Children's home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Ashford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 1 SC064081 Registered provider: The 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 provides care for up to seven children who experience social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is part of a charity that has other homes and a school in the local area. The inspector only inspected the social care provision on this site. Five children were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2022 and is suitably qualified.

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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: 25 September 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 for children’s home: SC064081 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2023 Full Good 29/11/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 02/03/2022 Full Outstanding 15/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The overall quality of care planning and its impact on children’s progress and experiences are good. As a result, children make good progress from their individual starting points and feel settled and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in an environment that is well maintained and homely. Children have personalised their bedrooms, and these are well looked after. One child has a fish tank in her bedroom, which she is responsible for maintaining herself. Children have a sense of belonging and they feel that this is their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met. Where needed, children attend a range of specialist services, including therapies and medical appointments. These help children to understand the importance of good healthcare and lifestyle choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans are comprehensive, and children’s views are integral to these. Plans include a range of approaches for staff to use to support good outcomes. Children report that they enjoy both the learning and the social aspect of attending their education provisions; they are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with staff and are supported to have fun. Staff facilitate activities, including horse riding, youth clubs, scout camps and holidays. Staff create memory books, both digitally and on paper, that capture children’s positive experiences. Children can take these with them as they move into adulthood as a reminder of these good times.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to share their views and to influence decisions that are made in the home. Children are listened to and valued, and this is well captured in children’s records.

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

Staff complete meaningful key-work sessions with children to help them understand and explore risk. These sessions are completed sensitively and supportively and are in line with work that is undertaken by other agencies to reinforce safeguarding messages. These sessions also include helping children to understand boundaries and their routines and how these keep children safe. In addition, children living at the home do not go missing, and this reduces the local contextual safeguarding risks to children.

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

Children have strong involvement in their therapeutic safety plans. This helps them to understand their emotional responses. All staff are trained in a common approach that helps everyone to understand the needs of the children and respond consistently. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 4 Staff are trained to manage more-challenging behaviour and de-escalate situations that might arise. Physical interventions are used proportionately and to ensure that children are immediately safeguarded from harm. When these occur, staff complete comprehensive records. The manager has good oversight of any incidents and supports children to have an opportunity to talk through their feelings.

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

There are robust medication systems in place in the home, and staff complete medication training as needed. As a result, the administering of medication is accurate and well recorded. The manager ensures that regular medication reviews are included in children’s care plans so that health needs are prioritised as an essential part of monitoring children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have developed their monitoring systems to support their oversight. The manager uses a range of tools to ensure that care is in line with the statement of purpose. This is also assisted by the responsible individual’s monitoring, which adds an additional layer of oversight. While oversight has been developed, leaders and the manager do not always reflect on children’s endings when they leave the home. This is a missed opportunity to develop their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and the manager know the children well. They understand their needs and have good relationships with children that can be seen in day-to-day interactions. Leaders are ambitious for children and are proactive in advocating for them. This includes successfully challenging professionals to ensure that children have access to education and health services if needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. Supervisors create space that is reflective, but they can provide direction if needed. Staff feel supported by leaders and the manager, as well as by the in-house therapists. These professionals use theoretical approaches to help staff understand the needs of the children who live in the home. Staff appreciate and make good use of this support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use a multi-agency approach to support children. The manager ensures that when safeguarding incidents occur, they follow safeguarding principles and work with social workers, the police and the local authority designated officer as needed. When such incidents do happen, children are supported through the process, and immediate steps are taken to safeguard them. Partners are complimentary about the way the leaders, manager and staff work with them to support children to feel safe and make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 5

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they learn from practice, particularly when children leave the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home 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 for children’s home: SC064081 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The 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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Inspector

Helen Daniel, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC064081 7 regulates and inspects 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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