Children's home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Ashford

Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 1 SC037327 Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to eight children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a registered charity.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 24 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2019 Full Outstanding 09/10/2018 Full Outstanding 09/01/2018 Full Outstanding 05/09/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 3

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outstanding

A staff team, with exceptional leadership and dedication, has succeeded in maintaining a stable and consistent environment for the children during the pandemic. This has enabled the children to feel settled and secure during a period of great change and uncertainty, and they have continued to make significant progress in all areas.

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outstanding

High standards of care have been maintained, and children who have moved in during the pandemic have settled quickly and are making remarkable progress. This includes significant academic progress despite a very disrupted school programme. The children have succeeded in this way because of the careful and thorough planning by staff of their move into the home, together with highly individualised care.

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outstanding

The children express feelings of belonging and attachment to the home and the staff who care for them. The well-maintained, high-quality facilities inside the home, together with the extensive grounds, provide the children with rich and varied opportunities for fun, exploration and exercise. Staff make good use of these facilities to help the children to expand their experience of the world, develop new skills and build positive memories.

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outstanding

Staff take exceptional care to gain the best possible understanding of children’s wishes, feelings and opinions and to involve them, as far as possible, in their plans of care and safety. This deepens the mutual sense of trust and respect that exists between them. Staff think ahead for the children and help them to consider and plan for their futures.

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outstanding

Staff have consistently supported the children to spend the best possible quality of time with their families as restrictions have varied during the pandemic. The staff have always taken the opportunity to improve the quality of the children’s contacts when restrictions have been lifted.

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outstanding

Careful planning by the staff and their sustained child-centred efforts have provided the children with stability and a sense of security and belonging throughout the pandemic. Consistent boundaries and predictable routines also contribute to these feelings of being settled. The children say that they feel safe and protected. This minimises any impulse to run away and there have been no incidents of children going missing during this inspection period. Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 4 Staff have a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities associated with each child. The plans to guide staff in minimising and reducing these are clear and effective. Staff are vigilant and alert to any new threats to the safety and well-being of the children and take immediate action to address these. Children with self-harming behaviours are supported by staff and these behaviours reduce substantially, making the children safer.

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outstanding

The children are encouraged to explore their environment, develop their physical skills, and take risks appropriate to their understanding and abilities. They become more able to deal with hazards and recognise threats to their safety. This increases their confidence and independence and ability to protect themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The high quality of the children’s care, and their sustained progress through this difficult period, is the result of highly dedicated staff, led with skill and sensitivity by a dynamic leadership team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the two deputies have provided strong and clear leadership during this prolonged period of change and uncertainty. They have varied the ways in which they have supported the staff team as circumstances have changed. Staff say that they have always felt fully supported and well informed on key issues. They place great value on the way in which regular staff meetings and individual supervisions have been maintained, even when face-to-face contact was not always possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The rate of staff absence through sickness has been exceptionally low. The staff report experiencing increased commitment to the children and greater feelings of reward and meaningfulness in their roles. Leaders have been careful in monitoring working hours and planning the rota, to make sure that all staff are able to maintain a healthy work-life balance. This has helped to keep them fresh and motivated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

This strong leadership, as well as the cohesive and dedicated staff team, have been able to maintain consistency, quality and continuity in the care of the children. This has enabled the children to continue on their path of progress, development and increased feelings of well-being. The children have remained at the heart of staff efforts and thinking throughout the period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Children’s records are current, detailed and relevant. The staff talk about the children with great knowledge, care and insight. The views, wishes and feelings of the children permeate their records, which show that the children are involved in the planning of their care and progress. There is high ambition for what children can accomplish and a sense of pride in their achievements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers continue with their academic development and bring new ideas and greater depth to the service. It was, however, noted that when the quality of care is being reviewed, there is insufficient analysis being made of the available Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 5 data and information, and opportunities to further improve the quality of care are being missed. Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the review of the quality of care includes analysis of data and information. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the young people’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC037327 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caldecott House, Hythe Road, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent TN25 6SP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnett

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Inspector:

John Pledger, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037327 8 to 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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