Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited in Wokingham

Inspection report children's home: SC417250 1 SC417250 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children 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 children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have complex difficulties. It is owned by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2018.

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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: SC417250 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2018 Full Good 29/11/2017 Full Good 08/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/09/2016 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC417250 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— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments cover all known risks and are updated after incidents. 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must— ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that personal emergency evacuation plans reflect all circumstances. 12/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which— is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect; and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect.

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular— provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about past abuse or neglect in relation to a child to the placing authority and, if different, the local authority in whose area the alleged 12/08/2019 Inspection report children's home: SC417250 4 abuse or neglect occurred; describe the measures which may be necessary to protect children following an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(e))

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Recommendations

 Expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11) In particular, this is in relation to children smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the home is the way staff consult with the children. Staff actively seek children’s views and act upon them. For example, the children asked for a space to practise their make-up and hair styling and a room was refurbished to fulfil this request. The children have positive relationships with each other. There is no bullying. Regular meetings involving staff and children are used as forums to address any issues, however small. The home is a positive place for the children to live in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education. If children have difficulties at school, staff work with teaching staff to address them. If the problems cannot be resolved, staff help professionals to identify a more suitable alternate provision. This has been successful for one child who has settled well into her new school and is making friends. It was a positive achievement for this child. Another child who is not attending school is being supported by the organisation’s school. An education and activity programme has been devised for staff to follow with her.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to increase their independence while keeping themselves safe. Children go out on their own once they have gained the staff’s trust. During the inspection, one child successfully managed her first time out with a friend. The child’s friend was welcomed into the home to join her for an evening meal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have regular stays with their families and are working towards their goal to return home. Staff work closely with the children and their parents to achieve this. They encourage the children to access therapy. Staff attend meetings to share information to help parents to learn to manage the children when they are distressed or struggling emotionally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to stop smoking by having regular conversations about why it would be good for them to stop. However, the inspector observed a staff member talking to a child while she was smoking in the garden; this does not give a consistent message. Inspection report children's home: SC417250 5

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

Staff have the right skills and experience to work with children who are at risk of child exploitation. Children who were previously considered to be at a high risk of exploitation now experience a reduced level of risk. Staff help to achieve this by developing trusting relationships and by reinforcing clear boundaries and safety measures. Timely referrals to external specialist agencies provide well-integrated support.

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

Staff are well trained in internet safety and the risks related to child exploitation. They are aware of any risk for each child. Children who use the internet sign an agreement to confirm that they know the rules and understand the part they need to play in keeping themselves safe. The positive relationships between the manager, the staff and the children mean that children alert them if they have any concerns. The inspector observed one child to have an open and honest conversation with the manager about a potential relationship.

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

The manager has established an effective partnership working with the local police community support officers who regularly visit the home. These officers form good relationships with children and give them guidance about the law and their safety.

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

Children rarely go missing. When they do, staff follow correct policies and procedures. They work with the child to restrict their independence until children can regain the staff’s trust. Children fully engage with the process by agreeing their own plans.

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

The health and safety measures implemented protect children from the risk of health and safety related harm. Staff ensure that children know what to do in the event of a fire. Personal emergency evacuation plans inform staff of the risk specific to each child. However, one child’s deprivation of liberty safeguards were not included in her plan. The measures staff need to take to protect her in this circumstance were not recorded.

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

Responses to safeguarding issues are not consistent. Leaders and managers dealt thoroughly with three incidents regarding the conduct of staff. However, on one occasion, there was a significant delay in consulting with external professionals following an allegation made by a child. The safety measures taken to protect the child were not recorded and the plan was not subject to external professional agreement. The recording of the incident did not clearly describe what had occurred. The basis for the decisions made was unclear. Senior managers failed to undertake an internal investigation to consider any lessons learned from these failures.

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

Risk assessments about safeguarding measures are completed but are of an inconsistent standard. All known risks are not recorded to inform staff of the measures to take and learning from previous incidents is not demonstrated. A requirement was made at the Inspection report children's home: SC417250 6 last inspection in respect of this matter.

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

Staff reinforce rules and boundaries that children generally adhere to. Staff discuss children’s behaviour in their one-to-one meetings with managers and at team meetings. Restraint log entries are signed by the manager. However, she also signs physical intervention records when she has been involved in the restraint and gains the view of the child. External analysis and evaluation of such incidents is, therefore, not evident. This does not demonstrate that children have the opportunity to discuss restraints with someone who is impartial.

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

Leaders and managers reviewed recruitment and induction processes following an incident in relation to a staff member’s conduct. Additional training was provided in response to lessons learned from this situation. This training has been effective in ensuring that all staff are reminded of their responsibilities for the children’s welfare. Supervision is evaluative, and children’s care and outcomes are central to discussions. Staff reflect on their practice and the impact on children.

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

External professionals report that their children have made progress since being here. A social worker reported, ‘I cannot speak highly enough of the residential… I have sensed from day one that they care about her.’ Another social worker said, ‘She has progressed well… she is being supported to take part in activities and therapy… to attend college where she is doing really well.’

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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: SC417250 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 8, Brewery Court, Theale, Reading, Berkshire RG7 5AJ

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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC417250 8 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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