Children's Home run by Castle Homes Care Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 1 SC060590 Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private provider operates this children’s home. The home is registered to provide care for up to three children with emotional or social difficulties. One child was living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2022 Full Good 11/08/2021 Full Good 13/08/2019 Full Outstanding 22/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Until very recently, two children have lived in this home. Only one child is currently living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends school or is offered educational activities after school time. Staff are resourceful in finding educational activities that suit the child’s likes and interests. Staff encourage and support the child to enjoy learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to see their family in line with care plans. Staff take the child to see their family members. Family time is important for children’s identity and sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have supported the child to develop independence skills. This prepares children for leaving the home and adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming. Children who have lived in the home have been able to personalise their bedrooms. Some internal doors to communal areas have locks on them which could prevent children from having access to all areas of their home. The manager planned to have the locks removed while the inspection was in progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have lived in this home have been cared for well by staff for several years. Recently, one of the children has felt unhappy. Their behaviour has reflected this unhappiness. Some staff have not had appropriate training to help them support this child through the changes in their behaviour.

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

The child currently living at the home can identify several staff members who they have a trusted relationship with. This means that they have good relationships with the people who care for them.

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

The child has up-to-date risk assessments which are individual to them. Staff are aware of the child’s risks and what action they should take to keep them safe.

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

Staff have good knowledge of safeguarding procedures. They work with partner agencies, such as children’s social care and police, to help ensure the child’s safety.

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

A location risk assessment is in place and is updated regularly. The child’s home environment is safe and secure.

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

Safer recruitment policies are in place. This means that staff who work with the child undergo checks to ensure that they are appropriate to work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 4 Staff are not always consistent in how they manage the child’s behaviour. This means the child is sometimes confused by how staff react to them.

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good

The experienced manager has a good understanding of the home, staff and the child. Staff say that she is very supportive

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good

Staff have regular supervision with managers. Supervision records show that staff do not always have the opportunity to reflect on their work with the child or on the child’s experiences. This means that opportunities to discuss how best to support the child are not taken.

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good

Staff training does not include some key issues that the child faces. This means that not all staff have the skills and knowledge to help the child manage their behaviour.

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good

The home does not currently have enough staff and the manager has been working some shifts. This has meant that she has had limited time to carry out her management role. Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 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, The 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 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(d)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff have the skills to meet the needs of the children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that there is sufficient staff to meet the needs of the children. 17 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 6 The registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that internal locks are removed on the communal doors. 17 November

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood and always applied by staff and that it is kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 46, paragraph 9.34)  The registered person should ensure that staff are provided with good-quality supervision sessions which give them opportunities to reflect on their practice and to discuss their ongoing development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC060590 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Castle Homes Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC060590 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 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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