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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 1 SC390434 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 up to two children who have experienced trauma during their childhood which has resulted in them exhibiting complex behaviours. The home is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. He has been registered with Ofsted since February 2016. He is also the registered manager for another home in the same area that is owned by the company. The registered manager is not currently in day-to-day charge of the home.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/06/2017 Full Good 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 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 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)) 02/08/2019

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 02/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement („the statement of purpose‟) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (1)(5))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered manager ensuring that complaints made against the home are accurately documented. 02/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to keeping a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked, specifically hours worked at the home by the manager 02/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 02/08/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 4 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 feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(b)) 02/08/2019

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Recommendations

 The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff, and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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Recommendations

This is in relation to ensuring that behaviour management plans are updated to reflect therapeutic parenting models that staff are adopting.  Regulation 19(2) details sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Despite significant changes to the staff team since the last inspection, managers have ensured that the child who lives in this home has received care from consistent staff. This has enabled him to build positive relationships with the people who care for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made significant educational progress. Staff support his school attendance by using an incentive plan. This plan has encouraged him to achieve his academic potential through his increased school attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff carry out direct work with the child that reflects his individual needs. Improvements to the recording of this work enable staff to make clear links to his care plan and to demonstrate how this work is supporting his progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to keep in touch with his family. This has resulted in increased visits to family members. Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 5 Managers have overseen improvements to the physical conditions of the home. This has included new carpets and soft furnishings. This has helped to create a homely environment which the child can take pride in.

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

Staff understand the risks that the child faces. They produce detailed risk assessments. These assessments are regularly updated to reflect changes in the child‟s presenting needs. This ensures that staff have the most up-to-date information to enable them to safeguard the child.

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

Staff implement the child‟s behaviour support plan consistently. This helps the child to understand what is expected of him and promotes positive behaviour. Consequently, incidents when staff are required to physically intervene are decreasing. However, staff have missed the opportunity to further improve these plans by incorporating new training that they have received regarding therapeutic care.

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

Staff use a system of consequences that is clearly linked to the child‟s positive behaviour plan. However, staff do not consistently record why a consequence was used or review its effectiveness. This limits staff understanding of what has been successful in achieving positive behaviour changes for the child.

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

Incidents when children go missing from home are low. Clear plans inform staff of how to respond in these situations, including following children into the community to encourage them to return. This means that if children do go missing from the home, they are able to be returned quickly.

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

In response to the findings of the last inspection, managers have reviewed medication arrangements in the home. Improvements to records of medication dispensed help to ensure that medication held at the home is now safely managed.

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

The registered manager is not currently in day-to-day charge of the home. An acting manager has been appointed to provide management oversight in the interim. Managers have failed to address three requirements raised at the last inspection.

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

Managers have again failed to notify Ofsted when there is a significant incident at the home. This prevents the regulator from having clear oversight of the home.

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

Previous shortfalls regarding the recording of complaints continue. There have been five complaints since the last inspection. It is not clear how any of these complaints have been resolved. This prevents managers from learning from these matters.

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

Managers made changes to the recording of their working hours to show the hours that a manager was working at the home. However, this improvement has not been Inspection report children‟s home: SC390434 6 maintained and it is not possible to demonstrate that a manager is in regular day-to-day charge of the home.

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

Staff feel well supported and listened to by managers. Staff use regular supervision to reflect on and develop their practice.

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

Managers do not adequately assess the implications of staff working alone with the child. Lone working risk assessments do not consider all relevant factors, and staff do not receive the necessary training before they begin to lone work. These shortfalls leave staff without the necessary information and skills to ensure that there are safe working arrangements.

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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, this does not include the views of staff, children or professionals and therefore its effectiveness in informing service development is limited.

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

Managers have accepted the findings of this inspection and have plans in place to address the shortfalls.

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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: SC390434 7

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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: SC390434 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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