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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 1 SC477209 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home specialises in providing a therapeutic environment for young people who display sexually harmful behaviours. A private company manages this home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have a committed and caring staff team looking after them.  Managers and staff demonstrate a positive attitude to supporting and maintaining young people‟s placements.  Young people make good educational progress.  A close working partnership with therapists helps staff to understand young people‟s needs.  Risks associated with young people going missing from care are reduced.  Staff support young people to maintain links with family members.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Weaknesses in the physical standard of the home do not support a nurturing environment.  The independent visitor reports can contain inaccurate information, which goes unchallenged.  The registered manager has not ensured that missing from care protocols reflect the specific requirements of the placing authority.  The registered manager has not had sufficient oversight of the physical intervention records.  The registered manager has not made sure that young people‟s individual health needs are met.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2016 Full Good 25/01/2016 Full Good 28/09/2015 Full Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 3

p.2

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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children‟s home‟s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. To ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation (6)(1)(a), (2)(b)(viii)(c)(i)) 31/12/2017

p.3

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the name of the child; details of the child‟s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; the date, time and location of the use of the measure; a description of the measure and its duration; details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used; the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(b)(c)) 31/12/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 4

p.3

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that each child‟s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children‟s home an environment that supports children‟s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home‟s Statement of Purpose. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  Ensure that the registered person specifies the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from home without permission and how the staff should support the staff on return to the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  Ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make rigorous and impartial assessment of the home‟s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the

p.4

Recommendations

home‟s care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 65, paragraph 15.5)

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are cared for by a committed and caring team of staff who understand their individual needs. Staff ensure that clear and detailed placement plans help to identify young people‟s everyday care needs. As a result, young people receive individualised care and support.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a „never give up‟ attitude and want the very best for the young people in their care. A social worker told the inspectors, „Staff have really worked well to develop a relationship with (young person). They show consistency and put boundaries in place, which has benefited him.‟ One young person told the inspectors, „The staff are good‟. These positive relationships support young people to make progress across all aspects of their development.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with schools. For example, staff provided one-to-one support so that a young person was not excluded from school. Another young person has consistently achieved 100% school attendance as a result of staff encouragement. This means that young people are actively supported to achieve at school.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have good access to healthcare. For example, staff ensure that young people have immediate access to specialist services that respond to their needs. Therapists guide and train staff to model positive parenting. This helps to improve young people‟s emotional and physical well-being. Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 5 Staff value and promote the cultural needs of individual young people. For example, one young person liked a particular food from his home area. Staff ensured that they sourced it for him. During a young person‟s move to independent living, staff helped the young person to identify positive religious links for him in his new home‟s location. This increased his support network, post-placement, and ensured that his religious needs were met.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take part in varied activities of their choice on a daily basis. These include football, go-karting and visits to the cinema. Staff recognise the importance of social experiences in helping to increase young people‟s self-esteem.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to express their views on issues that affect them. They do this through regular house meetings and key-work sessions. Because of this commitment to participation, young people feel listened to and valued.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively support young people to keep links with family members. This includes transporting young people over long distances.

p.5

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

Young people can sometimes display extremely challenging behaviours. Clear and updated risk assessments aid the staff to have an in-depth understanding of the behaviour management techniques required to keep young people safe. Young people are consulted regarding their perception of risk. This helps them to understand the actions that staff will take to keep them safe.

p.5

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

All staff have undertaken safeguarding training. This is updated in line with organisational requirements. All staff are trained in the use of physical restraint. Staff have had specialist training regarding awareness of child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and extremism. This means that staff have the skills necessary to protect the young people in their care.

p.5

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

Incidents of missing from care are rare and are showing a sharp decrease, for some young people. For example, one young person‟s missing from care incidents have reduced from almost daily to less than once a month. Staff follow the missing from care protocols whenever young people go missing from the home. However, the registered manager has not ensured that the protocols used by staff meet the specific requirements of the placing authority. This means that staff are not clear about the expectations of the young person‟s home local authority when they are missing. Young people receive an independent interview when they return home. This helps staff to understand the reasons why a young person has gone missing.

p.5

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

Staff are safely recruited to ensure that anyone employed is safe to work with young people.

p.5

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

Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure that the home is physically safe. However, the overall condition of the home does not promote a nurturing, homely Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 6 environment for young people. For example, there is a lack of personalisation throughout, and general maintenance is poor. As a result, young people do not value and respect their home environment.

p.5

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

The registered manager has been employed at this home since 2016. He holds a diploma level 5 in for health and social care.

p.6

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

An independent person undertakes monthly visits to the home. The registered manager has not maintained sufficient oversight of these reports or challenged the contents when they have inaccurate information. This means that the reports do not effectively evaluate the safety and quality of care that young people receive.

p.6

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

The registered manager has not ensured that he has oversight of all areas of young people‟s records. For example, physical intervention records do not contain sufficient detail of the incident or follow-up action by the staff. Neither has the registered manager implemented systems to review and evaluate young people‟s health needs, for example, a young person‟s dietary needs. This means that staff are less able to support young people to achieve healthy lifestyles.

p.6

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

Staff receive regular supervision in line with organisational policy. For example, supervisions contain a balance of practice issues and personal development. Staff attend weekly meetings with the home‟s allocated therapist. This provides additional support regarding individual young people‟s progress and behaviours. It also supports planning for individual key work. This means that staff receive consistent guidance. Staff report that this increases their understanding of how to support young people.

p.6

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

The statement of purpose is regularly updated, and it accurately details the home‟s aims and objectives. It is reviewed with staff during supervision. This ensures that staff are clear on organisational objectives. It also means that stakeholders receive current and accurate information regarding the home.

p.6

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

Staff have strong links with therapists, police, social workers and teachers. One social worker told inspectors that they are „really impressed at the timeliness of reports and the weekly chronology‟. They said that they are reassured by the positive working relationship with staff. This is important to them, as the young person is placed at distance from their home authority. Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 7

p.6

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.

p.7

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: SC477209 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited, Company number 05952454

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspectors

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Michelle Moss, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC477209 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9