buddy system in place for new children. The manager meets with children, formally, throughout the year to consider progress on their plans. Such practices reflect the total commitment of the manager to engaging staff and children in the operation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager undertakes an annual risk assessment of the location of the home. This is to ensure that all actual or potential risks are known and managed. The manager has also undertaken individual risk assessments of the location for each child and young person. She is keen to understand the risks that are specific to each child. This is further evidence of a manager who places the needs of children and young people at the centre of all her management responsibilities. Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 6

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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: SC466284 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Caldecott Organisation

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caldecott House, Smeeth, Ashford TN25 6SP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnett

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Inspector

Tracy Murty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC466284 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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