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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 1 SC460800 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 provide care for up to four children who may have social or emotional difficulties and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

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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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 20 December 2023

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/12/2023 Full Good 06/09/2022 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good 25/06/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The inspector spoke with both children living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Due to the unwavering care and commitment from staff, children make exceptional and sustained progress when living in this home. Staff clearly care about children and help them to experience genuine warmth and nurturing care. Children say that the staff are the best thing about living in this home. One child said, ‘They are fun to be around.’ Consequently, children have been enabled to develop positive, trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children say that staff listen to them and talk to them about important topics. Staff creatively gain children’s views and help them to learn about things in an enjoyable and engaging way. When talking to children about important topics, staff use various resources to bring their learning to life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff are exceptionally strong advocates for children. When professionals are not doing all that they can for children, staff and managers appropriately challenge them to do more. Staff support children with their education and help them to learn in an enjoyable and informal way when they are not in school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are helped to keep in touch with people who are important to them. They spend time with their friends, and staff drive long distances so that children can spend time with their siblings. One child, who had not seen their family in a long time, was helped to reconnect with a caregiver from their past.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have an excellent understanding of children’s health needs. They help children to understand their health and take children to appointments when needed. Staff encourage children to take care of their health and hygiene and talk to them about staying healthy. When children take medicine, staff help them to understand and manage this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consistently go above and beyond to help children to try new things and to celebrate important milestones. Staff are incredibly proud of children’s achievements. When children miss out on events, staff set up their own celebration in the home. This has allowed one child to experience a prom, with staff getting dressed up with the children and driving the child around with ribbons on the car to arrive at the prom. Similarly, staff support children to recreate key childhood events they have missed, such as teddy bears picnics, camping in the garden, sports days and music festivals. This helps children to build positive memories and to have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard. Children’s photos and their artwork and crafts are proudly displayed in the home. Children have outdoor space to enjoy with a vegetable garden that they have created. Children contribute their ideas to Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 4 the home and have decorated their own bedrooms. This helps them to develop a sense of belonging in the home.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are highly effective. Children say that they feel safe and happy living in the home. One child said, ‘There is nowhere else I would rather be.’ Staff and managers demonstrate an enduring commitment to children and continue to support them unconditionally throughout difficult periods. The manager said, ‘We all see the child behind the behaviour.’ This ethos is apparent through the care and nurture that staff provide to children.

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

Children are helped to manage risks and are supported to safely try new things and develop their skills in preparation for becoming more independent. Children’s needs and abilities are carefully and regularly assessed to determine the appropriate levels of supervision and support. This persistent and dynamic approach to managing risk keeps children safe while allowing them to continue to progress. Consequently, children’s risks have reduced significantly.

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

Staff help children to understand and manage their emotions. They do this in imaginative and engaging ways to help children visualise what is going on inside their brains and bodies. Staff know how to help each child when they struggle to contain their emotions. Children are not held often to keep them safe. Holds are only used as a last resort. After a hold, staff talk to the child to help them understand what happened and help them to share their views.

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

Children are provided with weekly therapy to enable them to process their trauma and understand their feelings. Staff support children to engage with this in a productive way. Commissioned therapists liaise with the team of staff to help them to better understand the themes that children need further support with. This enables staff to continue helping the child outside of their sessions.

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

Due to high levels of care and supervision, children do not go missing from this home. Staff know the actions they should take if a child does go missing and know how to keep children safe. Paperwork in the home provides helpful information for staff and useful strategies to follow should safeguarding concerns arise.

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

Professionals are highly complimentary about communication from the team of staff and their excellent understanding of children’s needs. One child’s social worker said, ‘Staff are good at recognising his changing needs, but also thinking forward about what is coming next for him.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has substantial experience and versatile skills to manage the home well and ensure that children are provided with excellent care. Staff feel exceptionally well supported and valued by the management team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 5 Staff say that the manager has an unending knowledge about caring for traumatised children and that she is warm and approachable but willing to challenge them to continually develop practice in the home. The manager empowers staff to contribute their views and share ideas to continue supporting children in creative ways. Staff feel confident seeking advice from each other and the management team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager arranges pamper days and different experiences for the team of staff to support their well-being and to introduce them to different methods of self-care. When staff need additional support for their own emotions, the manager refers them for individual therapeutic support sessions. This helps staff to take care of their own emotional well-being so that they can better support the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are provided with high-quality therapeutic training. When staff feel there is a gap in their knowledge, managers source additional training and resources to enable them to feel confident in understanding children’s changing needs. The manager commissions bespoke training for individual members of staff when she identifies specific areas of need. This ensures that children are cared for by adults who have the skills to understand them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager promotes continued learning in the staff team. She develops useful resources in partnership with the home’s commissioned psychology team to meet children’s ever-changing needs. The manager delivers this learning as a group in team meetings and during individual staff supervision sessions. Inspection report for children’s home: SC460800 6

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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: SC460800 7

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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: SC460800 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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