Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 1 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to three children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted on 11 December 2023. The registered manager resigned in June 2024. The current manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There was one child living at the home at the time of the inspection. They were spoken to during the inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the home was registered, one child has moved in. A child had a well-planned move into the home. This included visits to the home by the child. As a result, the child was familiar with the environment before they moved in and has settled quickly. The child said they feel safe at the home and have people they can speak to there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is warm and welcoming. They decorate the home for special occasions and display photos of the child enjoying activities. The child has personalised their room with soft furnishings, LED lights and photos of their friends and family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide positive activities and encourage the child’s interests and hobbies. They have supported the child to join a gymnastics club and the child attends regular sessions there. The child has also enjoyed swimming, a visit to the seaside and trips out to museums.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff organise and support the child’s time with their family. Staff have good relationships with family members, and this has helped to support the child to maintain and build on relationships with people who are important to them. The child’s parent said that staff keep them updated about their child and that they are made to feel welcome when they visit the home. They said that staff are ‘really good’ with their child and as a result their child has ‘really opened up to them’ and is happy at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently attending a formal education setting, but staff have been creative in providing educational activities that meet their educational needs. The manager has ensured that education is prioritised for the child and has worked with other professionals to identify an appropriate school place. The child has visited a potential school and there is a clear plan for their return to formal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have registered the child with local medical practices and supported them to attend routine appointments. Some health appointments are currently outstanding, for example, a health assessment and an initial visit to the GP. The child has not been at the home long and the manager is ensuring that all outstanding medical appointments are completed.

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

Staff benefit from a comprehensive range of training. Training is tailored to meet the needs of the child. As a result, the child is supported by staff who have the necessary understanding and skills to provide good-quality care.

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

The manager creates clear plans and risk assessments and keeps these regularly updated. Staff support the child to review and inform their plans. As a result, plans are highly individualised to the child and include creative strategies that work well. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 3 Staff have regular focused discussions and do work with the child about safety and risk. Records relating to these discussions are clear and detailed. The manager completes thorough evaluations of key-work session records and ensures that learning from discussions is included in the child’s plans.

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

Staff manage health and safety matters effectively. As a result, the child lives in a home that is physically safe and free from hazards.

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

Incidents are rare and are professionally managed. There have been no incidents of the child going missing or being absent from home. However, when the child attended an event away from the home, the potential for them to need support was not carefully considered. As a result, there was a delay in staff returning to the child when they were needed. This had the potential to put the child at risk. The manager reflected on this and updated the child’s plans and risk assessments to provide clear guidance for staff to remain in the area when the child spends time away from home. A further event was fully supervised by staff and went positively for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated to the home and enthusiastic about achieving positive outcomes for the child and the staff. The manager has high standards and challenges other professionals appropriately to ensure that the child has what they need. Other professionals comment positively about the impact the manager has for the child. One said they ‘cannot fault’ the manager and that she keeps them well informed about their child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager benefited from a lengthy and well-planned transition into the role and was supported to develop through mentoring from the previous manager. The previous manager is now a quality assurance manager for the organisation and so continues to have oversight of the home and provides ongoing support. As a result, the handover has been seamless and there has been no impact on the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular supervision which supports their well-being and development. Staff say that they feel well supported by the manager and recognise the positive impact she has for the home. A staff member said she is a ‘really good manager’ and that she is approachable, listens to them and is fair. As a result, the child benefits from the support of a consistent staff team who are happy in their roles. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This includes the arrangements when children spend time away from the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that children attend necessary primary and secondary health services and that, when services are not accessible, they engage with the wider system to ensure that children’s healthcare needs are met. This includes arranging an appointment with the child’s GP. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.11)

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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: 2748579 5

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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

Laura Norcop, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 6 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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