Children's home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Cheshire East

Inspection report for children’s home: SC477726 1 SC477726 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 owned by a private company. It is registered to care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties. It is also registered to care for children who may have learning difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living here at the time of the inspection. The inspector spoke with both children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2016.

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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: 6 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: SC477726 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2022 Full Good 02/03/2022 Full Good 04/07/2019 Full Good 05/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC477726 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy. They say they enjoy living in the home, with one child describing their experience as fantastic. Staff support children to talk openly about issues that upset them. Staff help children to understand their emotions and to manage these in healthy ways. Children say that staff are good at listening to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff offer children a variety of activities and support children to explore their interests. Staff enrol children in clubs that they enjoy. This supports children’s social skills and self-esteem. Staff encourage children to try new things and to visit new places.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers advocate for children’s well-being in order to ensure that all their needs are met by the right professional team. When children need additional support, staff challenge other professionals to provide this. Communication between professionals is effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advocate for children to receive the educational support that they need. When children are not able to attend school full-time, staff help them to complete work in the home. Staff celebrate children’s progress and achievements. This helps children to continue to learn despite academic challenges.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with people who are important to them. Children’s friends visit them in their home, and staff support children to do fun activities with their friends in the community. When children spend time with their friends away from the home, staff communicate effectively with other parents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff teach children how to take care of their health and hygiene. Staff take children to routine and emergency health appointments and help children take medication that they need. This helps to keep children well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm and welcoming with appropriate space for the children who live there. Children’s photos are displayed throughout the home and children contribute to the décor. The home is well maintained but has blind cords in the lounge that may pose a hazard to some children. This is something that the manager is taking action to address.

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

Staff have built positive and trusting relationships with children. Staff are consistent in their approach to children and respond to challenging behaviours in a nurturing way. Due to this, children feel safe, and their risks have reduced since moving to this home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477726 4 When children become distressed, staff respond in a way that works for each child. Staff rarely hold children to keep them from hurting themselves or others. When this has been needed, it has been used as a last resort. After children have had to be held, the manager speaks to them to help them understand what happened.

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

When children go missing from this home, staff act quickly to try to locate them. Staff follow individual plans for each child and communicate effectively with other professionals to share information. This helps to reduce the risks to children.

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

Children know how to make a complaint but have not needed to do this. Children say that staff and managers will listen to them if they ask for things to change or improve. This supports children to feel heard and valued.

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

Staff talk to children about how to keep themselves safe online and in the community. Staff treat each child as an individual and focus on topics that are important to each child. As children get older, staff help them to learn skills that they will need as they become young adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is led by an experienced manager who is able to effectively balance different responsibilities. The manager has qualifications relevant to the role and has been managing this home for eight years. The manager and staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and positive aspirations for their future.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that their manager is supportive, with one member of staff saying, ‘I don’t think there’s any more she can do.’ Staff value the time they have to discuss practice and reflect together in supervisions and team meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff working with the children are appropriately qualified and safer recruitment practices are followed. The manager provides staff with ongoing training to support staff with their individual development. This ensures that all adults in the home are knowledgeable and safe to work with vulnerable children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s care is generally individualised to each child. However, monitoring systems are in place to alert staff when any child opens or closes their bedroom door. This is used as a default approach and does not reflect each child’s individual risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good internal monitoring systems and makes good use of independent monitoring to ensure that staff provide consistently good care to the children. This oversight consistently promotes the safety and well-being of the children living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC477726 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the use of bedroom door alarms as a safeguarding measure is subject to a rigorous assessment of each child’s needs, is reviewed regularly and is clearly reflected in children’s individual plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure children have a safe environment with all hazards removed. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: SC477726 6

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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

Aislinn Cooper, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC477726 7 regulates and inspects 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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