Children's home run by Smoothstone Care & Education Limited

Inspection report children's home: 1278966 1 Registered provider: Smoothstone Care & Education 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 children’s home is privately owned and is registered to care for up to six children who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and two children have moved in. There were four children and one young person living at the home at the time of the inspection. All children were seen and spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children's home

There is a school on the same site, which the children attend. Inspectors only inspected the social care provision on this site.

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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: 24 October 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 1278966 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/10/2023 Full Good 08/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/02/2022 Full Good 06/11/2019 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 1278966 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care. Staff know children well and show warmth and care. Adaptations to the home enhance children’s experiences, such as a jungle room to help with emotional regulation and a purpose-built wet room, making showering more accessible for one child with mobility needs. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and reflect their likes, interests and personalities. Children therefore, have a sense of belonging and feel valued and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular discussions with children, helping them to talk about and process their feelings and experiences. For one child, this has improved their understanding and verbal communication skills and no longer relies on the use of symbols and signs. However, children’s information is not always recorded in a way that is non-stigmatising and is an area for development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children do well in education considering their starting points. The manager and staff communicate effectively with teachers, ensuring children’s needs are known and well supported. Staff have helped one child who was out of education to return to school full time and is preparing for their year eleven exams. This is commendable.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy good health. Children are encouraged and incentivised to live a healthy lifestyle through diet, exercise and self-care. One child who struggled with their personal care has made significant progress and all children are eating a wider variety of nutritious foods. Children are helped to live fulfilled lives and have a ’can do’ attitude. For example, one child with cerebral palsy enjoys a range of regular activities such as swimming, army cadets and going to the gym. As a result, children’s overall health and wellbeing improve.

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

Staff keep children safe. Staff understand the risks children can be exposed to. Safety plans are created and reviewed in collaboration with other professionals, such as the local authority designated officer and social workers. Plans are updated regularly, ensuring staff have the most up to date information. This is an effective approach to safeguarding.

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

Staff respond well to behaviours that are difficult to manage, such as verbal and physical aggression. Staff use effective strategies that help children to regulate their emotions, such as helpful known phrases or taking children for a drive. Children benefit from consistent boundaries and routines, and systems of rewards and incentives encourage children to make more positive choices.

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

Staff teach children how to behave appropriately. Children receive suitable consequences if they make the wrong choices, such as harming a peer or causing damage. Children are Inspection report children's home: 1278966 4 consulted in the process, and each consequence is reviewed by the manager. Consequences are restorative in nature and are effective in helping children to learn.

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

Staff physically intervene as a last resort to keep children and staff safe. The least force and measure are used. Staff and children are spoken to afterwards to support their wellbeing. The manager reviews each event and considers what is going on for the child. Learning is used to inform practice and prevent further incidents. For one child, there has been a reduction in the need for staff to physically intervene when they are distressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong leader and carries a calm and nurturing presence. Staff feel well supported and enjoy working at the home. Staff have supportive relationships with each other, helping to provide a harmonious familial environment for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has positive relationships with other professionals and parents. He communicates effectively and works well in collaboration. He is a strong advocate for children and ensures decisions made are in children's best interests. Feedback from external stakeholders is unanimously positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are well trained and feel competent in their role. Staff receive training in relation to children’s specific needs such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective oversight and quality assurance systems in place. He knows what is happening in the home daily. Internal and external audits are regularly undertaken, and any shortfalls are promptly addressed. Learning from incidents is used to improve practice. This helps to maintain good standards of care. However, the manager does not actively seek feedback from external stakeholders. This is a missed opportunity to gain independent scrutiny of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. These include important topics such as staff well-being, safeguarding matters and the care of children. Staff do not yet have enough opportunity to reflect on their practice. Inspection report children's home: 1278966 5

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Recommendations

 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. 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. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,' page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practise from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 61 paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

This recommendation was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations, including the quality standards', page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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 children's home: 1278966 6

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Smoothstone Care & Education Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Datum House, Electra Way, Crewe CW1 6ZF

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Inspector

Emma Dacres, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: 1278966 7 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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