Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 1 SC358638 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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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 home is registered to provide care for one young person. The home specialises in providing a therapeutic environment for young people who display sexually harmful behaviours. A private company manages this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was appointed in June 2018. He has made an application to register with Ofsted which is currently being processed. The manager holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 November 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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2017 Full Good 14/12/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Good 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 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 children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who engage with them.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff keep the children‟s guide and the home‟s complaints procedure under review and seek children‟s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(b)(2)(c)) 25/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home‟s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b)) 25/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(b)) 25/01/2019

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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

The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children‟s home; or 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). 25/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 4 The requirements are that 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)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to completing checks on agency members of staff who work at the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 25/01/2019

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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 date, time and location of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iii)) 25/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)) 25/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1)(2)) 25/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are strong advocates for the young person. Staff have challenged the placing authority about the lack of a school placement for the young person and have actively explored alternative options to reduce the delay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is supported to take part in a range of activities that help to increase his confidence and self-esteem. Staff are committed to the young person having social opportunities and being able to maintain relationships with people who are important to him. For example, staff travel a considerable distance each week so that the young person can attend his regular youth club.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person received a children‟s guide to the home when he arrived. However, this had not been updated to reflect changes to the facilities. For example, the children‟s guide stated that the young person can access a multi-game table, games console and badminton, all of which are no longer available at the home. As a result, the young person was misinformed about what he could expect to be available to him when living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Work is ongoing to improve the physical conditions in the home and garden. The young person has had an opportunity to choose elements of the decoration. For example, the young person has chosen paint colours for his bedroom and the kitchen. Some elements of repair identified at the last inspection, such as worn carpets, have not been replaced, although a date has been scheduled for the work to commence.

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

Staff have a positive approach to behaviour management. This has resulted in a reduction in the number of incidents occurring. Staff have implemented an individual reward scheme that not only recognises the young person‟s good behaviour but also enables the young person to rebuild relationships with staff after an incident. This provides a clear message for the young person that he can make mistakes and can move on from these positively.

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

Staff produce detailed risk assessments that provide clear guidance on how to respond to the young person‟s individual needs. These are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect any changes in the young person‟s needs. This helps to ensure that staff have access to up-to-date information to safeguard the young person.

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

Staff attend a range of training that supports them to develop essential skills to safeguard the young person. This includes receiving training to raise their awareness of self-harming behaviour and how to keep young people safe when they are online.

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

Staff employed at the home are subject to rigorous recruitment checks before they start work. However, this level of attention is not always maintained when staff come from an Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 6 agency. For example, managers do not verify the reasons why staff have left their previous employment when they have worked with either children or vulnerable adults. This leaves managers without sufficient information to determine whether staff working at the home are safe to work with young people.

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

The acting manager is experienced in managing other homes within the organisation. Despite this experience, there are shortfalls in the management oversight of the home. For example, staff do not receive regular supervision.

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

The acting manager‟s oversight of the safety of the home has failed to identify shortfalls. For example, the home‟s fire risk assessment has not been reviewed since March 2017.

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

Management oversight of physical intervention records has failed to identify gaps in staff members‟ recording. For example, staff do not always record the time that the physical intervention took place. This leaves the manager without all relevant information to conduct a full assessment of staff practice.

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

The acting manager has completed an assessment of the suitability of the home‟s location. However, the assessment fails to take account of the views of all relevant professionals and is missing some local information. This leaves staff and the young person without all the necessary information about risks presented in the local area.

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

The acting manager has completed a review of the quality of care. However, the review does not include the views of all stakeholders.

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

The acting manager has developed a strong working relationship with other professionals. This partnership working has helped the young person to make good progress socially, emotionally and physically.

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 7 children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Tracey Coglan Greig, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC358638 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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