Children's Home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited in West Berkshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 1 SC011185

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Calcot Services for Children Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to seven children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children with complex emotional, social and behavioural difficulties. The home provides a therapeutic approach to care, which can include psychotherapy, art, drama and music therapy.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since March 2021.

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This monitoring visit

This visit took place due to Ofsted receiving concerns about the home. These concerns related to a range of issues, including leadership, management and the safety and welfare of children. At the time of this visit, two children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

One child is not in appropriate educational provision. Staff do not have clear plans to provide meaningful activity for this child during the school day. This results in a lack of routine, structure and expectation. Although efforts have been made to engage with the placing authority around the education for the child, this is yet to result in a school placement. This has the potential to affect children’s learning and experiences. Where children do attend education, they make good progress.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to notify Ofsted of two serious incidents at the home. One incident involved a child from another home in the organisation staying overnight at this home, without staff’s knowledge. This presented a potential risk overnight for all people at the home. Another incident involved the children being able to use a member of staff’s work computer and seeing an email about themselves and other children. This, again, was not notified to Ofsted. This means that the regulator has not been able to review the provider’s responses to these events. Although the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 2 provider has taken effective and immediate action following both incidents, the failure to notify Ofsted of serious events is of concern.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, some children have been admitted to the home who have subsequently left. Some of these placement endings were unplanned and happened shortly after the child arrived. This was unsettling for the children who remained at the home, as well as for those children moving in and out. For example, in October 2021, two children left on the same day. The next day, another child arrived at the home. The responsible individual has completed a full report into this pattern of disruption, which explores the reasons for each placement coming to an end and identifies some learning from this. However, this report does not identify any learning about children’s experiences or make clear what was done to reduce uncertainty and anxiety for children living at the home.

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This monitoring visit

Monthly independent visitor reports do not meet the requirements of the regulations. This is because there are missed opportunities to speak with a broad range of people. Although children, parents and social workers are spoken to, members of staff are not. The provider recognises that this is an area that could be improved.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has recently left the home. A new manager, from another home in the organisation, is taking her place. This change, along with the departure of several experienced staff at the home, has contributed to the unsettled period. All new staff are trained as part of their induction, and the responsible individual is providing additional support to the home. There are indications that the home is now settling down. However, there are failings in how the home has been managed during this period, which demonstrates that the home’s monitoring and reviewing systems are not fully effective.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/07/2021 Full Outstanding 28/01/2020 Full Outstanding 11/09/2018 Full Good 12/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii)) 13 February 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

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)) 13 February 2022

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 13 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 4 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 13 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 13 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 13 February 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 5 When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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: Advantage, 87 Castle Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 7SN

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Inspector

Pete Hylton, Regulatory Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC011185 6 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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