Children's Home run by Casterton Care Group Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: 2722566 1 Registered provider: Casterton Care Group 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 is owned and operated by a private company and provides care for up to four children who may experience social and emotional difficulties. The home registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since May 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were three children living at the home. All children spoke to the inspector.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2024 Full Good 13/02/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/11/2023 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home. Children have experienced well-planned moves. They have had the opportunity to visit and spend time in the home before moving in. One child has been supported to move on from the home. The child has since visited staff and remains in touch with peers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed trusting relationships with staff. Staff are responsive to children’s needs and support them to make better choices. One child stated, ‘Staff are the reason I can wake up with a smile on my face.’ Professionals reported that children are making progress and that their risks have reduced with support from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in respect of their education plans. Staff celebrate children’s educational achievements. For one child, this has included securing a recognised qualification. Children also engage in work experience arranged and scheduled by staff. This provides children with important life skills for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain family relationships and, where possible, see family members. Children moving to family members’ care have thorough support plans implemented. For one child, this also included support with getting to know the local area and accessing community resources before they moved out.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s cultural identity and individuality are supported and discussed with them. Staff are creative in how they do this with children. Staff seek to find the answers to children’s questions about their heritage. An independent reviewing officer said staff have ‘promoted [name of child’s] sense of identity’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided opportunities to attend extra-curricular activities, such as jiujitsu and gym classes. Furthermore, children have enjoyed holidays with staff. Children’s experiences since living in the home are captured in children’s memory scrapbooks.

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

Children said that they like the home and feel safe. The staff support children to understand processes and procedures that are in place to safeguard them. As a result, children are aware of who they could speak to if they had any concerns.

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

Staff are aware of children’s risks. They are proactive and creative in how they work with children to mitigate risks. The approaches by staff have supported children to make significant progress since living in the home. One youth offending worker said, ‘They [staff] want to go above and beyond to keep [name of child] safe.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 4 When children do not adhere to the agreed safety plans when they are in the community, staff take appropriate action. Staff search known areas and contact the relevant agencies. Children have also been provided with an opportunity to speak with an independent person.

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

When physical intervention has been used, there is not always clear recording of the incident. Furthermore, staff are not consistently spoken to following the use of any measure. This is a missed opportunity to reflect on staff practice and identify which strategies are and are not effective in supporting children to calm.

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

Staff work proactively with external agencies. A social worker said that staff encourage children to engage with their visits, and as a result, they have always been effective. Furthermore, social workers and independent reviewing officers report that communication from the team is excellent.

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

Comprehensive employment checks are carried out during the recruitment process. Additionally, the manager and staff team are fully aware of the processes and procedures to follow to keep children safe if they have concerns in respect of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that there have been positive changes since the manager has been in post. There is also a deputy manager in post who supports with the day-to-day running of the home. One staff member said, ‘Their [the manager’s] dedication and efforts contribute immensely to the well-being and development of the children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that the management team creates a welcoming, supportive and well- structured environment for staff and children. Staff receive supervision sessions in line with the home’s statement of purpose. Additionally, team activity days have been implemented, which include children. This supports staff morale and relationship building.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified relevant training to support staff to meet children’s individualised needs. Furthermore, bespoke training courses have been sourced for staff. The team also benefits from therapeutic insight that is commissioned by the provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A quality of care review has been completed and sent to the regulator. However, this did not incorporate the views of children and staff. Furthermore, when investigations have taken place, children are not always consulted. This is a missed opportunity to gather the views, wishes and feelings of children in respect of the quality of care they have received. Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 5

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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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that physical intervention records are clear and accurate with clear oversight of any intervention used.

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Requirement Due date

Furthermore, this relates to the registered person ensuring that staff have been spoken to within the specified timescale about the use of the measure. 18 September

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it. 18 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 6 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the registered person ensuring that feedback of children, staff and professionals is taken into consideration when completing the quality of care review.

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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: 2722566 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Casterton Care Group Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 13 Montpelier Avenue, Bexley, Kent DA5 3AP

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jonathan Broadstock

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Inspector

Kitty Wiper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2722566 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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