Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Stoke-on-Trent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 1 SC367551 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company. It provides care for up to three children who have had adverse childhood experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since May 2021. She holds a level 5 qualification in leadership and management in health and care services.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 8 September 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/09/2021 Full Good 07/05/2019 Full Good 10/09/2018 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have left the home and moved on to a different placement. Two children have moved into the home and have settled in well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress in relation to their individual starting points. They benefit from good-quality support from staff with whom they have formed positive attachments. Care planning is carefully completed, and practice is personalised to meet the specific needs of the children at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the support they need to be healthy and enjoy good health. Staff work closely with health professionals to ensure that children have access to the services they need, including specialist support to promote their physical and emotional well-being. Medical consents are in place, and staff are familiar with the types of health decisions that are delegated to them. Children’s medication is stored and administered safely by trained and competent staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive their education in line with their needs and abilities. Staff work in partnership with teachers and educational departments to ensure that children have every opportunity to increase their academic ability and to reach their full potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with family and friends when it is safe to do so. This helps children to have a sense of belonging and enables them to have positive experiences and maintain links to significant people in their lives.

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

Children are safe in this home. Members of staff use their positive relationships with children to talk to them about risks. This approach enables children to begin to understand their own vulnerabilities and make safer decisions about their behaviour.

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

Individualised risk management plans are in place for each child. These plans help the staff to safeguard children by identifying their risks and vulnerabilities and setting out strategies to minimise risks. Review and development of the plans is ongoing as risks change, to ensure that the plans remain effective.

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

Records show that the frequency of children going missing from home is reducing. Children are provided with an independent person to speak to on their return home. However, records of when the independent person attended the home are not being recorded. This does not support the manager when reviewing and monitoring incidents in the home.

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

Staff are consistent in their approach to children who present with challenging behaviours. This has enabled staff to reduce the number of physical interventions Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 4 required. However, the home uses two recording tools for physical interventions, a bound book and an electronic incident form. Some of the records do not tally with each other, which has led to inaccurate records of incidents and does not support management oversight.

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

Children live in a safe and secure environment. There are effective health and safety systems in place. Regular fire drills help to ensure that children know how to exit the building safely and quickly in the event of an emergency.

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

When appointing new staff, the manager follows safer recruitment practice guidelines. This means that only those deemed suitable to work with vulnerable individuals get to look after children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. She provides effective leadership to the staff team and sets high expectations for staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have been significant staff changes since the last inspection. A small number of established staff remained and were able to provide some consistency and stability. New staff have been recruited, and children are beginning to develop positive relationships with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Induction for new staff is comprehensive. Staff are trained in mandatory courses such as safeguarding and physical intervention. There are clear reviews during probation and regular supervision to monitor staff progress. As a result of this, new staff feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training records show that staff access a wide range of training courses, which are centred on children’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. All staff hold the required level 3 qualification, apart from those who have recently joined the team, but remain within the timescales for qualification. Consequently, staff keep their skills and knowledge up to date, and are competent in looking after children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. This supports them with working with the children, and with their own professional development. Staff commented that they find supervision supportive, and it gives them the opportunities to discuss care practice and personal development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good working relationships exist with other professionals, such as the police, teachers and social workers. As a result, there is a coordinated approach to meeting children’s needs and communication is shared quickly, which helps to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a very good understanding of the children’s needs and advocates well on their behalf. She is appropriate in her challenge of other professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 5 Where there have been shortfalls in the expected quality of care provided to children, the manager swiftly responds to ensure that appropriate action is taken. Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 6

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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 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—

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Requirement Due date

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

This specifically relates to the recording of missing from care interviews and the recording of physical interventions. 12 June 2022

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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 for children’s home: SC367551 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

Dave Carrigan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC367551 8 to achieve excellence in the care of children and people 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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