Children's home run by Cascade (Banks House) Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 1 Registered provider: Cascade (Banks House) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care for up to six children with learning disabilities and/or autism. There is a connected school, which is not on the same site. Six children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2021.

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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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full Outstanding 01/11/2022 Full Good 10/11/2021 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Since the last inspection, two children have moved out of the home and three children have moved in. The inspector spent time with all the children at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live at the home for many years and make exceptional progress. They experience stability and excellent care. They are supported by staff who wholeheartedly invest in understanding and developing children’s non-speaking communication methods. Managers use research-informed methods to plan for, and measure, progress. This means that children with very complex learning and communication needs lead fulfilling, enriched lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s moves into and out of the home are managed with thoughtful planning and attention to detail. Before children move in, managers and staff get to know them over several weeks. This ensures that from the point of arrival children have access to familiar caregivers and staff understand children’s health and communication needs. When children move out of the home, managers work to make this move as positive as possible. Staff create personalised and vibrant storybooks for children. Children visit their new homes frequently before leaving, and staff spend time with them in their new environment. Consequently, children are supported to understand and prepare for major changes to their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make exceptional developmental progress in areas such as speech, independence, nutrition and social skills. Children who had very limited diets, and required personal care to support their personal needs on arrival, have been able to make considerable progress in these areas. Managers sought the advice of a nutritionist and occupational therapist to inform plans for these children. Since arriving, social workers and parents say that children are trying new foods regularly and have developed independence in managing their personal hygiene. One child who previously would not use a bath is now bathing regularly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children, including those who are non-speaking, actively participate in and contribute to the day-to-day and more complex decisions about their lives. Staff are highly attuned to children’s behaviour and understand it as a means of communication. Staff use individualised and alternative communication methods to ensure children can make daily choices about their care based on their preferences. Children are supported to develop their speaking communication; children who were speaking very few words on arrival have made sustained and measurable progress in this area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children benefit from excellent communication between care staff and school staff. Children’s individual learning targets and progress are wholly understood by managers, who supplement school timetables with targeted, home-based educational activities. All children have excellent attendance at their individual schools. One child has a bespoke timetable of educational activities agreed between the school and the home. When Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 4 there is disruption to children’s education, managers work quickly and creatively to minimise the impact. Staff and children access resources at the connected school during school holidays. This helps reduce children’s anxiety when there are changes to daily routines.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home environment is warm, brightly coloured and skilfully designed to provide children with sensory experiences that bring them joy, calm and pleasure.

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

Staff physically intervene when necessary to keep children safe. Staff receive highly personalised training in managing children’s behaviour, which ensures children receive consistent and helpful responses. Managers track incidents of restraint over a three- month period and identify any trends that suggest staff or children may require additional support or training. Managers and staff have worked effectively to reduce the frequency and severity of physical restraint.

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

Children’s plans are highly detailed. There is clear guidance for staff to encourage children’s development and to prevent any escalation of children’s distress. Examples of useful distraction and redirection strategies are included alongside explanations of what children’s individual behaviours are communicating. These records are thorough; they help new staff to interpret nonverbal cues and to be confident to respond effectively.

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

Staff support children to better understand their emotional well-being. Children are asked how they feel about changes and day-to-day experiences as a matter of routine, which informs children’s plans. Children have made progress in developing a deepened understanding of how to cope with stressful situations and relationships. One child has learned a new way of communicating when they become overwhelmed using a symbolic gesture. This child has been empowered to recognise their own distress signals and to seek a planned response when it is needed.

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

Careful recruitment procedures ensure that children are looked after by appropriately vetted adults. When there has been concern about a staff member’s practice, the appropriate authorities have been informed to ensure there is a record of this person’s suitability to work with children. Leaders and managers respond to concerns quickly and with care. They are transparent and accountable.

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

On one occasion, a child was hurt because of a staff member’s actions. There had been concern about this staff member’s practice leading up to the incident. Staff had not alerted managers quickly enough to prevent further escalation. Following the incident, quick and decisive action was taken to ensure all children’s safety. The manager identified an area for improvement with the relevant staff and took appropriate action.

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

One child has an electronic surveillance device inside their bedroom. This arrangement was made at the request of parents and agreed by the local authority. Records do not reflect that there is an immediate safeguarding need that would require this level of Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 5 monitoring. The manager is open to reviewing the arrangement, but this has not yet happened. This limits the child’s privacy disproportionately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a confident and aspirational leader. She understands the strengths and weaknesses of the service. She is a strong advocate for children and assertively challenges partner agencies when they do not work quickly or with children’s best interests at the centre of decision-making. Staff, professionals and most family members hold the leadership team in high regard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers use a research-informed tracking system to identify children’s starting points and make plans to support their progress. This system is well understood and is shared with staff regularly in meetings.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managerial oversight of children’s records is highly effective in identifying triggers for children displaying distressed behaviours. This helps to improve plans and to remove any barriers for supporting children, particularly those who are new to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers have created a culture that guards against complacency. Managers observe staff’s practice several times a year. Following this exercise, staff and managers formally evaluate their knowledge and skills. This ensures that staff are involved in their own development, that they are offered praise and that any practice concerns are quickly addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers actively seek out and welcome feedback from parents, staff and other professionals. They use this information to create and enact clear development plans. Managers are outward facing; they visit other services that provide support to autistic children. They share any learning from visits to other services, and share specialist training with the staff team. As a result, the sensory room, and some equipment in the garden, has been further developed to enhance children’s daily experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers provide excellent role modelling to the staff team and encourage continual professional development. Staff are highly trained in areas that relate to the needs of the children they care for. This includes training in using alternative feeding and communication methods, dignity in care and safeguarding disabled children. Managers take part in research projects to develop their practice and improve children’s experiences. This includes development in the areas of sustainability, medication management and diet and nutrition.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Supervision and team meetings are effective forums for staff to reflect on their practice and to learn from each other. Staff say they enjoy supervision and feel confident in approaching their manager. Staff say they enjoy planning sensory-based activities for the next fortnight together in team meetings. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 6 Feedback from partner agencies is mostly remarkable. There are excellent working relationships between managers, professionals and most family members. An independent social worker said, ‘The care, the communication, the progress it is phenomenal.’ Three relatives of the children commented on the positive experience of working together with the home to create and develop children’s care plans. Family members feel included in their child’s care and say the manager is honest and reliable. Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any limits on children’s privacy are the least intrusive measure. Any use of surveillance devices must only be used for immediate safeguarding reasons; they must be properly recorded and kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff immediately report any staff practice concerns to a senior manager within the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraph 9.17)

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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: 2532131 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cascade (Banks House) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 2 Therm Road, Hull HU8 7BF

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Inspector

Natalie Day, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2532131 9 to 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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