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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 1 SC480594 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 registered to provide care for up to five children who display complex behaviours because of early childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2025. She holds a relevant level 5 qualification in leadership and management.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, five children lived in the home. The inspector observed and spoke with all five children

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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: 22 November 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/11/2023 Full Outstanding 07/12/2022 Full Outstanding 29/06/2021 Full Outstanding 10/12/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has left the home, and two children have moved in. Managers ensure that children’s moves are well planned. Managers and therapists meet with staff and other professionals and share relevant information. Children visit their new home and meet their carers. This child-centred approach enables children to quickly settle and provides a base for children to make progress. However, a high number of agency staff are used because of staff shortages. This can impact on the continuity and consistency of care for children. Recruitment is almost complete and so this is a temporary issue.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff develop strong relationships with children. They spend time with children in the home and in the community. They are positive about children’s achievements and constantly tell children they are proud of them. Social workers are extremely positive about the support their child receives. One social worker said that staff, ‘go above and beyond’. ‘I really like that they do not define him by his history and previous behaviours. He feels like a normal 15-year-old.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A therapeutic approach, based on research, is fully embedded into every aspect of children’s care. Managers and staff work closely with therapists to fully understand children’s emotional responses. When necessary, staff receive additional training from therapists, which enables them to understand how to support the children. Staff are skilled at having supportive conversations with children. This empathic care helps children through difficult times and promotes children’s emotional resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children with skills for independent living at a pace that is individual for each child. Children learn how to cook, use public transport and to manage their money. One child is a volunteer at a local charity shop and is taking driving lessons. Additionally, staff encourage children to plan for their future. Children who will soon move on to live independently or with family have a college place and clear aspirations for a future career.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend a school or college that meets their needs. Close partnership working enables children who show complex behaviours at school to maintain their school place. Managers and staff prioritise children’s education and encourage children to do their best and to achieve. A teacher said, ‘They are absolutely first class. They have helped us to be able to offer him an education’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to develop hobbies and interests. All children attend a youth club or a sports facility in the community. This develops children’s self-confidence and increases their social skills. Children go on holiday with staff, including holidays abroad to France and to Portugal. Staff and children enjoy activities together such as growing vegetables which they eat with their Sunday roast. Staff and children have developed a Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 4 wildlife garden which is butterfly friendly. Sharing activities supports staff and children to develop strong relationships based on shared interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is homely, clean & well maintained. Bedrooms are highly personalised & children’s interests are clearly expressed in their bedrooms. There are lovely, framed photos of children throughout the home. Children enjoy eating meals with staff around the large farmhouse table. Staff encourage children to make suggestions to improve the environment. This encourages children to have a sense of pride in their home and to develop a sense of ownership.

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

Risk management plans, developed with therapists, are detailed and clearly outline the support required by children. Staff know the individual therapeutic strategies to support children when they are upset or angry. Additionally, children are engaged in creating their own safety plans. Therefore, children feel protected and better understand how to be safe.

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

On occasions, restraint is used to manage children’s complex behaviours and to keep children safe. Following these incidents, managers review staff practice and help staff to reflect on the incident effectively. Staff not involved in the incident sensitively talk with the children and help them to think of better ways to deal with their emotions. Consequently, children are better equipped to manage overwhelming feelings in healthier ways.

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

Managers and staff take their duty to safeguard children seriously. When children disclose historic abuse or neglect, staff follow policies and procedures. Managers then work with agencies to ensure that children are safe and protected. Staff and therapists are vigilant about children’s emotional welfare because they understand the impact of past trauma on children’s emotional health. When necessary, they make referrals to specialist healthcare agencies. Staff spend time with children, listen to and reassure them that they have been heard. Because children feel valued and listened to, they are open in discussing their concerns.

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

When a child is at high risk of going missing from the home, staff are highly vigilant. A child has been missing on one occasion since the last inspection. Staff followed clear risk assessments and missing from care protocols. They searched for the child and contacted the police. They welcomed the child when they returned and offered nurture and care. The child also had the opportunity to speak with an independent person.

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

Staff keep children safe online. Risk planning for online safety is highly individualised and includes restrictions on children’s devices, education and regular checks. As children become more independent, risks are carefully managed, and restrictions reduced to support children to understand their own risks and manage their online behaviours.

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

On one occasion, staff did not effectively supervise children and children were able to engage in high-risk behaviours. Managers carried out an effective investigation, which Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 5 included an in-depth review of staff practice, and took decisive action to minimise future risks.

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

Managers ensure that the home is safely located. The local PCSO keeps managers up to date about emerging risks. Staff ensure that children are aware of risks in the local community by sharing this information and educating children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is highly respected by external professionals and the staff team. The manager’s influence and approach have created a nurturing and loving environment in which children make good progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This is a turbulent period for the home. The previous manager recently left in a planned way and several staff unexpectedly also left the home. At the time of the inspection there were nine staff vacancies. Core staff and regular bank staff try their best to cover shortfalls in staffing. However, despite their best efforts there is a large reliance on agency staff. Consequently, children do not receive consistent care from a stable team of staff who know them well. Managers have worked hard to recruit new staff and are confident that several newly recruited staff will soon join the team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Core staff receive consistent support through regular good quality supervision meetings that educate and challenge them. New staff receive an effective induction which includes good quality face-to-face training in safeguarding children, therapeutic parenting and attachment and trauma. Regular agency staff are also offered supervision meetings that are focussed on their wellbeing. Despite the recent difficulties, staff say they enjoy working in the home and that moral is good.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers promote a learning culture in the home. Staff have access to a wealth of mandatory, and personal development training. All staff have received training in safeguarding children with a learning disability. Staff also have training specific to children’s needs such as training in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, mental health and global developmental delay. Team meetings provide staff with good support, clarifying policies and promoting consistency for children. Consultations, learning and reflection with therapists is extremely effective in developing staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers maintain constant oversight of the home, using a range of review and monitoring systems. These effective systems provide a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. This means that managers can quickly address issues and plan developments and improvements across the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Reports by the independent person are completed every month and forwarded to the regulator. However, reports do not routinely contain the views of all children. This is a missed opportunity for the independent person to consult with children about their safety and wellbeing. Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 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 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that sufficient permanent staff are employed to deliver consistent care for children. 29 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that the independent person is given the opportunity to speak with children at their monthly visit; and that children’s views inform the monthly independent persons report. 29 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 7

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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: SC480594 8

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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

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC480594 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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