Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 1 Registered provider: Caldecott Foundation 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 home is owned and operated by a charitable organisation. It provides care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties. Three children were living in the home at the time of the inspection. These children contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2019.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/03/2024 Full Outstanding 28/02/2023 Full Good 22/03/2022 Full Good 19/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 3

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improvement to be good

There have been significant changes to staff turnover throughout the inspection period. Two children who have lived in the home for a long time, have moved out. Staff have struggled to effectively support children to manage the feelings that these changes have evoked. This has negatively affected children’s progress and experiences.

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improvement to be good

One child has made progress since moving to the home. They are now able to join in with the rest of the home and eat a meal at the table using cutlery. They have enrolled at a local primary school and have very good attendance. Solid routines have supported the child to improve their oral and personal hygiene. However, the other children’s progress has regressed in certain areas.

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improvement to be good

The home feels warm and welcoming. However, one child’s bedroom smelt unhygienic, and staff were unaware of this. The child’s room did not have curtains or a blind to offer privacy, and their walls were bare. The manager suggested that this was because the child wanted their room this way; however, there was no evidence of this. Day-to-day cleaning tasks have been overlooked, so some areas of the home need more care. The other children’s bedrooms were personalised, although some damage to furniture has not been addressed.

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improvement to be good

Children were observed to have positive and meaningful relationships with staff. A member of staff spoke about feeling privileged to share Christmas day with the children and gave examples of feeling like a family in the home.

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improvement to be good

When children move into the home, the manager ensures that staff have a good understanding of children’s needs. When children move out of the home, helpful plans are formulated with the other professionals involved, to make sure that children get the right support to make the transition as smooth as possible.

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improvement to be good

Children see their families, in line with their plans. This is supported by staff. Parents shared their gratitude for the support around seeing their children, and felt that this has enabled their time with their children to progress in a positive way.

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improvement to be good

Incidents, and the need for children to be held, have increased towards the end of this inspection period. When children are held, this is proportionate. However, there have been incidents where staff have lacked the de-escalation skills to appropriately support children. If staff had these skills, they may have prevented the need for children to be held so often. Detailed conversations with adults and children have taken place after some incidents. However, more recently, when physical intervention has increased, Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 4 conversations have been less detailed, not reflective and not captured children’s voices. This has prevented learning, so that incidents may reduce.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments and plans to support children are not appropriately updated and, therefore, do not contain all relevant risks for children. Strategies to manage risks or behaviours are not clear. There is little evidence that staff have a good understanding of how to support children during a crisis. Children’s plans lack their voice, and there is no understanding of how children can be supported to achieve progress or how staff can mitigate risks and prepare children for their next steps.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not respond appropriately when children leave the home without staff. One child does not have a plan or risk assessment in place for when they leave the home. This is despite this happening on three occasions. Another child’s plan was not followed when they were out of the home, without staff, for over an hour.

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improvement to be good

Bedroom door alarms are in place for all children living in the home. This is not regularly reviewed to ensure that it is proportionate. It is not clear what needs to happen so that bedroom door alarms can be safely removed. Therefore, this work is not taking place.

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improvement to be good

Consequences are not always proportionate, meaningful or restorative. Some of the language used in children’s records is disproportionately punitive.

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improvement to be good

Allegations are managed appropriately. When there has been a pattern of unfounded allegations, multi-agency plans have been developed to make sure that children are safeguarded and a proportionate response to the allegation is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There are not enough staff recruited to work in the home. Some gaps in the rota have been filled by staff from other homes. Other shifts have been covered by the registered manager and the responsible individual. However, this has had a negative impact on the management oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s systems of oversight are not being used effectively. Weekly monitoring has not been recorded since November and monthly monitoring has not been recorded since October. Children’s records are not updated in a timely way. One child’s plan has not been updated since May 2024, and another since July 2024.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are not receiving consistent support from management. This lack of support is contributing to issues in retaining staff. The supervision of staff is inconsistent in frequency and quality, including during inductions of new staff. Team meetings do not happen regularly, with only three taking place over the last seven months. When team meetings have happened, two out of three have been called ‘brief’ in the minutes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

When new staff are recruited permanently, the relevant checks take place. Some staff are employed on a temporary to permanent basis through an agency. These checks are Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 5 also thorough. However, one member of staff who had a driving offence, did not have a relevant risk assessment in place, in line with the home’s own policy. Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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 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)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 21 March 2025

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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. 21 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 7 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 21 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 8 help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iv)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(vii)) 21 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s bedrooms are cleaned regularly and furnished appropriately. Wear and tear, as well as damage, must be addressed in a timely way. (Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 16, paragraph 3.19) Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 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: 1244117 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Caldecott Foundation Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caldecott House, Hythe Road, Smeeth, Ashford, Kent TN25 6SP

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Inspectors

Joanna Beal, Social Care Inspector Angela Ross, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1244117 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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