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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 1 SC460800 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for four young people who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in August 2016.

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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: 13 December 2017

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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: SC460800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2017 Full Good 28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/10/2016 Full Good 16/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 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 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–

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Requirement Due date

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))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the safer area report is used in conjunction with a young person‟s impact risk assessment to ensure that the area is safe for them. 29/03/2019

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Recommendation

 Ensure that records kept in the children‟s home are signed and dated by the author. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Most of the young people have come to this home after a well-planned transition. The transitions involve staff visiting young people and talking through the boundaries, the routines and what the home can offer them, what their expectations are and what they like and dislike. This level of planning means that arrangements can be made to make the move as smooth as possible. For example, the staff were able to prepare a young person‟s bedroom in his favourite football team‟s colours. The manager also ensures that when a young person comes to live at the home, she has all the key documents. She uses this information to assess whether the home can meet the young person‟s needs. In addition, the manager ensures that the needs of the new young person are compatible with those of the young people already living in the home. However, the manager did not use the safer area report to identify whether there would be any risks

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

in the local area to the young person recently admitted, such as the proximity of the home to the main road and nearby train stations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s care plans are regularly updated. Any proposed changes are discussed with the young people to secure their views. The changes are also discussed in staff meetings and shared with other relevant professionals. This helps to ensure that staff are clear about how to support young people on a daily basis. However, some documents have not been signed and dated by the author, manager or social worker, which means that it is not always clear that everyone agrees with the changes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Prior to coming to this home, some young people had sporadic attendance at school and were coming to the end of their formal education. Some young people were attending a school some distance from the home, and their engagement in education was problematic and inconsistent. However, since arriving at the home young people have been supported to access an educational placement of their choosing. One young person has been supported to maintain his existing school placement, while others attend school in the local area or the nearby college. All of the young people have made significant progress in education, for example in gaining formal qualifications. This has enabled them to progress to their chosen college courses. One young person said, „I want to be an arable farmer, and my course is going well.‟ Another young person is undertaking a mechanics course. This shows that young people are encouraged to have

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Close partnership working between therapists and staff supports young people‟s emotional well-being, through both therapy sessions and staff consultations. Young people engage meaningfully in their sessions to explore their feelings about past experiences and to build healthier strategies to help to regulate their emotions and increase their confidence and self-esteem. Regular multi-professional progress meetings are held, and therapists also support staff in their daily practice. Therapists facilitate further learning opportunities for staff through training on the intervention model that they use. This means that staff develop and make good use of the skills and knowledge that they learn to support young people well. A professional said, „My young person Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 5 attends his therapy sessions. This is a fantastic resource and supports what the placement is trying to do, and they do it really well. All the staff are lovely, professional

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and have a brilliant relationship with the young people.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people said that they enjoyed a wide range of activities, both in the home and elsewhere, such as watching films, playing console games and going on trips to theme parks and the cinema and meeting friends in the local area. Most of the young people have an interest in cars, and have been supported in their interest by attending car rallies. One young person has attended a black-tie event at a young farmers‟ social group. These experiences help young people to build positive relationships and memories, as well as developing their social skills and interaction. Where appropriate, staff support the young people to see their families, and reassure young people when they choose not to meet face to face. This helps young people to have control over aspects of their lives that can be emotionally difficult.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good transition plans show how young people are prepared for a move and whose responsibility it is to execute each stage of the plan. Young people have been instrumental in making these decisions. As a result, some young people have been supported to continue to live in the local area so that they can continue their college education. In addition, young people are given the opportunity to enhance their independence skills. For example, one young person has driving lessons. He initially received some money from his local authority to do so, and the manager has continued to pay for the lessons as part of a reward scheme. The young person said, „It‟s great, and I am ready to sit my theory.‟ Another young person independently flies home to see his family.

