Children's home run by Capstone Care Provider Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 1 SC431699 Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider 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

The children’s home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to three children with social and emotional needs.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a registered manager.

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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: SC431699 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2024 Full Good 11/01/2023 Full Good 22/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points. This is because of the support of the staff and the managers involved in their care. The children are settled in the home and minimal incidents occur. This indicates that children feel safe and settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have since moved on from the home have returned to visit and they send letters to staff. This demonstrates the important relationships that have been built with staff at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationship-building begins before children move into the home. There is a transition plan in place which supports children to visit the home and meet with staff. This helps children to feel more at ease when coming to a new environment with new people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed positive and meaningful relationships with staff. This is because the staff show that they are committed to the children and keep them at the centre of their practice. Children present as being happy and comfortable in their home. They are at ease with staff and will approach them for support and engagement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in a range of activities and days out. This provides opportunities for children to learn new skills, develop their social skills and explore their talents and interests. Children are supported by staff to take part in their hobbies, which include swimming, going to the gym and bike repairs. This helps children to feel a sense of achievement and promotes a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to see their family. These are important relationships to children, and it makes a difference to know that their families are still part of their lives. When staff recognise concerns relating to family time, they are addressed immediately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend education and are making progress. One child completed their GCSEs and went on to further education. When children face challenges in attending education, staff advocate on their behalf and provide encouragement. One school commented: ‘Although we have not seen huge changes for [child], they have continued attending education without any increase in behavioural issues.’ This is progress for this individual child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals’ and family member feedback is complimentary of the care being provided to children. One family member said that their child misses the home when they have overnight stays and looks forward to returning. One social worker said that the child speaks highly of the home and the staff who care for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 4 The home is a three-bedroomed terraced property and has two communal areas, including a lounge and dining room. All children have their own bedroom and share a main bathroom. One child’s bedroom has mould on the walls and ceiling. This can present health issues to the child and is unsafe. The manager confirmed that this will be followed up immediately for remedial work. Parts of the home are tired and worn and require maintenance. Completing this work will provide a nicer environment for the children and one in which they can take pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are not able to access all areas of the home. There is a staff toilet which remains locked and contains a sign stipulating ‘staff only’. This makes the home feel institutionalised and does not promote a homely atmosphere. Children should be able to access all areas of the home, where it is safe to do so.

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

Children’s risk-related behaviours and vulnerabilities are known, and plans include ways in which staff can support children to manage difficulties when they arise. When incidents occur, children’s plans are updated and reflect any changes to the care provided.

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

When children become distressed, staff support children through de-escalation. This is successful for children due to the relationships staff have built with them. This means no physical intervention is needed. This demonstrates that staff know the children well and respond to the individual needs of the children.

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

When children go missing from the home, staff follow their procedures. This includes contacting the relevant professionals and agencies. Children are supported when they return to the home and an independent interview is arranged. One child would regularly be absent when they moved into the home. This has reduced significantly, and the number of episodes of going missing overall is minimal. This demonstrates how staff are supporting children to make progress and stay safer.

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

Some children in the home use vapes and some have also been suspected of consuming illegal substances when out of the home. These have been identified as areas which require educational work and support. However, there is a lack of evidence of this work taking place with children to help them to understand the dangers and impact. Staff and managers have said that this work has taken place, but this is not recorded in children’s files.

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

All of the children’s bedrooms have door alarms which are predominantly in use overnight. These are not reviewed on a regular basis, which does not allow for the individual needs of the children to be considered. The use of any surveillance in the home should be proportionate to the needs of the children and the presenting risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager are skilled and experienced and know the children well. They have an excellent understanding of the children’s experiences and how this may impact them. They have high aspirations for the children and provide motivation and encouragement to the children and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have a positive working relationship with partnership agencies. This is evident in the children’s files. Staff attend meetings for children and if an incident occurs, this is shared promptly with the relevant professionals. One social worker commented: ‘The home is a perfect fit for [child] and the communication is great.’ Another commented that the staff attend all meetings and that the child is making progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team maintains good oversight of the staff team’s needs and development. This is done through regular supervision sessions with staff which focus on their skills and training needs. The practice is reflective in nature and the impact of this is that staff speak positively about the manager and the support they receive to enable them to care for children. When new staff arrive at the home, they are supported with an induction. This helps to ensure that the staff who work at the home have the suitable skills to care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

At the time of the inspection, the home had two vacancies which had been open for a significant period. There is, however, a core staff team that provides consistency and familiarity for the children. Some staff members have worked at the home for many years. This demonstrates that staff are committed to their role in caring for the children. The manager uses casual staff members on a regular basis, all of whom are familiar to the children and the staff. Agency staff have also been used on a regular basis. The manager makes efforts to cover shifts with existing staff and when agency staff are needed there is consistency, with the same staff members being used. This helps to provide continuity of care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records contain some stigmatising language. The manager is aware of this issue, which is currently being addressed with the staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1) 9(a)(b) (2)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that any mould in the property is treated without delay and that the property is maintained to a good standard. 17 April 2025

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 17 April 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 7 This specifically relates to the use of door alarms and the supervision of children inside the property. It also relates to children being able to access the toilet that is currently reserved for staff use.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. In particular, records should be an accurate reflection of a child’s experiences and should be completed and stored in a timely manner. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. In particular, institutionalised language should be avoided. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC431699 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Capstone Care Provider Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Renewal Trust Business Centre, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham NG3 2EG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Trevor Edinborough

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Inspector

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC431699 9 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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