Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 1 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to 12 weeks for up to three children with complex needs. There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 22 December 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The staff in the home are referred to as adults in the report, in line with the language used in the home.

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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: 27 September 2022

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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: 2506232 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/09/2022 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Inadequate 08/12/2021 Full Good 07/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have warm and caring relationships with the adults in the home. The children know that living in the home is a short-term arrangement. Staff help the children to invest in their time while living in the home to make sure future moves are kept to a minimum. Children grow in confidence while living in the home through the routines set to meet the children’s individual needs at that time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Eight children have lived in the home since the last inspection. Their moves into the home are well planned. Adults meet the children before they move to the home. Children can visit the home and share any ideas they have on how they would like their room. Children meet as many adults as possible to ensure that they feel more settled when they move in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move on from the home, the adults make sure that their assessments are known to the placing authority. This ensures the most appropriate next move for the children, whether to a family, foster carers or another children’s home. Of the seven children who have moved on, two moves were unplanned, but not without the adults trying their hardest to support the children before the move.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are central to planning and the running of the home. Children talk positively about the adults and how they have advocated for them to see friends and family. Children know that adults share their views with other professionals involved in their life to make sure their views are known. A child’s social worker was highly positive about the time the child has lived in the home and how their views have been shared with the placing authority when the child has felt they are not heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in education through the organisation’s alternative provision. Adults help them overcome barriers to learning, such as by creating a programme for the day to help them wake up and be ready for learning. Tutors come to the home to help children engage in various types of learning, such as hairdressing and caring for the many animals living on the grounds of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children learn about healthy lifestyles and what this means for them. They are helped to understand the risks of vaping, smoking and drug and substance misuse as required, as well as guidance in sex education and healthy relationships. The newly appointed therapeutic lead is highly enthusiastic about their role and how they will be working alongside the adults and children to tailor programmes of support.

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

Children say they have adults they can go to when they are worried or upset. The child was seen to share their frustrations openly, and the adult’s responses were thoughtful and understanding of the child’s situation and concerns. The adults Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 4 understand the vulnerabilities of each child who has lived at the home. Due to the nature of the assessments provided by the home, adults are quick to adapt and meet children’s initial and changing needs. The adults know how to respond should they be concerned for a child’s safety or welfare, including understanding the role of partner agencies.

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

Joint working with the local authority designated officer and specialist police officers is a particular strength. Responses to children being missing from home or when they are being exploited are swift due to the strong partnership working. The adults are skilled in understanding the risks of exploitation in all forms as well as responding to potential risks in the community.

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

Children are helped to understand abusive or coercive relationships and how to remove themselves from these situations. This has led to children being able to identify risky situations and call for adults and police support when needed.

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

Adults help children to understand that their behaviour is a way of sharing how they feel. Children are helped to look at more appropriate ways to express themselves when they are anxious, angry or upset. There is thoughtful follow up to any incidents, where children have the space to say how they are feeling and get the support they need to make different choices next time. Physical interventions have been used with some children, but only as a last resort. Relationships are always repaired after an incident to help all involved move on positively.

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

Children are protected from avoidable risk through safer recruitment practices and regular monitoring of the home and grounds. However, there is no monitoring of post or parcels arriving at the home to prevent children having access to unsuitable items being sent to them. Additionally, children’s belongings have not been recorded when they move into the home to ensure they do not have unsafe items or unexplained items of value. New processes are now in place to ensure this does not continue to be a risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager runs the home with children always in mind. There is a clear child-focused approach and ethos in the home, and all adults practise the approach in their care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and adults work effectively as a team and with the wider professional networks to ensure all children’s needs are met and will continue to be once they move on. The twelve-week programme shows children’s skills, progress and areas for further development over time and helps to inform what home would best suit their needs in the long term.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults have the training needed to meet each child’s needs when they move into the home. Adults say the managers are incredibly supportive and they have the chance to continually develop and refresh their skills. They have regular supportive supervision and sessions where they have clinical support to reflect on their care for Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 5 the children and how this can be developed. The adults also take responsibility for their own learning and development and have created a system to share and reflect on how their care and support of children are meeting the quality standards. Adults comment positively about this, as they say it brings the regulations to life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Three staff have not completed a suitable level 3 qualification within the specified time frames. While there are some mitigating circumstances, there has also been drift in ensuring their training is completed. The manager is providing support to ensure that they complete their qualification within the newly agreed timescales.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team engages the adults in the continued development of the home and how the twelve-week programme for children is used. The adults have been fully involved in developing the programme and providing links to resources for each programmed area. The recent change in independent visitor further supports the home to benefit from professional challenge to evolve and develop the service. Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 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, 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 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; and

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that children are protected from receiving inappropriate items in the post and that children’s belongings are recorded when moving into the home to ensure there is nothing that could cause harm to themselves or others. 29 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 29 February 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 7 in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that adults gain the relevant qualifications within the required time frame.

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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: 2506232 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Advantage, 87 Castle Street, Reading, Berkshire RG1 7SN

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Inspector

Jennie Christopher, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2506232 9 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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