Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 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

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to 12 weeks for up to three children with complex needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 22 December 2020.

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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: 8 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 children’s home: 2506232 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/12/2021 Full Good 07/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 3

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inadequate

Children’s overall experiences and progress are adversely affected by the serious and widespread concerns identified at this inspection.

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inadequate

As a result of this inspection, a restriction of accommodation notice and four compliance notices have been served on the provider.

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inadequate

Children’s care has been significantly disrupted. Since the last inspection, five members of staff have left. Children are being cared for by some staff who do have the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet their needs. This is further impacted by the home currently having eight staff vacancies.

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inadequate

Children do not receive the therapeutic care and support described in the home’s statement of purpose. The home specialises in short-term crisis and assessment placements with a therapeutic focus. Due to the nature of this service, children often arrive with a history of placement breakdowns and trauma. However, only the registered manager has received training in understanding the impact of trauma on children. Despite not having skilled staff who understand the impact of trauma, staff have been allowed to carry out direct work sessions with children and, in some cases, this has led to inappropriate discussions and poor decisions.

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inadequate

Children’s care plans do not outline how their needs should be met. During the inspection, inspectors found several examples of records with missing details. These errors had not been picked up and addressed by managers. This failure to produce a comprehensive care plan contributes to a disorganised and chaotic approach to how staff meet children’s individual needs.

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inadequate

Children do not always experience positive endings when they leave the home. Since the last inspection, five children have left. Whilst three of these children moved on from the home in line with their agreed transition plans, two children’s placements were ended as a result of significant incidents and before the end of their assessment period. Despite the unexpected placement endings, leaders and managers have not carried out any internal reviews to help them to establish whether there is any learning.

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inadequate

Staff do not actively promote the health care of each child. For example, a child required a dental appointment in their first two weeks of moving in. After four weeks in the home, an appointment had still not been arranged. Children are not always given immediate access to medical advice following a significant incident. In one case, it took two days before medical advice was sought, despite the child having a possible injury. This lack of care has the potential to compromise children’s physical and emotional health. Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 4 Children can express their views and contribute to decisions on meal choices and activities during their length of stay. The home is appropriately furnished to enable children to experience a relaxing and comfortable environment.

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inadequate

Children attend either the organisation’s school or specialist schools in the community.

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

There are serious and widespread failures in safeguarding practice.

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

The welfare of children is not promoted, and inappropriate responses are made when allegations or suspicion of abuse are raised. For example, managers have failed to take adequate action following a safeguarding concern. During an incident, a child made an allegation. This was repeated during a debrief two days later. Despite this disclosure, no action was taken by staff or managers. This significant failure to listen and act on children’s concerns has an adverse impact on children’s welfare.

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

Risk assessments are not applied effectively. For example, strategies to keep a child safe online have not been implemented, despite the known risk. This failure resulted in a child accessing inappropriate material. Another child’s risk assessment does not give staff adequate strategies to reduce the child’s risk of exploitation. Consequently, the child has not been appropriately safeguarded. Staff’s lack of understanding of individual risk means that children have been placed at risk of harm.

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

Children are not protected in accordance with written guidance. For instance, the protocol for when a child goes missing from care has not been applied correctly. There are discrepancies in the records over the required staffing levels to keep the child safe. In one case, a child was able to go missing from the home and get in a car with an unknown male. This lack of attention to safety has posed a significant risk to the child.

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

When it has been necessary to bring in an agency staff member in an emergency, no consideration has been given to whether the staff member has the skills, experience and knowledge of residential childcare, including being able to deal with challenging incidents. This failure to seek verification has left children and staff at risk.

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

Managers have not ensured that thorough impact assessments are carried out when children are being admitted to the home. This includes consideration of the skills, knowledge and experience of the staff to meet the children’s needs. For example, staff commented that the particular diagnosis for a child had made it very difficult to manage the child’s behaviour. Subsequently, the child’s placement was ended early. A decision was later made to admit another child with a similar diagnosis. No consideration was given to the fact that the staff did not have the required training or skills. This failure to assess risk adequately compromises children’s safety. Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a failure of operational oversight from leaders and managers in relation to the day-to-day care of children. There has also been a failure to identify shortfalls in safeguarding practice, leaving children’s care, safety and welfare compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There are currently seven members of staff working in the home. Only two members of staff hold the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare. Managers have failed to ensure that two members of staff, who have been employed for a while, complete the diploma or hold an equivalent qualification. This decision fails to consider the requirement on staff qualifications set by regulation. This leaves children being cared for by staff who do not have the required qualifications relevant to residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When agency staff are used, managers fail to ensure that the rota is updated to reflect the additional member of staff. This failure means that there is not an accurate record of who has worked with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff’s recordings of significant incidents are poor. For example, in one restraint log inaccurate details were recorded about the type of hold used. In another example, a person involved in a physical restraint was also allowed to complete the review. There is a lack of management oversight and monitoring of these significant events. Consequently, poor practice goes unchallenged.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inaccurate and misleading recording and a lack of transparency have resulted in not all serious incidents being formally notified to Ofsted. As a result, external agencies are prevented from having the appropriate level of oversight. There remains a lack of understanding by leaders and managers about the threshold for making notifications to Ofsted. The failure to fully consider what is deemed serious shows a lack of insight into the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records indicate that the responsible individual rarely visits the home. This does not enable the responsible individual to supervise and develop the management of the home effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The requirements made at the full inspection remain unmet. This demonstrates a lack of capacity to rectify shortfalls. Despite clear regulatory breaches being identified, the response from leaders and managers is insufficient and this failure leaves children’s care compromised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is keen to improve the service and is using the help of a new independent visitor to drive improvement. Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that children are offered dental appointments in line with their care planning documents and are always given immediate access to medical advice following a significant incident when they are subject to potential injury. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 staff— 31 July 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 7 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(ix)

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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. 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vii) 31 July 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 promotes their welfare. 31 July 2022 * Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff are suitably trained to meet the needs of the children placed, and that there is a sufficient number of experienced staff to meet the needs of each of the children in the home.

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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)) 31 July 2022 *

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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)) 31 July 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 9 In particular, ensure that impact assessments take into account the staff’s skills, training and experience against the needs of the child.

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Requirement Due date

A responsible individual must satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the responsible individual must be able to demonstrate they have the skills and capacity to provide suitable oversight of the home. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b)) 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 31 July 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 10 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry.

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Requirement Due date

if the child dies before attaining the age of 18, for 15 years from the date of the child’s death;

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Requirement Due date

in cases not falling within sub-paragraph (a), for 75 years from the child’s date of birth;

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Requirement Due date

securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there; and

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Requirement Due date

in a secure place after the child has ceased to be accommodated in the home. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that records are clear, factual and provide full accurate information.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all staff rotas correctly detail the staff working in the home. 31 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 31 July 2022 * Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 11 * These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: 2506232 12

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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

Emeline Evans, Social Care Inspector Sarah Olliver, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2506232 13 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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