Children's home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 1 SC431699 Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home aims to provide a child-centred, caring and nurturing home. It is registered to care for up to three children with social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since November 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2020 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive positive and nurturing care. There are strong and stable relationships between staff and children. A child said, ‘I give the home 10 out of 10. It’s the best home I’ve lived in.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One social worker reported that a child was helped to move into the home by the manager and staff. Introductions were sensitive and well considered and support for the child was very good. She said the move had gone well and that the child had developed positive relationships with staff very quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are receiving support with their emotional health and well-being needs. There are positive connections with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and children are accessing various therapies to support them. The team also benefits from the support from CAMHS, with advice and guidance provided at team meetings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaged in education. They are making good progress from their starting points when they moved to the home. Managers are proactive in advocating for children when there are barriers to learning. For one child, staff stayed with the child at school to offer support and worked with education colleagues to promote educational attendance and engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported children to access independent advocacy to help them see the people who matter to them. For some children, arrangements to see family members have improved. Staff have sensitively supported and prepared children to see family members when contact has been previously stopped. This helps children to develop their identity and maintain important relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a variety of fun activities. This supports them to develop positive relationships with staff and enhances their life skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of respecting children’s identity and celebrating diversity throughout children’s care experience. Celebrating equality and diversity is embedded in the care practice of staff. Children are supported to develop their self- esteem and individual identity. This also helps children to develop empathy and an appreciation of the individuality and diversity of others.

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

Children are supported to be safe. Staff use their knowledge and experience to recognise risk and take immediate action to reduce this. There is a multi-agency safeguarding response to any incidents of concern. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures. They know what action to take if they have any concerns about a child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 4 The staff support children to reduce risk of harm and vulnerability from their starting points when moving to the home. The manager has systems and processes in place to track incidents and feed back to partner agencies when children make progress with this. The recording in risk assessment documentation could be improved. However, this does not impact on the understanding that staff have of the risks to children.

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

Positive and nurturing relationships, alongside clear expectations, help children to reduce behaviours that challenge. Incidents of self-harm have reduced for children since moving to the home. Staff know to use their skills and positive relationships to support children with behaviours that challenge. As a result, physical interventions are rarely used, and discussion and compromise replace more punitive approaches to managing behaviour.

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

There is a well-coordinated approach from staff and external professionals when children go missing from care. Staff try to locate children quickly and ensure that all relevant processes are followed. Safeguarding agencies are notified and risk assessments reviewed and shared with staff to try and prevent reoccurrence of incidents of children going missing.

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

When new staff are recruited, safer recruitment protocols are followed. The manager is confident that safe recruitment practices are implemented and staff who are working in the home are safe to do so. This safeguards children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and undertaking the level 5 qualification in leadership and management. She has introduced several systems and processes to drive improvements in the home. This is because she understands how important this is for staff and children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager had to make a difficult decision to end a child’s placement when risks became too great for staff to manage. The child’s move was well supported, and the child has been supported to maintain a positive connection with the home. The child’s social worker said, ‘The staff did everything they could for him. They went above and beyond.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work well with partner agencies and there are good lines of communication between the staff team and other professionals. Children are supported to access specialist help when needed. Partner agencies said the staff are doing a good job in supporting children to keep safe and achieving good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular professional supervision. This is enhanced through good training opportunities that equip staff to meet the needs of the children. In addition, the manager sources appropriate additional support through training and development from other agencies where this may benefit staff and children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 5 Managers take appropriate action to address any shortfalls in practice. This includes using the organisation’s performance management processes when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a disconnect within the team, with some differences of opinion between staff. The manager held a development session on communication and openness within the team. Leaders and managers are ensuring that there is good teamwork and that staff are working consistently to the same core ethos. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. Where there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that managers and staff understand that who we are and where we come from is recognised in good social work practice, for example, through undertaking life-story work or other direct work. Staff in children’s homes should play a full role in work of this kind. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)  The registered person should lead a team which provides high-quality care for all

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Recommendations

children living in the home. They should lead and manage the home in a way that delivers the ethos, outcomes and approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They should also play a key role in shaping the ethos of the home through developing a culture of high aspiration for children which is demonstrated through the care, resources and opportunities offered to the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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 for children’s home: SC431699 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham NG3 2EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Edinborough

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 8 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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