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

Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 1 SC037327 Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a children’s home providing care and accommodation for up to eight children. The home is run 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2018 Full Outstanding 05/09/2016 Full Outstanding 28/01/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(b)(3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that all members of staff provide evidence of the qualifications which they say they have previously achieved. 30/11/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive in this home and make excellent progress. Committed staff understand them extremely well. Children are nurtured and assisted to develop life skills and coping mechanisms in an impressive way. ‘The adults are the best thing here,’ said a child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Care planning is thoughtful and detailed. A culture has been established of valuing every individual, ensuring that they feel loved and celebrating the progress that they make. Close, caring relationships with staff help the children to feel safe and unconditionally accepted. This helps them to reflect on their past and develop an understanding of their behaviours. The safe atmosphere also helps the children to empathise when their peers are struggling, and the support that they offer to each other gives them a strong and secure base from which to move forward and enjoy success in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All of the children have school placements which are tailor made to their needs. Education plans are ambitious, and staff strive to help children to return to mainstream education. This has been very successful, and children who have been out of education for significant periods of time have returned to full-time schooling. The progress that they have made is identified by teachers in the children’s reviews and school reports.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s mental and emotional health is promoted to a very high standard. Their emotional needs are identified by relevant health professionals and therapists. Care plans are designed with these needs in mind. Individual sessions with key workers are structured to meet individual children’s needs and support their progress. For example, some sessions are aimed at helping the children with their anger management and frustration, and these have had a meaningful impact. The children develop resilience and an ability to deal with their frustrations, and this is as a direct result of the committed staff, who are genuinely caring and focused on helping them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are encouraged to enjoy taking part in a rich variety of activities. These develop children’s social skills and help them to learn to take calculated risks. Play is seen as an opportunity to enjoy being a child in a safe environment, hence emphasis is also placed on what the staff call ‘floor play’, where children and adults play with toys, such as cars and action hero figures, together. The summer holiday, which involved all the children going away in a group with members of staff, was a great success.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children say that staff take any concerns that they have seriously. Consequently, there have been no formal complaints since the last inspection, as any issues are resolved in a low-key manner. Children are encouraged to share their views. They are listened to and their views influence the way that their home is run.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Members of staff assist the children to maintain contact with their loved ones, when it is appropriate. They provide close support if needed, as they are aware that these visits can, at times, be emotionally challenging. As a result, the children are able to reflect on their relationships with significant people in their lives and can acknowledge how these Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 5 have affected them.

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

Children’s safety is at the centre of all practice. All children report that they feel safe and cared for living in this home. Members of staff know each child’s vulnerabilities and plan with detail how they can protect them while helping them to develop skills, recognise risks and increase their independence.

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

Detailed behaviour management plans guide staff on how to help the child to behave positively and cope with anxiety and stress. The plans are drawn up with the children’s help and this investment by them increases the chance of success. The successful implementation of these plans has helped to reduce incidents of restraint and supported the children to discuss and reflect on their behaviours. ‘I’m much calmer now, I don’t lose it so much’ said a child. Sanctions are used on occasion and these are appropriate and proportionate. Emphasis is placed on restorative actions rather than punishment. This helps the children to put right their behaviours and to resolve issues in a positive manner.

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

Children are rewarded for positive behaviour. Rewards take into account individual children’s interests and preferences. Importantly, children are rewarded for displaying respect and empathy to their peers and this encourages the atmosphere of caring for everyone and helping each other in times of difficulty.

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

Incidents of restraint are carefully scrutinised by senior staff and the registered manager. This ensures that the children are safeguarded. There are ‘life space’ interviews after incidents of restraint and these give the child a chance to voice their feelings and to reflect upon their behaviour. Additionally, managers also discuss the incidents with staff and witnesses to ensure that safe practice has been followed. The process is also seen as an opportunity to learn and to change behaviour strategies if needed.

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

All members of staff know what to do and who to inform if they have any concerns about a child’s safety. This practice is implemented effectively. All necessary agencies are informed promptly if there is a need to share concerns. Records show very clear timelines and actions taken. This thoroughness underpins transparency and accountability of practice.

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

Thorough background checks are carried out prior to a new member of staff commencing work. On one occasion, proof of a qualification which a new member of staff reported they had achieved, has not been seen. While this has not in any way impacted on child’s safety, this oversight is a breach of regulation. Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager provides exceptional leadership and support to the staff team, as well as the children. She is an excellent role model and is ambitious for both. There is a culture of expecting everyone to do their best for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children receive conscientious and close support. Their progress is closely monitored. As a result, changes to plans can be made quickly and effectively if a child is not progressing. All relevant stakeholders, including parents, carers and placing authorities, are kept involved and informed. Care plans can then be amended and implemented so that the child has a greater chance of success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision is highly valued by the team and the organisation which runs the home. In addition to supervision sessions with line managers, members of staff benefit from clinical group supervision sessions run by a therapist. This enables members of staff to reflect on their practice, the team dynamics and how the children make them feel. This means that all members of staff, no matter how junior their position, are able to honestly share their opinions and feelings about children’s care and how the staff team is functioning. This shared culture encourages reflection and welcomes criticism so that outcomes for children can be improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Scrutiny by senior managers in the organisation ensures that any weaknesses or areas for development in the home are known and addressed. The registered manager is very aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home, and implements measures to rectify any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Members of staff actively advocate on behalf of the children and challenge any decisions made that they consider are not in a child’s best interest. This ensures that each child’s voice is heard and that decisions can be changed when it is in their interest to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Acceptance and tolerance are a central belief system in this home. Members of staff celebrate and enjoy the differences of the children in their care. In turn, the children are accepting of each other’s identities and behaviours. This has led to them making huge strides in developing their own insight and empathy for others. Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 7

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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 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.

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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: SC037327 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited

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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

Paul Taylor, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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