Children's home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Ashford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 1 SC064081 Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to seven children. It is part of a charity that has other homes and a school in the local area.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2022 and is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/03/2022 Full Outstanding 15/01/2020 Full Outstanding 14/02/2019 Full Outstanding 26/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 3

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to make progress in their personal development and relationships, and staff are attentive to, and familiar with, the needs of each child.

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improvement to be good

However, staff interactions with children are not consistently positive and the language used in records made by staff is not always appropriate, for example, referring to a child as ‘lazy’ or ‘telling lies’. Currently, some children may find the language used in some of their records upsetting. The registered manager has identified that improvements are required in this area and has arranged for training for the staff team.

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improvement to be good

Children attend activities outside the home, giving them experiences in the community, for example, one child attends cadets. Children are supported to increase their independence, for example, by taking the school bus.

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improvement to be good

Children’s views are captured in a variety of ways, including meetings with the manager and wider regional meetings, and forms in which they can express their views. Child-friendly versions of care plans for children are read with them by staff, to ensure they understand how staff will care for them.

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improvement to be good

Children’s learning and development are supported by the staff. They are encouraged to develop their independent learning by completing homework as soon as they return home from school or to spend some dedicated time reading.

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls in safeguarding practice and implementation of the safeguarding policy. For example, when one child made an allegation during a physical intervention, this was not reported by the staff. This child later informed another professional and this was referred externally and then investigated by the provider. However, the investigation failed to take into account staff’s failure to report the allegation. Also, discussions were held with the child by staff and the registered manager while a child protection enquiry was being instigated.

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improvement to be good

There are shortfalls in the safer recruitment of staff. For example, one staff member’s recruitment file did not show that the reasons for leaving previous employment with vulnerable adults had been explored and there were gaps in their employment history.

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improvement to be good

Language used by staff in records about children is not always appropriate. For example, one record says a child ‘kicked off’ at staff. Another described a discussion with a child in which it was said that if staff get injured, they would not come to Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 4 work, meaning the home would be short staffed, which would affect their activities. This is not a restorative and supportive approach to take with children.

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improvement to be good

Records made following children being held to keep them safe do not always include the views of children. Children are not always given the opportunity to speak to an independent person not involved in the incident. Discussions held with staff following these incidents do not always demonstrate a thorough exploration of the incident and what was learned from this. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on why the child was held and what could be done to prevent further incidents.

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good

Staff feel supported by the registered manager and the senior management team. However, supervision is not consistently held for all staff and some staff have not had annual appraisal.

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good

Reports required under the regulations are not completed or sent to the regulator within the required timeframes. Furthermore, reports submitted by the independent person lack feedback and the opinions of children about the home. This is a missed opportunity for children to share their views.

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good

There are shortfalls in the registered manager’s practice regarding notifications of serious incidents. For example, the regulator was not informed of a child protection enquiry being instigated or concluded for one child. This hinders the regulator’s oversight of safeguarding practice in the home.

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good

The registered manager has a development plan for the home and is making progress with this. However, there are shortfalls in the manager’s monitoring and oversight, due to the time he has spent working directly with children. It is recognised by senior leaders that this needs to change, with a plan to support this.

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good

Staff feel that there are good training opportunities and internal progression. Overall staff have the required training and qualifications. One member of staff has not completed their level 3 qualification within the required time scales. However, the impact of this is minimal and a plan is in place to ensure that this is completed. One long-standing staff member said that she was proud to work here, as ‘It’s all about the children,’ and ‘The children are always put first.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 5

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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 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

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. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)) 28 February 2023

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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

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; 28 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

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)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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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

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)(b) (2)(h)) 28 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 28 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that— 28 February 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 7 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d))

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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)) 28 February 2023

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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;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child —

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)) 28 February 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (4)(a)) 31 January 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as is practicable. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 50, paragraph 9.60) Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 8  The registered person should ensure that all staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have achieved the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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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: SC064081 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Caldecott Foundation Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caldecott House, Hythe Road, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent TN25 6SP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicholas Barnett

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Inspectors

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Mike Simmonds, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 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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