Children's home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Ashford

Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 1 SC064081 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

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It 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 good

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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: Requires improvement

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None

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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

 Young people make exceptional progress as a result of the strong and nurturing relationships with staff. Young people enjoy positive attachments with those Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 2 who care for them, and feel safe in their surroundings. Staff actively listen to staff, and young people feel listened to.  Young people’s plans are highly individualised and provide a clear overview of their experiences prior to moving into the home. They highlight their key family members and relationships, and focus on young people’s individual culture and identity. The plans include the young person’s voice throughout and identify their skills and abilities alongside their goals and targets.  All young people attend education full time, either within the organisation’s school or in the local community; for some, this is a significant achievement. Staff liaise and work closely with education professionals to ensure positive

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Key findings from this inspection

outcomes and continued attendance. Daily contact with key school staff helps with transitions and with the understanding of what issues may be affecting the young person, allowing for flexibility with timetables if necessary.  Young people have a strong presence and a fantastic time in the local community, with all engaged in community or school based clubs. Young people are positive about their activities away from the home and have formed some strong friendships, in addition to increasing their confidence.  The staff and management teams have worked extremely hard to improve practice since the last inspection, particularly with regards to safeguarding. Processes are now more rigorous and records are detailed. Any child protection concerns have been reported swiftly to appropriate agencies. A safeguarding culture is evident within all practice in the home without it becoming overbearing or institutionalised.

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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

 Extremely comprehensive plans and assessments are in place for young people should they be missing from care. However, because of the amount of information and the level of detail within these plans, the steps that staff should take in response to a young person going missing are not immediately clear.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/03/2017 Full Requires improvement 17/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/11/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 3

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Recommendations

 The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission and how staff should support the child on return to the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45 paragraph 9.28). In particular, the specific actions that staff should take should be quickly and easily identifiable within plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress as a result of living in this safe and caring home. Relationships between staff and young people are warm and nurturing, and young people’s demeanour shows they are comfortable in their surroundings. Young people seek out staff to spend time with, to help them with issues or problems, or simply to sit with and play games or watch television.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are actively involved in the formulation of their plans. Staff consult young people on how well they feel they have progressed and what areas they would like to develop more. Younger children in the home have a separate plan. These plans are easier for them to digest; they are more colourful and clearly explain how the home will care for them. Plans identify where the young person has added to their plan, particularly what staff can do to make them feel better when they are upset. The young person draws a picture of what they would like to say about their plan, so that it is clear that staff have explained it to them. One young person drew a tree. The front page of each plan gives a brief history of the young person, so that this does not get lost when children move placements and so that staff know about young people’s lives prior to them moving into this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Plans include who is important in the young person’s life, and a tree of hands with family members and special people around it. Goals are clear in each section of the plan, as is the progress that young people have made. Staff have a genuine understanding of those whom they care for. For example, they recognise a love of football and the importance of owning the latest football boots for one young person, and the importance of magic tricks for another. They are aware just how important these things are for that young person’s sense of self and identity. Staff respect young people’s views on a variety of issues, advocating for them when necessary such as not wanting their parents involved in all aspects of their care. Staff support young people to convey these views in an appropriate way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people actively express their views in open-house meetings. They use these meetings to explore relationships, friendships and the dynamics of sharing a home Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 4 where everyone has different life experiences. Meetings are a safe space for young people to share their views and ideas. Older members of the group are thoughtful and accepting of the ideas expressed by younger children, even when it is obvious they do not really like these suggestions. Older young people encourage the younger children to share their ideas, demonstrating acceptance and consideration of each other.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are guided by staff to understand positive behaviour and how they can redirect some of their anger and distress. After incidents, young people engage in reflection through key-work sessions, to consider what the issue was and how they could respond differently in the future. Young people also engage in resolution meetings, which are highly effective: when interactions were becoming strained during the evening, staff were observed reminding young people what they had agreed in previous meetings. Additionally, key-work sessions include the use of pictures and other tools to work through topics with young people, for example using an outline of a person to think about what makes a good friend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All young people attend school full time either in the organisation’s school or in the community. Staff liaise effectively with education professionals to ensure that they are aware of any issues or difficulties for the young person, and how best to manage these. Young people are positive about school and attendance is high. In addition, young people are engaged in a wide range of activities in the community. Staff recognise the importance of young people having friendships and engaging in clubs in the community as ways for them to socialise and learn new skills and activities while increasing their confidence. Young people are enthusiastic about their clubs, which include drama, singing, football and Guides. Young people also spoke excitedly about their holiday over the summer break. They enjoyed the change of scenery and activities on offer. Staff were meticulous in their planning of the holiday, considering and preparing for the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

impact the change of environment may have on young people, or the memories that staying in a caravan may evoke.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people learn about healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. Staff actively promote healthy eating, with most meals cooked from scratch using fresh ingredients. Young people all shared what meals they are able to cook, and which members of staff are the best cooks. Meal times are an enjoyable, shared experience, and all tastes are catered for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff store and administer medication securely and records are checked regularly. Some young people are assessed as able to self-administer their medication, aiding their independence. Young people’s emotional well-being is actively promoted and they attend individual therapy where this is considered necessary. Staff are skilled in providing a caring and therapeutic environment, under the guidance and direction of the organisation’s clinical psychologist.

