Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 1 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home which was registered with Ofsted in November 2019. It provides care and accommodation for up to six children with social and/or emotional difficulties and children with learning disabilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 1 December 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 3

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inadequate

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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inadequate

Children’s progress and experiences have been adversely affected by the shortfalls that have been found in help and protection and leadership and management.

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inadequate

Internal monitoring has been far too weak. This has resulted in a failure to identify trends and/or patterns in recording issues and what this means for children’s experiences. For example, although staff carry out key-work sessions with children to help them to express their wishes and feelings, these are sometimes carried out in isolation and are not reviewed by managers. Staff have used inappropriate language in some of these sessions. The failure of management oversight has resulted in poor practice going unchallenged.

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inadequate

Children are not provided with a safe and nurturing home environment where their needs are met. For example, inspectors found that a window restrictor was missing, and a plug adaptor was left lying across a floor. The bottom of a wardrobe door was damaged, resulting in the wood being exposed.

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inadequate

Despite the shortfalls noted at this inspection, children do make some progress. Staff have good relationships with parents. Parents speak positively about the care that their children receive and the communication that they have with the home.

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inadequate

Staff promote children’s education. One child has made good progress in their education and has moved to a more structured learning environment. Another child is completing their GCSEs and has applied for an apprenticeship in accountancy. As a result, children are making good academic progress and have aspirations for their future.

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inadequate

Staff encourage children to develop life skills and to pursue new interests. For example, one child attends martial arts classes, enjoys baking and grows their own fruit in the garden. Another child enjoys cooking and learning essential life skills. Consequently, children are given opportunities to socialise, pursue hobbies and to be prepared for independence.

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inadequate

Staff work hard to enable children to stay in touch with people who are important to them. This regularly includes travelling long distances to enable children to visit family members. This positive support has been instrumental in helping children to maintain significant relationships. Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 4

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

Staff complete detailed risk assessments. However, the overview of these assessments is poor. For example, the manager and members of staff have failed to identify that in one risk assessment the record contains the name of another child. This brings into question the accuracy of the content of the record.

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

Management oversight and monitoring of significant events are poor. Consequently, managers and staff have a limited understanding of patterns and trends in children’s behaviours, and this leaves children vulnerable and at potential risk of harm.

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

At the last inspection, there was a failure to ensure that significant events were appropriately notified. This continues to be a failure. Inspectors found that not all significant incidents are being notified to children’s social workers and/or Ofsted. This ongoing shortfall means that key agencies and professionals continue to be unable to monitor incidents effectively.

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

Although safeguarding arrangements are in place, these are not properly implemented. This failure to follow procedures compromises the safety and welfare of children.

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

Staff respond well when children go missing from care. Staff follow children and encourage them to return home safely. Staff ensure that the relevant agencies and parents are informed. When children return home, staff ensure that children receive the right opportunities to talk about their feelings and why they felt the need to go missing.

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

Staff support children to self-regulate and where possible to manage their behaviours independently. Children know the rules of the home and respect the boundaries that are in place. Consequently, the use of physical intervention is low.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are continued shortfalls in the management oversight of aspects of care planning and assessments. which were identified at the last inspection. This ongoing poor oversight has a significant impact on the welfare and care of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive supervision, appraisal and training. However, learning is not always translated into practice. For example, staff fail to record accurate and informed details about incidents. This compromises any internal and external oversight. For example, one social worker was not informed of an incident that affected a child’s experience in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have failed to respond to several requests from social workers for information about a child’s routine and subsequent planning for their daily living. This leaves the child’s social worker with gaps in essential information to ensure that their oversight of a child’s care remains up to date. Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 5 Leaders and managers actively challenge the lack of effectiveness of other services. For example, they submitted a complaint to a local authority about the way a child’s move from the home was managed. The move was not child-focused and did not have the child at the centre of the process. The subsequent response was detailed and referred to the staff as ‘fierce advocates’ for this child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and staff celebrate the achievements that children make and are proud of their progress. Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 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; promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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) (2)(a)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to management oversight of all areas of the home, including documentation that records the care and safety of children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 August 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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (a)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 6 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 7 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to responding quickly and effectively to concerns about a child’s safety and recording and responding to incidents that create risk for children. 6 August 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 premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded; 6 August 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 8 that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that damaged furniture is repaired or replaced, window restrictors are appropriately fitted and trip hazards addressed.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically refers to responding promptly to any request for information made by a social worker. 6 August 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: 2546476 9

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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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Inspectors

Vevene Muhammad, Social Care Inspector Alphie Khumalo, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2546476 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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