Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 1 SC060590 Registered provider: Castle Homes Care 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

The home is run by a private company and is registered to accommodate three young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since June 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: 24 January 2018

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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: SC060590 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2018 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1) (a)(b)(2)(b)(vii)) In particular, the kitchen, bathroom, and downstairs toilet need attention. 29/03/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that each child’s day to date health and well-being needs are met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 32, paragraph 7.3) In particular, ensure that young people’s healthcare plans reflect all of their medical needs.  Ensure that staff record information on young people in a non-stigmatising way, that distinguishes between, fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the young person must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the young person. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) In particular, refrain from using the word ‘site’ to describe the home and ensure that all records, such as key-worker records, are sufficiently detailed and are recorded to the same high standard. Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive high-quality, individualised care that is making an important difference in their lives. Staff help young people to have positive experiences and improved outcomes. Social workers said that their young people are flourishing under the staff’s care. Young people are happy, settled and have the same opportunities afforded to any other teenager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give young people the stability and support that they need. Staff are friendly, caring and nurturing. They engage naturally with young people and treat them with respect and empathy. Consequently, young people readily access the support and guidance that is offered to them. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘The rapport that staff have built with [the young person] is really refreshing. I have not seen her have this level of engagement and attachment to staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager carefully selects which young people can live in the home and this enables young people to live in a stable and settled environment. One social worker said that they wanted their young person to live here, because of the very positive outcomes another young person had made at the home. Another social worker said that they are very pleased with the progress that their young person has made while at the home and that the young person has a good group of friends. The social worker said that this would not have been possible previously, due to the young person’s vulnerabilities, and it was achieved because of the staff’s hard work and determination.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff’s commitment to ensuring that young people receive the right education is an area of outstanding practice. The manager said that it is ‘imperative that young people get the right education’. Staff are aspirational for young people and go above and beyond to ensure that they can sustain their educational placements. For example, staff waited in the school car park while a young person was in school, so that the young person knew that staff were near, as this helped the young person to feel safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and the manager challenge other professionals when they feel that a proposed school is not right for a young person. A professional said that getting their young person into full-time education was ‘outstanding’. Previously, the young person attended for half a day but was refusing to attend full time. The professional said that the staff have been ‘superb’ and that ‘they have provided excellent support, including securing a college placement for the young person, and this is working extremely well’. All three- young people are engaging in various forms of education successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Another key strength of the staff is the improvement in young people’s social and emotional health and well-being. Because of their relationships with the staff, young people are confident to introduce them to their friends. Staff are aware that some young people may be socially isolated and are working tirelessly to help them to overcome this. Because of their determination and ability to ‘think outside the box’, a young person has Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 5 tentatively agreed to visit the local youth club.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s physical health is well supported. Staff have a good understanding of their individual needs and meet these well. However, healthcare plans do not always reflect all the young people’s medical needs. Although this has not affected the care provided to young people it is essential that all young people’s health needs are recorded to ensure that staff are fully aware of the individual health needs of young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work in partnership very well with parents, carers and people who are important to the young people. They ensure that young people can see their families on a regular basis, safely. Consequently, young people maintain positive relationships with family members.

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

Young people have a strong sense of belonging at the home and strong relationships with staff who they said make them feel safe. They talk to staff when they are worried or upset. They know that staff listen, care about them and will do everything they can to help them.

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

The staff’s knowledge and professional practice protect young people from harm. Staff have a good understanding of each young person’s vulnerabilities and any concerns about their safety. Staff are vigilant and recognise signs which indicate that a young person may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Staff continually assess the risks for each young person and take the necessary steps to make sure that young people are protected.

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

A social worker said that the risks of exploitation for a young person have significantly reduced because of the support that they have received from staff. This has resulted in a considerable reduction in episodes of young people going missing from the home. This is because of the carefully tailored care and support package provided to the young people in line with their individual needs. Staff are not risk averse and want each young person to enjoy the same opportunities as other young people their age.

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

Staff are positive role models to the young people in their care. They ensure that the clearly defined rules and boundaries are consistently applied and are understood by young people. Young people are consulted about all aspects of their care and, as a result, have a strong sense of involvement. A social worker said that a young person’s behaviour is improving because they know what they are working towards and that there was an achievable end goal. This is a key strength of the setting, and several professionals commented favourably on the commitment and stability of staff.

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

Young people said that sanctions are applied fairly but rarely. They feel confident to talk to staff and to put forward suggestions as to how their plans can be amended. Young people said that they generally get on well with one another and feel safe here. Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 6 Young people raised, at a meeting in August 2018, that they felt that the bathroom needed updating as it doesn’t look clean because of the old tiles. The manager is aware of this and has approached the directors to resolve this. The kitchen and downstairs toilet similarly appear tired and worn and are detracting from the homely environment that the staff are striving to create.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a qualified and experienced manager. She is committed to improving the outcomes for young people and to helping them to overcome their fears and trauma they have encountered previously. Professionals are complimentary about her commitment to young people and the challenge that she puts to them to ensure that the young people get the support that they need to move forward in their lives. This is reflected in the improved outcomes for young people across all areas of their development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported extremely well by the deputy and staff. The staff have worked together for a long time, and this stability is key to creating a warm, caring and nurturing environment where young people can recover and thrive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses thorough and evaluative monitoring systems to understand the quality of care that young people receive. They have taken effective action to make necessary improvements that benefit young people. For example, this includes the work undertaken to improve the quality of record keeping.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, a small number of records such as key-worker reports, are not consistently recorded to the same high standard. This makes it difficult for young people to reflect on the support that they have received, when they access their records now or in the future. The use of the word ‘site’ on corporate documentation to describe the home is not appropriate and is detracting from the work staff are undertaking with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides staff with good support, guidance and encouragement. Annual appraisals and supervisions provide valuable opportunities for staff to reflect critically on their work with young people. These sessions, along with regular team meetings, offer regular opportunities for staff to consider the impact of their work on young people. Staff use these meetings to explore what is working well and what their developmental needs are. Staff have opportunities to receive training that develops their understanding, knowledge and skills regarding the needs of the young people they are caring for.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 7 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: SC060590 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 80 Hammersmith Road, London W14 8UD

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Anthony Armstrong

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Inspector

Chris Scully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC060590 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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