Children's home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 1 SC477724 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

This privately run children’s home is registered to provide care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that they provide care for children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2022.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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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: SC477724 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/07/2021 Full Good 13/05/2019 Full Good 25/06/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home are cared for by a consistent staff team that knows them well. Staff understand children’s needs and vulnerabilities and have been able to develop positive, trusting relationships with them. The inspector observed warm relationships between children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children told the inspector that they are able to personalise their bedrooms to their own individual tastes. Since the last inspection, improvements have been made to the home environment. However, one internal door is routinely locked each evening, meaning that children do not have access to all areas of their home. This also detracts from the otherwise homely feel of the house.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two of the children are supported by staff to attend youth clubs in the local community. A summer holiday was planned for children and during the inspection children were seen planning future activities they want to enjoy with staff. Children share their views on the day-to-day running of the home through meetings, key- worker sessions, questionnaires and informal conversations with staff and the home’s manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children moving into and out of this home do so in a planned way. Since the last inspection, one child has returned home to live with their family. One child has moved into the home and staff spent time with the child before they moved into the home permanently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with the people who are important to them. The staff flexibly support arrangements for children to spend time with family members who live a considerable distance from the home. One child’s parent spoke positively about the progress their child has made since living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children were planning to attend a local college after the summer break. Staff work closely with teachers and involved professionals to ensure that the arrangements in place support children to progress. One child has been tutored at home and the registered manager is working with relevant professionals to identify a suitable provision in the local area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children living in this home know how to make a complaint, although none have been made since the last inspection. The children living in this home told the inspector that they get on well together most of the time. Staff encourage children to accept difference and to resolve any conflicts positively.

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

Staff have a thorough understanding of children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities. Children’s risk management plans detail the risks posed to children Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 4 and the strategies staff should follow in order to minimise these risks and keep children safe. Plans are reviewed and updated following any incidents, to ensure that they contain the most current information.

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

When a serious safeguarding incident occurred in the home, staff responded quickly to prevent any reoccurence. Information has been shared with relevant professionals and children’s families as appropriate. The response from staff included effective liaison with specialist services, who contribute to the measures in place to keep children safe. However, records do not always demonstrate that further follow-up work is undertaken swiftly by the staff team.

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

The home has experienced a difficult period due to an increase in challenging behaviours. Staff have supported children to manage their feelings safely and when incidents do occur, they are well documented. One child’s social worker commented, ‘Staff have persevered with [name of child] so they have not had to be moved and are able to feel safe and secure where they live.’

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

Behaviour management strategies in place for children are effective and well understood. Staff have used physical intervention on occasion when it is necessary to keep everyone safe. Debriefs are undertaken with children to explore their feelings and to help them to understand the impact of their behaviour. However, the records do not always include all the details required by regulation.

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

Children have individualised reward plans in place to reinforce positive behaviour. The registered manager is moving towards a restorative approach to behaviour management, although this is not yet embedded in practice. When consequences have been used, the manager has reviewed these to ensure that the measures are proportionate and are having the required effect on children’s behaviour. However, two recent records had not been reviewed in a timely manner. The manager took action to address this during the inspection.

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

Any complaints from neighbours about children who live at the home are responded to and resolved. The manager met with complainants and discussed the concerns with the child. This encourages children to take responsibility for their behaviour.

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

Individual plans are in place with actions for staff to follow if children go missing. Staff spoken to during the inspection were clear about the action they would take should a child go missing from this home.

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

Safe recruitment procedures are in place for new staff. This means that children are protected from unsuitable adults being employed to work in the home.

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good

There is a suitable manager in post who has recently registered with Ofsted. This is her first experience as a registered manager. She has high aspirations for children Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 5 and is focused on the development of the home. She is working towards achieving the relevant qualification to underpin her knowledge of the role.

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good

The registered manager is approachable and staff spoken to during the inspection were positive about her leadership and the impact she is having on the home. During the inspection, staff told the inspector that they felt supported in their roles. However, staff do not always receive regular practice-related supervision or have their performance appraised annually. This limits the registered manager’s ability to demonstrate how staff are supported to improve their practice.

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good

Staff have undertaken a range of training. However, not all staff have received training in relation to the specific risks to children living in this home. This impacts their ability to be alert to concerns and potentially increases the risk of harm to children.

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good

Team meetings take place regularly. These provide staff with opportunities to discuss the current risks for children, so that staff and specialist services can work together to ensure that children receive consistent care.

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good

The registered manager informs relevant professionals, including the local authority designated officer, of matters of concern at the home. However, on occasion, these incidents are not reported to the regulator.

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good

Two requirements from the last inspection have not been met and are repeated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 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 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that follow-up work is undertaken promptly after all incidents. 29 September

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have training specific to the individual needs of children living in the home. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and 29 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 7 any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children have access to all areas of their home.

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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 registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all staff receive regular practice-related supervision and have their performance appraised annually. 29 September

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 29 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 8 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all records of restraint include the matters required by regulation and that consequences are reviewed by the registered person without delay.

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

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 29 September

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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: SC477724 9

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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 CW12 1ET

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC477724 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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