Children's Home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited in Oxfordshire

Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 1 Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children 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 privately owned children’s home cares for up to six children with learning disabilities. Five children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in July 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2024 Full Good 19/06/2023 Full Good 29/06/2022 Full Good 31/01/2022 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The children receive high-quality, nurturing care, which has a profoundly positive impact on their lives. Children love spending time with staff, who are committed to creating a homely environment where children enjoy a range of activities and have fun. Professionals say that the staff are ‘amazing advocates’, and they help children to try activities that they have never been able to do before. This means that children benefit from new experiences that stimulate their interest, and it also creates a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have access to a wide range of activities that support their talents and interests. When they are at home, children are encouraged to do as much as they can for themselves, for example helping with cooking, shopping on a budget, preparing their own lunch and doing the laundry. When they are in the community, the children are learning essential life skills that will help them now and in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive because of the highly personalised care that they receive from staff who know them exceptionally well. Children’s relationships with staff are full of nurture, warmth and good humour. These relationships are underpinned by the staff’s strong adherence to their chosen model of care, which encourages them to approach any challenges with empathy, curiosity and playfulness. As a result, all children have made exceptional progress in their emotional, physical and social well-being. For example, children who were not using words have started to communicate verbally. One child can now tell staff what they want and if they are feeling unwell, and another is able to say when they are happy or unhappy. Staff work innovatively to offer children additional communication aids to help them access the world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are enabled to enjoy time with the people who are most important to them. Managers and staff help children to enjoy positive and meaningful time with their families, both virtually and in person. When children need extra help with communication during family time, managers and staff are resourceful and work with families to find innovative ways to help them connect with everyone they care about. As a result, some families now visit the home and spend time with their children, and the children experience the staff and their parents parenting together more closely. Parents speak highly of the team and appreciate the high level of communication. One parent said that they are made very welcome and enjoy visiting the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home is spacious and well presented, creating a welcoming atmosphere. Every room is decorated to a high standard. The children have lots of areas where they can play and that offer stimulation for their sensory needs. The recently refurbished garden has been well resourced, and staff have been creative in making sure that equipment was designed around children’s needs. Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 4

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

Children feel safe and are safer due to the care that they receive. Their happiness is evident through their interactions, smiles and laughter. Staff members establish consistent boundaries and maintain transparency in their practices. One family member said that their child ‘is safer than they have ever been’, adding that ‘the home has changed and enhanced their child’s life.’

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

Staff and managers know how to keep children safe, and the home has a positive safeguarding culture. Staff demonstrate a child-centred approach to helping children understand how to look after themselves at a pace adapted to each child’s level of understanding. Care plans are extensive and reflect the child’s views, preferences and personal targets in every aspect of care. This helps staff provide consistently high-quality support that involves children and encourages them to be as independent as possible.

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

Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the risks and challenges that children face. They use the home’s therapeutic care model to address issues from the child’s perspective, employing innovative and individualised approaches to support them. Staff consistently promote positive behaviour and use their relationships with the children to provide comfort when they are upset or in distress, and the children respond positively to this support. They have created an environment where children can explore and thrive.

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

Staff have completed extensive training in safeguarding and meeting children’s health needs. Staff maintain their knowledge through precise and methodical care planning, which informs their expert practice. There have been a low number of incidents since the last inspection. When incidents do happen, staff respond quickly and with confidence. Staff are skilled at dynamically managing complex situations to ensure that the children are kept safe and receive the specialist care that they need.

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

Robust systems are in place for the management of medication. This ensures that children’s health needs are met. Staff receive training in administering medication, and there is a dedicated medication room where all medications and related documents are stored and administered. The manager collaborates with appropriate professionals to review and update care plans regularly. Additionally, the manager ensures that guidance is available, understood and followed by staff and that staff use creative methods to help children understand what medications they are taking and their purposes.

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

Children’s disabilities and additional needs are well understood. High-quality risk plans provide detailed information about children and help staff understand what their behaviour is communicating. This ensures that children’s needs are consistently met and that staff know the appropriate actions to take when children need support. Staff dedicate time to learning about each child’s experiences, helping them stay safe and teaching them simple strategies to manage difficult emotions. As a result, children are happy and more settled, instances of distress have decreased and children are better able to regulate their emotions. Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is led by an ambitious leader who is dedicated to providing children with top- quality care. He, along with the deputy manager, has created a culture of high aspiration and positivity that inspires the staff to share these values. The managers ensure that a child-focused approach is integrated into the staff’s practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers, senior leaders and staff have high expectations and are ambitious about the children’s futures. They speak passionately about providing an exceptional quality of care and working with children to unlock their potential. The way they have worked with families and partner agencies to plan and support children’s family time and help develop children’s communication is exceptional.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers are fully invested in ensuring that the home provides excellent care and experiences for children. They understand the challenges faced by disabled children and how their life experiences have shaped their interactions with the world. Managers have high aspirations for all the children and inspire the same culture in the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a stable and effective management structure in place. Managers and staff know children very well and speak about them with love and pride. Regular meetings focus on understanding children’s experiences, behaviours, feelings and needs. This means that time is taken to analyse and reflect on the support being provided and how this could be changed to help each child further. For example, staff think about how children’s needs can be met based on new or changing behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager places a strong emphasis on staff’s well-being. The staff feel exceptionally well supported. The manager ensures wraparound professional support and development, and staff are actively encouraged to develop and progress in their professional development and career. Managers recognise individual potential and encourage staff to expand their skills and experience. Staff say that they have had the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. New staff are well supported in learning their role, and the whole team helps them to get to know the children and how best to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A comprehensive training programme underpins staff’s high-quality practice. Managers are proactive in identifying training for staff in response to children’s emerging needs. This ensures that experienced and well-informed staff consistently care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has comprehensive oversight of the home through effective monitoring systems. Records are clear and capture details of children’s engagement, experiences and achievements. Children’s progress is monitored effectively through regular reviews of plans and targets. Social workers are positive about children’s progress and the approach that staff use to support them. The use of child-centred language in all plans and records means that staff think carefully about what they write and make sure that children’s views are captured. Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 6 Managers and staff work continuously with other professionals to ensure that children have the specialised care that they need. Professionals speak extremely highly about the home and say that the staff support children with kindness and expertise, which helps them grow and develop. One professional said, ‘It is such an amazing place to visit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

When you leave, you feel happy and content and know the children are safe, well cared for and happy.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

No requirements or recommendations were made during this inspection. The manager has good monitoring tools that effectively identify any areas for development, which he then addresses.

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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: 1236532 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE

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Inspector

Sharron Dormand, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1236532 8 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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