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 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2022 and is currently undertaking a suitable qualification.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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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

08/03/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/08/2021 Full Outstanding 22/10/2019 Full Outstanding 06/06/2018 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four children have remained living at the home. The registered manager’s vision for the children and the care provided by staff are reflected in the fun and positive childhood experiences that children have and the memories and progress they make while living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff regularly talk to children to gain their views, wishes and feelings. This includes exploring how the staff feel and connect with the children to build on relationships. There is an emphasis on the language staff use, ensuring that this is language that shows care for children so that they feel nurtured and loved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to gain independence skills, such as going to the local shops to buy groceries for the home. They also take part in a variety of activities, including trips to the beach and local parks and going for sleepovers at friends’ homes. There are photos around the home of children and staff enjoying different experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are attending school full time and making good progress in their education. Children’s certificates are displayed in the home to celebrate their success. Staff also support children to join local community groups, such as football clubs, swimming lessons and cadets. This means that children have access to the same opportunities as other children and are part of their local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s identities are delicately explored. This is supported by the home’s therapy team and some children are just beginning important life-story work to understand their heritage and identity. Staff ensure that children have access to regular health appointments and any specialist referrals are made when identified as necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that children’s care plans are updated following any significant changes to their care needs. However, they have not obtained an updated care plan from one child’s local authority following a review.

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

The home is currently undergoing some planned refurbishments to update the bathrooms. The registered manager has plans to develop areas of the home and has sought children’s views on how they would like these areas to be developed.

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

All staff have recently attended safeguarding training with the local authority safeguarding team. Any shortfalls in the staff’s implementation of good safeguarding practice have been swiftly identified during the registered manager’s monitoring and immediate action taken with the staff to address this.

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

There are comprehensive risk plans for children which give guidance to staff on how to support children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 4 Any allegations made by children are thoroughly investigated. Senior leaders have taken action to work collaboratively with children’s professional networks to ensure that allegations are always listened to and reported to the relevant people.

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

The staff support children with boundaries and routines to encourage positive behaviour. However, there are shortfalls in the records made after the use of consequences for unwanted behaviour, and missed opportunities to reflect with staff and the child following the use of a consequence.

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

The staff explore positive relationships with children and regularly talk about shared living and being kind to one another. Where there are concerns around children’s behaviour and how it impacts other children, the registered manager ensures that safety plans reflect the care that staff are to provide to children. These plans are discussed with the children’s professional networks.

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

Systems are in place to ensure that staff working in the home with children are safely recruited. However, not all checks are consistently reviewed. For example, one staff member’s Disclosure and Barring Service check had expired and this had not been identified. Immediate action was taken during the inspection to rectify this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is currently recruiting new staff to join the team. Meanwhile, the shortfall in staffing has meant that some staff have worked additional shifts. They feel supported by the registered manager and each other. Their dedication means that children receive consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager feels supported by his senior leaders, who are often present in the home and sometimes work alongside the children. This means that they know the children and the home well. The staff have regular supervision which provides them with an opportunity to reflect on their practice and the care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with a suitable induction and ongoing training to support their development. However, there is a shortfall in ensuring that all staff have a suitable qualification in first aid. Furthermore, the registered manager has not implemented an effective workforce development plan to inform the staff’s training and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has established systems to improve his oversight and monitoring of the care provided to children. There are imminent plans to introduce new recording systems and the registered manager sees this as an opportunity to develop the staff’s record-keeping.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from external professionals is very positive. There is good communication between professional networks, including regular updates on children’s progress. One child’s independent reviewing officer reflected on how the child has blossomed since living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 5 The registered manager makes changes to the home’s statement of purpose when necessary. However, he has not sent the updated version to the regulator as required. 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 registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff have the required training as set out in their training policy to provide first aid for all children. 30 June 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; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

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)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that Disclosure and Barring Service checks are carried out in accordance with the registered provider’s recruitment policy. 30 June 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 7 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that they have access to children’s care plans following each review to ensure that each child’s relevant care plan is followed. 31 July 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

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;

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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

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 31 July 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC037309 8 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that a record is made of any consequences used in relation to children’s unwanted behaviour and that the registered person has spoken to the user and the child about the measure.

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should develop and keep under review a statement of purpose and ensure that any updates are sent to HMCI (regulation 16 and schedule 1). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of

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Recommendations

staff – including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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

Sara Stoker, 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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