Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2546476 1 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home registered with Ofsted in November 2019. It provides care for up to six children with special education and/or learning disabilities. There is one young person living in the home who is aged 19. Two children were also 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 July 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 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: 2546476 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2023 Full Good 13/09/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/05/2022 Full Inadequate 01/12/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2546476 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young person make good progress through their positive relationships with staff, who know them well. The children and young person approach staff for help or interaction, and they are confident in their home. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with the children and young person respecting each other’s space. The two children have a warm friendship and will often sit with each other to share activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has the skills needed to understand each child and young person’s communication style. Staff have received additional training in Makaton and the use of communication aids, as well as liaising with speech and language therapists. This has increased communication in the home and the number of choices the children and young person make. Children were seen to show staff what they wanted from the fridge and used photos to indicate their choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young person attend school in accordance with their current plans. Staff work jointly with education partners, and this helps to ensure that there is consistency in the approach to using communication tools. Managers actively advocate for children who are not receiving full-time education, including escalating their concerns with the relevant placing authority. Those who are not in full-time education benefit from a range of planned activities in addition to their time at school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young person enjoy a range of physical and emotionally stimulating activities both in the home and the community. They regularly go trampolining, swimming or visit local parks, among other things. The recent addition of a well- equipped sensory room and interactive ball pool in the home are loved by the children and young person, as well as the new sensory and messy play equipment for the extensive garden. The children and young person are supported to see their family and others who are important to them, no matter what the distance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved into the home since the last inspection. These moves were well managed and were tailored in line with each child’s needs. The young person is currently benefiting from a well-planned move to his adult home. Staff are supporting him well and liaising with his new provider to share the best ways to look after him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young person’s physical and emotional health is well managed. Medication is appropriately stored and administered, and children attend all medical appointments as required. They engage with a music therapist who visits weekly in addition to other therapies as agreed.

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

The children and young person’s actions show that they feel safe in the home. Staff have an excellent understanding of their vulnerabilities and do all they can to keep them safe. Inspection report for children’s home: 2546476 4 Staff understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe and how to report any safeguarding concerns within the organisation and wider safeguarding network. The local authority designated officer commented that the home responds appropriately and uses their service as required.

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

Staff understand that all behaviours are a form of communication and support the children and young person to show how they are feeling in more appropriate ways. The use of physical interventions with the current group is low. However, for the interventions that have occurred, leaders and managers have not consistently evaluated what happened. This is a missed opportunity to consider the effectiveness of the intervention and the likelihood of it being required in the future.

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

Children are supported by staff when they show anxiety and behaviours of distress. For instance, staff prepared a range of sensory activities for a child who was unsettled on their way home from school. This ensured that the child had space to calm down and process why they were unhappy.

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

The children and young person are protected from avoidable risk through regular monitoring of the home and environment. This includes removing risks linked to children’s diagnosed conditions. For example, staff ensure that items around the home are safe to chew. Managers have suitably assessed the risk of children and a young adult living together. Staff are not risk averse and this enables the children and young person to take appropriate risks in line with their age and abilities.

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

The children and young person are protected from being cared for by inappropriate people, as managers ensure that safer recruitment checks are carried out. These checks include agency staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, the manager has registered with Ofsted. The manager constantly evaluates the quality of the service and the care children receive. The manager is ambitious and has high expectations for the children and young person’s outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is relatively new and is still forming and bonding. Staff talk positively about the support and guidance they receive from the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive a wide range of training linked to the children’s needs and diagnoses. However, there are gaps in some staff training due to the staff team being relatively new. For instance, training in personal care, mental health and well-being, trauma and attachment is still required for those currently working through their induction period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children and young person’s progress is monitored well by leaders and managers through regular reviews of their plans, goals and targets. Small successes are celebrated, and staff show how proud they are when children learn new skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 2546476 5 The manager has devised a detailed development plan and makes use of the monitoring by the new independent person. The manager leads by example and is developing the staff team with the deputy manager’s support. Inspection report for children’s home: 2546476 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff have the necessary training to meet children’s specific needs. 30 August 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are reviewed and analysed for trends and patterns in order to reduce the likelihood a child may require the measure in the future. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, and paragraph 9.36)

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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: 2546476 7

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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: 2546476 8 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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