Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 1 SC037309 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 home is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to nine children. The aim of the home is to provide a homely environment for children to thrive in, both physically and emotionally.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since June 2021 and has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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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 outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 22 October 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/10/2019 Full Outstanding 06/06/2018 Full Outstanding 22/08/2017 Full Outstanding 01/03/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 3

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outstanding

Children make huge strides in their development while living at this home. They thrive in a home where their success is celebrated and enjoyed by the adults who care for them. Children feel that they are valued and understood. They enjoy close supportive relationships which have often been developed over years.

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outstanding

The huge strides children make are often achieved over several years. For example, children who arrived refusing school, refusing to mix with their peers and displaying unsettled and aggressive behaviour now attend mainstream school, become members of clubs in their communities and have been successfully fostered. They have experienced living in a home where they are loved, valued and respected.

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outstanding

The support children receive from the staff is skilful and sensitive. This support is underpinned by advice from therapists who understand the children’s traumas and experiences. Consequently, each child receives care that is tailored to meet their individual needs, and staff provide the skilled and thoughtful nurturing that children require to grow. ‘We are delighted with her incredible progress,’ a social worker said. For example, a child has managed to enjoy meals with her peers and develop a night-time sleeping routine within a very short period of time. This was seen as highly improbable when she came to live at the home, bearing in mind her past traumatised history.

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outstanding

Every new child’s needs are thoroughly assessed and considered before they come to live at the home. Managers carefully consider whether the established group of children are resilient enough to cope with the new change to the dynamics. Managers and staff visit children prior to admission so that relationships can begin at the earliest opportunity. This means that the children’s progress and sense of belonging and stability are not compromised when a new child moves in.

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outstanding

Children have been successfully prepared to live with foster carers through patient and thoughtful support from the staff. This process often takes several years. Any plan for a child to move on from the home considers each child’s ability to cope with the change in relationships. This detailed planning is a strength of this service. This increases the chances of success and builds each child’s confidence so that they can develop positive, safe and caring relationships which can last.

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outstanding

Progress for children in relation to their education is excellent. Children have arrived at the home unable to attend school due to their anxieties and disrupted histories. Careful support and close working with education staff and other specialists, such as psychologists, mean that the staff have a deep understanding of the children’s fears and anxieties. Consequently, the care and support children receive enable them to increase their attendance and achievement. In some cases, this progress has been Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 4 spectacular, with children who arrived at the home refusing to attend school eventually attending mainstream schools and thriving in those settings.

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outstanding

Children’s views are encouraged, enjoyed and valued. The children have a meaningful influence in the running of the home and the routines. Importantly, they have a key role in the recruitment process and share their views and opinions on prospective members of staff to help inform any recruitment decisions. They are also able to influence their choice of holidays as well as outings, menus and activities.

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outstanding

In addition, children are actively involved in the development of their behaviour management plans, and share their views as a group and on an individual basis as to what helps them make progress and what can be a hindrance. The whole approach reassures children that their well-being and views are highly valued and seen as central to how the home is run.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children’s safety and well-being are central to the ethos of this home. Their vulnerabilities are known in detail and every effort is made to keep them physically and emotionally safe. There is a huge emphasis on helping children to feel secure through the consistent application of routines and boundaries. This is done in a sensitive and highly skilled manner.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children are taught how to take calculated risks. For example, they take part in activities which are part of childhood, such as riding bicycles and using scooters and skateboards in a safe manner. Often it is the first time that the children have been able to take part in these activities, and they learn to enjoy them safely and they learn to enjoy them safely while becoming more confident about coping with risks that can be safely managed. This approach helps the children to develop self- awareness and confidence. In turn, they develop social skills and an ability to assess risk themselves.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Children make impressive progress in managing their behaviours and anxieties. Most are admitted with severe histories of trauma, and present with poor coping skills. Consistent staff practice, which is underpinned by guidance from therapists and psychologists, helps the children to manage their turmoil and to develop better coping skills and strategies. As a result, children develop stronger resilience and tolerance and an ability to overcome emotional challenges. In turn, they become more confident and trust the staff around them. This stability enables them to move on with their lives, especially in areas such as developing trusting relationships and developing an ability to manage conflict and frustration in a more positive way.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

Incidents of physical restraint are reviewed closely and assessed by senior managers to ensure that the measures used are appropriate and proportionate. Children’s views are central to this process. This means that their feelings are valued, and any learning points taken forward. This influences future strategies and approaches. Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 5 All staff know what to do and who to inform if they have any concerns about a child’s safety or well-being. They recognise current issues which may impact on other children who live in the wider community, as well as those in the home. Any concerns are shared with the relevant agencies promptly, to ensure that measures are taken to reduce the risk. External safeguarding professionals speak highly of the transparency of the staff and senior managers if there is any incident which needs to be explored. External professionals also report the staff’s willingness to listen to

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How well children and young people are helped and protected:

advice and implement any actions which promote the welfare of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been significant changes in the leadership team in the home since the previous inspection. Despite this, senior managers have ensured that the core staff have received continued guidance. This support has enabled staff to maintain stability and consistency for the children. Consequently, children have continued to receive a high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has applied to Ofsted to be registered. There has also been a new appointment to the role of deputy manager. The team is adjusting to a change in the leadership of the home, including their approach and styles. This developing relationship has not compromised the children’s progress, but has nevertheless been an unsettling time for staff while they adjust.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Members of staff have continued to receive regular supervision and training to ensure that they have the skills and competency to meet the needs of the children. Additionally, staff attend ‘mentalisation group supervision’ sessions which are facilitated by a psychologist. This helps them to explore how they are feeling and share their views about team dynamics and the children’s behaviours in a supportive forum. This process helps staff to reflect on practice and consider their own feelings and how children’s behaviours can affect everyone in different ways.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Records are of a very good standard and give good descriptions of children’s lives and experiences. One minor shortfall was noted in relation to the recording of details of a room search. While the search had occurred to ensure the child’s safety and the practice was diligent and appropriate, the details of the actual search and where items had been found were not clear. This information could help members of staff if further searches were needed. A recommendation is made to address the shortfall.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from stakeholders with regard to the level of communication between the staff and themselves is highly complimentary. Professionals praise the speed of sharing any concerns and the transparent and welcoming approach of the staff. This leads to the development of trusting relationships and a sense of cohesive and collaborative working together to help children make progress and to be safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Two recommendations made at the previous inspection have been addressed. Risk assessments provide clear and detailed guidance for staff to follow, in order to keep children safe in practice. Additionally, all gaps in staff working histories are now Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 6 thoroughly explored as part of the recruitment process. Exact dates are provided by applicants, so that there are no discrepancies or times when they have not been working which do not have satisfactory explanations. Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping, and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, ensure that the recording of room searches is clear and detailed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulation including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC037309 8

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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

Paul Taylor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC037309 9 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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