Children's Home run by Casterton Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 1 Registered provider: Casterton Care Group 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 operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in May 2023 and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in post who has not yet submitted a full application to register with Ofsted. There is no responsible individual in post.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there was one child living in the home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 November 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

Following a full inspection on 8 November 2023, three compliance notices were issued due to serious shortfalls identified in safeguarding practice and leadership Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 2 and management. At a monitoring visit on 21 December 2023, these notices were deemed to be met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/11/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 4

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improvement to be good

The home is nicely decorated and furnished and is welcoming with a homely feel. The child currently living in the home was consulted with about the decoration of their bedroom, so it reflects their likes and interests. Staff consult with the child about menu and activity planning. This gives the child a sense of belonging.

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improvement to be good

Staff advocate for children’s access to education and any delays are challenged by managers. Tutor support has enabled the child to undertake some learning in the home on a part-time basis. The child does not have an education plan to set out formal and informal learning. This has meant that the child does not have an established regular routine for learning.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to understand their behaviours. The child responds to strategies used by staff to regulate their emotions and is beginning to self-regulate. This has resulted in a reduction in the frequency and duration of incidents.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the child accesses general health services to enable them to maintain good physical health. Medication is managed safely. However, staff do not support the child to enhance their understanding and awareness of age-appropriate development, including puberty and safe relationships.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide the child with opportunities to take part in activities such as trampolining and playing pool. Annual passes to access local and national resources, including water parks and funfairs, have been purchased for the child and they are looking forward to using one of these to visit a themed attraction.

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improvement to be good

Therapists from the home’s linked service visit the home on a weekly basis to see the child and observe staff practice. They also attend team meetings for consultation and to offer advice and guidance based on information gained through their visits.

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improvement to be good

Staff are not offering the child opportunities to access and understand their plans and their voice is not embedded in the home’s documents. It is not clear if staff talk to children about their plans and targets, which would enable the child to influence them and identify their own goals.

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improvement to be good

Staff have developed trusting and secure relationships with the child. The child can identify staff members they could talk to if they had any concerns. The child has started to talk about their experiences, which indicates they feel safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 5 Staff have clear, consistent and appropriate boundaries for the child. One therapist said: ‘[Child’s name] knows the response to their behaviour from all staff is the same.’ This consistent approach means that the child has not had to be held since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to manage their behaviours and feelings. Staff work with the therapists to understand the root causes of the child’s behaviours and identify responses that safely manage them. Support plans clearly set out strategies for staff to use and staff are now able to de-escalate behaviours effectively.

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improvement to be good

The child has an individual up-to-date risk assessment which identifies a wide range of risks and sets out what action staff should take to manage the risks. However, the assessment of risk is not in line with the child’s behaviours, which means strategies for staff are not accurate. There are risks considered to be high despite the child not exhibiting any of these behaviours.

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improvement to be good

When there are incidents or safeguarding concerns, there is reference in case records to these being shared immediately with the child’s social worker. The content of conversations is not clear in the records and outcomes and actions from these discussions are not recorded. The manager has failed to raise concerns about the practice of agency staff with their agencies.

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improvement to be good

Direct work with the child has improved since the last inspection. Staff have increased the child’s knowledge about topics including racism, fire safety and internet risks. This is helping the child to develop an understanding of how to keep safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff are recruited safely and those working in the home are subject to safer recruitment checks.

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improvement to be good

The assessment of the appropriateness and suitability of the home’s location has not been updated to reflect current information about local risks. The location’s suitability is not considered in line with the child’s vulnerabilities to ensure that risks are managed. The assessment does not include consultation with the child or key people.

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good

The new manager is supported by a deputy manager who has been a consistent presence for the child and staff and is held in high regard. One member of staff said: ‘[Name of deputy manager] has been extremely supportive and is very approachable should staff have any concerns.’

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good

There is a sufficient number of staff, including the recruitment of waking night staff, which was prioritised due to the child finding nighttime difficult. Staff work cohesively and take a consistent approach to the child, who feels safer as a result. A Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 6 social worker said: ‘The introduction of consistent waking night staff is hugely positive for [name of child] as consistency means they feel safe at night and settle more quickly.’

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good

Supervision takes place in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Staff feel supported and supervision gives them an opportunity to review the child’s progress and consider their own training and development needs. When required, managers hold difficult conversations with staff and encourage them to reflect honestly on practice that needs to improve.

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good

Management oversight of the home is not sufficiently robust. The statement of purpose is not updated in line with changes in staffing and the quality of care review does not analyse and evaluate practice or take account of the child’s views. Despite systems being in place to monitor training, the manager was unaware that there are staff members who have not completed all mandatory training.

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good

Team meetings are well attended and provide an opportunity to learn. They are used as an opportunity to discuss incidents and review practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 7

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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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 all risk assessments are updated following any safeguarding concerns 28 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 8  risk assessments contain clear steps for staff to follow to reduce risks  any contact with social workers and other professionals regarding safeguarding concerns is fully recorded  all staff have completed safeguarding training as part of their mandatory training.

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation (8) (1) (2)(a)(ii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that there are systems in place to ensure that children who are not in full- time education have structured routines for formal and informal opportunities for learning. 28 March 2024

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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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each 28 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 9 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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(f)(g)(2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 they have oversight of all work being completed.  incidents and work are evaluated to establish patterns and trends and identify areas of development.  the quality of care in the home takes account of feedback from children.  the statement of purpose is updated regularly in line with staff changes.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 the home’s local area risk assessment includes consultation with key partners, including children, the staff team and local police.  the assessment considers relevant information about the location of the home in line with children’s risk assessments. 28 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 10

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to help children understand key areas of health and well- being, including sexual health and development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should ensure that children living in the home are supported to regularly contribute to the home’s records in a way that reflects their voice. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 58, paragraph 11.9)

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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: 2722566 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Casterton Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 Montpelier Avenue, Bexley, Kent DA5 3AP

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Inspector

Sarah Jackson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 12 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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Inspector

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