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

Young people live in a home where staff build positive and trusting relationships with them, their families and the professionals involved in their care. Staff are skilled in providing genuine and nurturing care. When young people experience difficulties or show negative behaviours, staff are consistent in their approach and confident in their skills, and allow young people to think about their actions. One young person said, „They are here for me, no matter what. I am doing so well because they are interested in what I do, and they show that they care.‟ All the young people talked about feeling valued, being safe, having more confidence and self-esteem and being cared for well. A professional said, „I couldn‟t fault them at all for the work put in for my young person and would be more than happy sending another young person there. It‟s a shame there aren‟t more placements like this around.‟

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

Staff are aware of the young people‟s past experiences and work closely with several professionals, such as therapists and youth offending workers, to ensure that the young people learn about the impact of their actions to challenge their mindsets and to understand how to make and sustain positive relationships. The manager and staff help the young people to understand risk factors and how to keep themselves safe. Good risk assessments show both the young people‟s vulnerabilities and the agreed strategies and actions that the staff need to take if an incident were to occur. Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 6 Young people rarely go missing from this home. When they do, staff follow agreed protocols. Records show that staff try to find them through phone calls and through searching the local area and known places in the local community where young people congregate. Young people receive a return interview so that information can be gained

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

about any potential concern regarding the home, and any risks or information that would help the young person or staff in the future.

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

There have been no incidents that have required reporting to safeguarding professionals. Members of staff have a good level of understanding about the action that they would take to keep a young person safe. Nonetheless there has been one incident where a young person has been charged and remanded on a criminal offence. The manager has taken all possible steps to make sure that those who need to know have been informed. Staff continue to support the young person by visiting him. His social worker said, „They have supported him throughout his difficulties and have kept me updated at all times. They have followed the plan for him and, even now, they continue to support him, to a point where he calls (name of home) “home”, and he wants desperately to go back there.‟

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

The positive behaviour of young people is continually promoted and rewarded. Physical intervention is rarely used, and only ever to keep a young person or others safe from harm. Records show that members of staff revisit the incident with the young person, and this gives the young person the opportunity to discuss what happened and how it can be avoided in the future. Any information obtained is recorded in the young person‟s behaviour management plan. These practices allow members of staff to reflect on their practice and mean that young people‟s views are respected.

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

Safe recruitment and health and safety practices at the home mean that only suitable staff work with young people and that the home is a safe place to live. A range of safeguarding training provides members of staff with the skills and knowledge to look after young people well and to care for them safely. A range of safeguarding professionals, including from the police and a youth offending service, commented positively on the interaction and communication that they have with the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced manager manages the home. She is currently completing her leadership and management award. She is supported in her role by a deputy manager and two team leaders. There are good staffing levels to meet the needs of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and that they find her approachable, fair and committed to them and the young people. Staff receive regular one-to-one supervision, which gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practice and to identify areas or opportunities for their development. This opportunity to reflect means that staff can develop and progress within the company.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff team hold a relevant childcare qualification, while three members of Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 7 staff are at different stages of the course. All staff undertake mandatory training as part of their induction, and this is refreshed regularly. As part of their ongoing employment, the staff undertake additional training on a variety of subjects, such as attachment and loss, forced marriage, care leavers and „county lines‟. As a result, members of staff have a broad knowledge of issues within society and the potential impact of these issues on young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

During staff meetings, staff regularly discuss research, practice and social trends. They use this information to reflect on both how these matters may impact on them and the outcomes for young people. For example, they have discussed an article about the impact of abuse and neglect and its comparison of different placement options and their impact on young people. Consequently, staff understand both the importance of young people being in the right placement and the stability that young people need to grow and flourish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young people‟s care. When services have been slow to respond or are unavailable, the manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. For example, one local authority wanted a care leaver to return to its area to continue in a semi- independence placement. The young person did not want to do this, because he was hoping to continue his college course. The manager involved his advocate and his independent reviewing officer and attended a „best interest‟ meeting. The young person is now happy, as he is settled near his college and is undertaking the second year of his course.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and reviewing systems at the home help the manager to identify any shortfalls, areas for development and good practice. Therefore, she can take appropriate action to improve the service and celebrate good practice. Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 8

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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: SC460800 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC460800 10 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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