Children's Home run by Castle Care Homes in Bury

Inspection report children’s home: 2600119 1 Registered provider: Castle Care Homes Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. The provider’s statement of purpose states that staff provide care for up to two children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since July 2021.

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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: 10 November 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 children’s home: 2600119 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2600119 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is very homely and comfortable. Bedrooms reflect each child’s individual taste. A significant amount of care and attention has been taken to make this a calm and welcoming home. The manager and staff offer children individualised care. Staff are working hard to support the children and understand their individual needs. A child said, ‘It’s a place I can chill out.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have opportunities to have their voices heard. When children express their opinion or make a complaint, they are listened to. One child suggested some changes to the home’s practices. Their views were listened to and practice was altered to accommodate them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Staff have high aspirations for children and support their engagement in education. One child has recently completed their GCSEs. When children do not attend school, staff support them to access learning opportunities. An education professional said, ‘They were very creative with [name of child]. They tried their best to find educational opportunities for them.’ Staff set appropriate boundaries and establish clear routines for children. This provides children with a sense of safety and stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to different educational and enjoyable activities. Staff encourage children to attend local activities. Staff use the time they spend together in team meetings to research and plan activities which are specific to children’s interests and needs. The opportunities that children are offered are helping them to develop their social skills and make new friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time is promoted and supported when this is appropriate. A parent was extremely complimentary about the manager and staff team and said: ‘Family relationships have progressed because of the support [name of home] has offered. It is important for children to keep their family connections which help them to retain a sense of identity and belonging.’

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

Staff take a nurturing approach to helping children understand and better manage their behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. Children’s behaviour in the home is good. It has not been necessary for staff to use physical holds with any of the children. This shows how well children’s behaviour is managed.

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

Safer recruitment practices are followed, which ensures that children are cared for by adults who have been thoroughly vetted to be safe and appropriate carers. Inspection report children’s home: 2600119 4 The staff understand the children in their care well. Risk assessments are detailed and are regularly updated to reflect changes for the children. The risk assessments capture the known risks and identify strategies for staff to follow.

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

On one occasion, a staff member did not follow the missing-from-home protocol for a child, which left the child in a vulnerable position. The manager has taken appropriate action to support staff to learn from this. Follow-up action to inform partner agencies, such as the local authority designated officer, about staff actions was not taken at the time. Therefore, a recommendation has been made at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is nurturing, enthusiastic and child focused. She knows the children and the staff team extremely well. She is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and uses effective monitoring systems to identify when changes or improvements are needed. A parent commented, ‘[Name of manager] is absolutely fantastic, she communicates very well. We always know what’s going on with [name of child].’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular, reflective supervision with the manager or senior staff members. Staff speak very positively about their manager. Regular team meetings take place where staff can discuss children’s needs. Staff have access to therapeutic consultations and training, which supports them to provide good-quality care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that diversity is respected. A staff member said that their faith and culture are respected and that the manager and staff are supportive and understanding.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children know the staff who are caring for them well and are aware of who is going to be there to look after them. There is a small and consistent group of staff, which helps children to feel safe and secure. Leaders and managers have good working relationships with partner agencies, schools and family members. Inspection report children’s home: 2600119 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should seek to involve relevant agencies when there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. This relates to how a staff member responded to an incident of a child going missing from home and the subsequent action taken by the company. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.4)

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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: 2600119 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flint Glass Works, 64 Jersey Street, Manchester M4 6JW

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2600119 7 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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