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

Young people’s actions and demeanours show that they feel safe in their home. They all identify someone they would go to if worried or upset. Observations showed staff Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 5 helping young people to reduce their anxiety to usual levels during and after an incident, ensuring that all felt safe again in their home.

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

Since the last inspection, managers and staff have worked tirelessly to improve the reporting and recording procedures for incidents of concern. Managers have devised new forms, which include a chronology of all actions and clear reference to key documents such as emails and meeting minutes. All discussions and decisions are clearly recorded and appropriate action is taken, including the suspension of staff where necessary.

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

Staff have been retrained in safeguarding and child protection. They are confident in their skills and responsibilities and can easily locate flow charts and phone numbers should they need them. Shift leaders are confident that their new planning procedures ensure that neither young people nor staff are left in vulnerable situations. Staff use observations of young people’s relationships and interactions with staff to allocate staff and, where necessary, to change those supporting young people. This reduces the risk of allegations being made against staff through young people’s frustration or distress. When investigations have been concluded, managers undertake repair meetings between staff and young people to improve relationships and to ensure that the young person knows they have been taken seriously, even when the allegation is unfounded or retracted. Both staff and young people have found this useful.

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

Individual behaviour support plans clearly identify what may cause unsettled behaviour for a young person, relating it to what they are trying to communicate. How to respond is clear, and staff are aware of the content of these plans. Staff help young people to reflect on their behaviour, and to think about what they say and what they intend to say. Where there is a risk that a young person might become distressed and attempt to harm themselves by attempting to access places of height in the community, plans are agreed with local police who will respond immediately if staff feel that they are unable to manage the situation safely. Such risk assessments are intrinsically linked to plans, providing clarity for staff and reducing the need for them to search for information in numerous documents, especially if it is an emergency or a volatile situation.

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

No young people have gone missing from care since the last inspection. However, missing from care plans are not clear enough at first glance, as some of the information is lost within the large amount of detail within the documents. This has not negatively affected young people, as no young people have gone missing since the last inspection. Staff are clear about how far young people are allowed to go within the grounds and when to support them back to the house, dependent on age and vulnerability.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is well managed by a competent and inspirational registered manager, supported by a team of motivated deputies. Staff say that they are extremely well supported in what has been a difficult and tiring journey since the last inspection. Staff feel that they have developed into a stronger and more cohesive team, that they are considering the potential consequences of their actions more consistently and that they are recognising that they are all crucial to providing aspirational and safe care. Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 6 Staff who are on probation have at least fortnightly, but usually weekly, supervision. Their probation is clearly mapped out with clear expectations at each stage. Those who are newer to the home say they have been welcomed into the team and feel it is a supportive environment. They have learned new skills and have found the training and the weekly sessions for therapeutic reflection particularly helpful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager keeps abreast of new research and developments relating to children and families, and therapeutic approaches. She disseminates this information to the staff, adapting practice where it is deemed beneficial for young people. The wider organisation is also developing a therapeutic care qualification for all staff, which will be rolled out once the modules have been finalised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team is reflective and uses monitoring from the independent visitor in addition to monthly monitoring and six-monthly evaluations. Managers constantly seek to improve the service provided for young people. They extensively monitor young people’s progress to demonstrate any improvement, however small. For example, one young person considered the possibility of attending a club, when previously it was far too daunting for them to face. A young person successfully attended school full time after a year of painstaking encouragement and support by staff. This was also achieved through close liaison with the school to accept and understand the young person’s academic, social and emotional needs. The management team monitors young people’s progress through various tools, and will request multi-disciplinary meetings should there be any concerns regarding a young person’s progress or a need for additional

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff and managers maintain close links with partner agencies. Independent reviewing officers, social workers and education staff are all extremely complimentary about the home and the support that young people receive. Joint working with the therapies team helps to determine if or when a young person is ready for individual therapy. Comprehensive assessments indicate what is needed to support a young person’s development, for instance by seeking a tutor to improve a young person’s academic skills, increase their ability to communicate clearly and improve the young person’s emotional well-being. Staff have weekly sessions with the clinical team to consider young people’s needs and to how best to support them therapeutically, in order to ensure that they feel safe and continue to make progress in their home.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 7 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: SC064081 8

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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

Jennie Christopher, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC064081 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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