Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Kent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 1 SC037309 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 is owned and run by a private organisation. It provides care for up to nine children. The aim of the home is to provide a homely environment for children to thrive in, both physically and emotionally.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2022.

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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: SC037309 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/08/2021 Full Outstanding 22/10/2019 Full Outstanding 06/06/2018 Full Outstanding 22/08/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 3

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improvement to be good

The staff have developed positive relationships with the children, who are making progress. However, some allegations made by a child were not reported in line with safeguarding procedures.

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improvement to be good

In other ways, risks to children are identified and safety measures implemented effectively. Direct work with children is used to educate them if they are at risk, for example when using social media.

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improvement to be good

The children’s education is valued and supported by the staff. Children who previously struggled to go to school now attend full time and enjoy going to school. Three of the children attend the organisation’s school, where they access specialist resources, such as occupational therapy and speech and language therapy.

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improvement to be good

The staff and children benefit from access to a therapeutic team. The therapist attends child-focused team meetings and discusses children’s trauma to help staff to understand how this can affect their relationships. Multi-professional assessments ensure that children have the right therapy and support at the right time.

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improvement to be good

The children are encouraged to have positive relationships with each other. When a child struggled to manage his anger, a comprehensive report was completed. This helped staff to understand the child’s behaviour, and how to help him manage his frustrations better.

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improvement to be good

The home has space to use rooms for different activities, such as crafts, a quiet space to use computers and play on electronic devices, and space to entertain family and friends.

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improvement to be good

The children’s bedrooms are personalised and well decorated. However, the bathrooms are in a poor decorative state; one had broken edging on the bath. This was missed during monitoring processes. This was immediately repaired when identified by the inspector and senior leaders have arranged for the refurbishment of the bathrooms to be scheduled.

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improvement to be good

The registered manager and staff have failed to recognise and report appropriately when a child made allegations while being restrained. This was identified by a senior manager during an investigation and was reported to the local authority designated officer (LADO), who reviewed these incidents. This does not demonstrate an awareness by staff, including the registered manager, of how to follow child protection procedures to safeguard children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 4 On other occasions, safeguarding procedures were followed and immediate action was taken so that staff did not work directly with children. Despite appropriate action being taken, the reasoning for one member of staff continuing to work in the main office was not evidenced. In addition, a risk assessment was not signed and dated by all parties.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are reviewed and updated in response to incidents or when new information becomes available. Although detailed, these documents are lengthy, consequently there is a risk that important information regarding children’s current risks could be missed.

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improvement to be good

Senior managers have responded swiftly in response to children’s behaviours. A response to a child burning himself on the stove included safety checks in the home and additional safety measures taken to prevent further incidents.

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improvement to be good

The staff are vigilant in checking children’s mobile phones, with their agreement. This ensures that they are using them safely. This has been effective in identifying when children have been at risk. The necessary actions have been taken when this has occurred, including educating the children.

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improvement to be good

The children do not go missing from the home. They enjoy positive relationships with the staff. When children settle to bed at night, staff read with and talk to children before bed; this is particularly valued by the children. This allows time for children to share any worries they may have.

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good

The monitoring and oversight of the home are poor. The failures in reporting safeguarding matters were not identified at the time, leading to the LADO not being informed or consulted about the incidents. External monitoring processes did not identify these omissions. Once senior leaders became aware, immediate action was taken. However, Ofsted was not informed; this compromises Ofsted’s ability to monitor the home effectively in between inspections.

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good

Senior leaders recognise these failures and have identified actions to ensure that this does not reoccur. This includes additional training for staff and the registered manager. Recent safeguarding training has included a focus on recognising and reporting allegations. Supervision sessions and team meetings are used to reinforce safeguarding messages.

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good

Appropriate action was taken when an error was made when administering medication to a child. This was identified immediately during regular medication checks. Medical advice was sought and the child was monitored for any adverse effects. An investigation was undertaken and as part of this a medical audit was requested to identify whether there was any other learning from this. This did not Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 5 occur; this was a missed opportunity to identify and disseminate any learning from this error.

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good

Feedback from professionals is positive. For example, one social worker stated that ‘The staff are always communicative and keep me updated on any concerns or successes for [the child].’ The social workers spoken to commented on the positive progress the children have made because of the care that they receive.

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good

These identified shortfalls and failures in effective leadership and management are viewed against the backdrop of good staff practice, excellent therapeutic support and dedicated child-focused leadership. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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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)(v)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager and staff understanding and following safeguarding procedures. 1 June 2023

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 1 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 7 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

or concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)) 1 June 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that medicines are administered in line with a medically approved protocol. If a medical audit is identified to inform any learning from medication errors, this should be completed and learning implemented. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  The registered person should ensure that the policy on protection of children from abuse and neglect includes arrangements in relation to dealing with allegations involving staff in the home. All policies should be reviewed regularly and revised where appropriate to ensure that risk assessments in relation to actions taken following an allegation against staff and the reasoning for this are clear. Risk

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Recommendations

assessments for children should provide clarity about current risks and how staff should manage these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.19)  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person makes a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. The individual appointed should ensure that analysis and constructive challenge are evidenced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 8

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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: SC037309 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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Inspector

Suzy Lemmy, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 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 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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