Children's Home run by Crossways Care Ltd in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 1 SC452009 Registered provider: Crossways Care Ltd

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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 privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 17 to 18 September 2018

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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 good

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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

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/06/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/06/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 3

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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

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority, to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(vii)) 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation (3)(a)) 30/11/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person lives in a home that is safe, homely and provides him with space to grow and develop. Staff have paid attention to detail in respect of furnishings and design, which means that the young person has personalised space that he is proud of and that very much reflects his individuality. Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 4 The young person has made steady progress in all areas since living in the home. Going to school, making friends and having increasingly positive time with family members has meant the young person has grown in confidence and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An extremely stable and experienced staff team provides the young person with consistently good-quality care. Staff know the young person very well and have been able to help the young person settle, feel secure and begin to make progress. There has been a significant reduction in times when the young person is upset and anxious. The social worker speaks positively of the growth and progress the young person has made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person attends school regularly. He is making progress and enjoying the learning opportunities. The school is due to close and this will have a detrimental effect on the young person’s sense of feeling settled. There has been no alternative school identified.

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

Staff provide the young person with a safe place to live. Outside play is seen as an important part of the young person’s day. All staff have a good understanding of his needs and use well-written and clear risk assessments that support his safety inside and outside of the home.

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

Going missing from the home is not a behaviour of this young person. Nevertheless, staff do have a good understanding of how to follow procedures if this were to happen.

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

Staff spend a lot of time using play to help the young person relax and talk through any worries or anxieties. Their understanding of the young person’s life experiences leads to compassionate, proportionate and warm responses from staff, resulting in the young person learning from his experiences.

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

The use of physical intervention to support the young person has reduced. Records are well written and provide details of how staff support the young person before, during and after the event.

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

Serious incidents are rare. When they take place, the registered manager and staff respond appropriately and share information with all professionals involved.

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

The inspector was aware during this inspection of a serious incident in relation to the young person’s school. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, the inspector considered the actions taken by the home in response to the incident alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the judgement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a qualified and has been in this role for several years. Since the last inspection, he has continued to seek learning opportunities to develop his Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 5 knowledge. He is experienced and has a strong commitment to improving the outcomes for the young person. He leads a team of staff that has high aspirations for the young person, a good understanding of his needs and that is motivated and passionate in the support it provides. Relationships between the young person and staff are sincere and positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has remained very stable since the last inspection, with very few changes. Except for one member of staff, they are all qualified and experienced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff spoke favourably of the support they receive through regular supervision, training opportunities and clinical input at team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates a real strength when advocating for the young person. A well-written SWOT analysis produced by the registered manager is used to evaluate the young person’s progress and incorporated in the young person’s meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and reviewing takes place regularly. An internal audit recently undertaken did highlight several areas that require some attention. The registered manager has begun to address these areas, and an action plan is in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the children’s home has been taken over by another company, and the registered manager has been working to ensure that all policies and procedures are updated to reflect the changes. The inspector noted the statement of purpose requires updating and submitting to Ofsted.

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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: SC452009 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Keys Group, Maybrook House, Queensway, Halesowen, Worcestershire B63 4AH

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC452009 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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