Children's home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1241752 1 Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and provides care and accommodation for children and young people between the ages of 6 and 16. It is registered to provide care for up to two children or young people. The home offers care and support to young people who present with a range of emotional, behavioural and social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager has been registered with Ofsted since December 2016.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 September 2018

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1241752 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1241752 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are making excellent progress in all areas of their lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children who have previously experienced numerous placement breakdowns stabilise and become extremely settled in this home. Staff develop remarkably strong relationships with children. Children develop great trust in staff. Children are cared for in a considered and nurturing way. For one child, staffing levels have been reduced due to the significant progress that has been made.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s emotional well-being is seen as a priority by the skilled staff team. Children receive therapeutic interventions that are exceptionally well coordinated. Regular consultation between staff and the therapy team ensures that children’s behaviours are seen in the context of their troubled histories. The staff’s therapeutic and compassionate approach is a strength of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff fully understand the importance of education and fully promote children’s educational progress. One young person, who had previously not been in education for several months, is now attending school full time and engaging very well. This is a significant achievement. For another young person, difficult incidents in school have dramatically reduced. A deputy headteacher said, ‘The home are committed to linking what happens at school to the home. They support education fully. They are really proactive.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have a range of very positive experiences that enrich their lives. Children are provided with opportunities that enhance their social skills and considerably develop their self-confidence. Staff encourage children to engage in regular and varied activities. These include organising and participating in charitable fund-raising events.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are fully involved in the decisions that are made about them. Children’s views are at the heart of the home. A variety of innovative methods are used to ascertain children’s views. Staff and managers respond imaginatively to children’s suggestions. For example, a ‘Gnome garden’ and a ‘Beach room’ have been created at the request of the children.

p.3

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

Children are fully safeguarded in this home. Staff know the children exceptionally well and understand the risks relevant to them. A young person said, ‘I don’t just feel safe here, I know that I am safe.’

p.3

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

Due to the highly skilled staff team, incidents of restraint dramatically reduce as children settle into the home. Staff demonstrate an admirable ability to defuse situations calmly and quickly. A social worker said, ‘They are doing really good de-escalation work. Staff understand children’s needs and have got to know their behaviours.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1241752 4 Key-work sessions are outstanding. The sessions are creative and fully engage the child. They promote children’s understanding of relevant concerns in a fun, informative way.

p.3

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. They speak with confidence about the actions that they would take if a child was at risk. Close partnership working and highly impressive communication with a number of professionals have ensured children’s safety.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership and management are highly effective. The registered manager is ‘hands-on’ but does not lose sight of her management responsibilities. She is uncompromising in improving the lives of children and ensuring excellent standards of care.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong advocate for children. She is tenacious in ensuring that any decisions made in respect of a child are planned, well thought out and in the child’s best interest. She is an experienced, passionate and committed individual.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has developed an exceptionally positive culture in the home. Staff morale is high. Feedback from staff is overwhelmingly positive. All staff report total confidence in the manager’s leadership style. One staff member said, ‘I cannot fault the manager. She is one of the best I have ever worked for.’

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff feel extremely well supported by each other and the manager. All staff fully contribute to the successful running of the home and feel valued and respected. They are a tremendously proactive staff group. They are also knowledgeable and experienced.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular and highly effective supervision. This enables them to reflect on and develop their practice. They also attend regular team meetings and have good peer support.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has excellent monitoring and review systems in place. This ensures exceptional oversight of the progress that children are making. The manager is committed to making continued improvements and is forward thinking regarding the development of the home.

p.4

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: 1241752 5 after.

p.4

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: 1241752 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnett

p.6

Inspector

Davinia Lawton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1241752 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7