Children's home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Newcastle-under-Lyme

Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 1 SC461938 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 home is privately operated and is registered to provide care for two children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that care is provided for children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 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: 20 December 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 for children’s home: SC461938 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/12/2021 Full Good 08/05/2019 Full Good 17/04/2018 Full Good 12/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently two children living in this home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved on from the home, in a planned way, to semi-supported accommodation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities individually and together. They like going to the arcades, the cinema and for meals out. Staff are creating memory books so that children have a record of their lives while living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with relevant professionals to promote children’s education. One child is attending full-time education and making good progress from their starting point. One educational professional said, ‘Staff are proactive in dealing with any issues that occur and will work with [name of child] outside of school to reinforce any messages that are supportive to his education.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see the people who are important to them. Staff consult children on the arrangements in place to ensure that these are beneficial for the children. One child has been supported to re-establish contact with a family member.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff encourage children to attend relevant medical appointments. Staff liaise with specialist health professionals to ensure that children’s needs are fully understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have regular opportunities to share their views about the home and the care they receive. They are regularly reminded that they can access an independent advocate should they wish to.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For one child, healthy daily routines are not yet established. The expectations for staff around how they are to promote basic day-to-day routines for the child are not clear. This can lead to an inconsistent approach from staff.

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

The staff team has a good understanding of children’s vulnerabilities and associated risks. Individual risk management plans identify risks and include strategies for staff to follow to keep children safe.

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

There have been incidents of one child going missing from the home. The registered manager and staff have taken appropriate action to find the child and encourage their return. The child has been given the opportunity to speak to someone independent on their return to the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 4 When risks to children have increased, leaders and managers have taken appropriate action. Records are detailed and reflect how staff have worked with relevant professionals to manage levels of risk.

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

When decisions are made to search children’s bedrooms, the rationale for these decisions is clear and appropriate. Records show if the child has given permission for the search or is aware the search is taking place, and the actions staff have taken following the search are recorded.

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

There have been no incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection. Consequences are used infrequently. However, when they are used, records lack detail and are not in line with regulation. This was raised as a requirement at the last inspection and has been restated.

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

Before children move into the home, their needs are considered alongside the needs of the children already living in the home. The impact of any risk is assessed. However, admission processes could be improved by demonstrating how the registered manager has considered the views of other stakeholders.

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

Door sensors are in place in the home. Their use is specified in the home’s statement of purpose and agreed by children’s placing authorities. However, the routine use of door sensors does not reflect children’s individual needs. The manager is taking action to review their use to ensure that children are not subjected to intrusive levels of monitoring.

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

Safe recruitment procedures are carried out for staff. This means that necessary steps are taken to protect children from unsuitable adults being employed to work in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. He uses internal and external monitoring to improve practice in the home and takes swift action to address any shortfalls identified. Any complaints received are responded to and resolved in line with the organisation’s complaints procedure. However, the manager did not share information about a significant incident in a timely manner with relevant professionals or Ofsted. This reduces oversight of the home by the wider organisation and the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported. They receive regular formal and informal supervision. Appraisals take place annually and include consultation with children. The team of staff have access to relevant training to ensure that they have the skills needed to meet the needs of the children living in the home. Team meetings take place regularly and provide opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and the work carried out with children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals is positive. They are complimentary about the care children receive and communication from the manager. The manager will challenge Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 5 other professionals when relevant plans are not provided promptly. However, further challenge is needed to ensure that these documents appropriately identify all children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One member of staff has recently retired, which means that there is one vacancy in the home. Gaps in the staff rota are covered by staff working overtime and through the use of agency staff. Efforts are made to use the same agency staff to provide consistency for children. However, the registered manager must record the actual hours worked by staff on the duty rota.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An up-to-date copy of the home’s statement of purpose has been sent to Ofsted. This means that Ofsted has the most up-to-date information about the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children’s plans reflect expectations around daily routines and that these are understood and followed by staff. 5 April 2023

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; 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 5 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 7 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(v)(vii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that records of consequences are subject to scrutiny to ensure that they clearly record the actions staff have taken to avoid using the measure and that all consequences are evaluated for effectiveness.

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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

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. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all hours staff work are clearly recorded on rotas. 5 April 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 any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 5 April 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should challenge placing authorities or other relevant persons when they do not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home. This particularly relates to when relevant records are not of a high quality or specific to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, arrangements for the use of door sensors should be maintained and reviewed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff work closely with the child’s placing authority to understand the child’s relationship history and the impact that

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Recommendations

the child’s arrival may have on the children already living in the home. This particularly relates to ensuring that pre-admission assessments are comprehensive when the reasons a child’s previous placement ended are Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 8 explored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.3)

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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: SC461938 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, Cheshire CW12 1ET

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Inspector

Genevieve O’Reilly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC461938 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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