Children's home run by Calcot Services for Children Limited

Inspection report children's home: 2506232 1 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 12 weeks for up to 3 children who experience social and emotional difficulties. The home aims to provide support and assessment to children in crisis to enable them to move to long-term care arrangements.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There was one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager, who also manages another setting, registered with Ofsted in December 2020.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Staff are referred to as ‘adults’ in the home and this is reflected in this report.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2506232 2 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/08/2024 Full Outstanding 03/01/2024 Full Good 27/09/2022 Full Good 21/06/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report children's home: 2506232 3 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress during their stay in the home. Adults use the time with children purposefully. They are effective in helping children establish trust and connection, which enables children to identify and work on their individual goals.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child likes the home and the adults. They say adults treat them fairly and with respect. This has helped the child settle and manage the challenges of living away from their family for the first time.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend education through the company’s alternative provision. Adults encourage and support attendance and provide children with structured activities alongside this to promote learning, such as through the completion of accredited awards. As a result, children who experience challenges in accessing education are helped to enjoy and engage with learning. One Social Worker said ‘prior to moving to the home [child’s name] hardly attended education at all. They have attended every single day since, which is absolutely amazing.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults help children to access a range of activities, guided by their individual likes and interests, such as cycling, fishing, or go-karting. Their experiences and achievements are celebrated by adults during day-to-day interactions and are considerately recorded in memory books. This helps children to broaden their horizons and build confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Adults understand the value of children’s important relationships. They are proactive and flexible in supporting family relationships in line with children’s care plans and manage communication with family members effectively. One family member said ‘they supported [child’s name] time with me well. We had a good relationship and worked closely together.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves out of the home are well planned and supported. Adults collaborate with placing authorities to establish move on plans as early as possible. They provide good support to children to prepare for next steps and to celebrate their accomplishments during their time in the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are generally understood and met. They are quickly registered with local health agencies and supported to access services such as dentists and opticians. For one child, adults had not arranged appointments identified in the child’s health plan in a timely way and for another child, adults did not consult with health professionals when they were unable to implement an action from the child’s health plan.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is comfortable and furnished in a child friendly manner. Children have access to outdoor space and the opportunity to be involved in the care of animals, which is of Inspection report children's home: 2506232 4 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

benefit to many. For example, one child enjoyed helping the donkey learn to walk on a road.

p.4

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

There is a strong safeguarding culture in the home. Adults understand their safeguarding responsibilities well. Managers ensure that children’s individual needs and vulnerabilities are understood from the point of their arrival and that clear risk assessments and safety plans are in place. As a result, children are effectively safeguarded.

p.4

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

Children benefit from consistent responses, routines and boundaries. There is a strong focus on adults positively engaging with children and seeking to understand and help them manage upset or distress. Physical interventions are sometimes used but this is always as a last resort for safety reasons. Strong and timely management oversight ensures that adults and children are given opportunities to reflect on incidents and analysis of patterns of behaviours support adults to learn from these.

p.4

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. Adults are aware of their responsibilities in this area and are active in seeking to prevent children from going missing from home. When children do go missing, adults and managers work effectively alongside others such as the police and family members to locate them. There is timely follow up with the child to help identify triggers and prevent reoccurrence.

p.4

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

Adults provide children with structured educative input in relation to issues such as online safety and drug and alcohol use as part of the provider’s 12-week plan. Managers regularly share resources with the team to help inform how they support children. This means children receive proactive guidance to help them understand risks and make safe decisions.

p.4

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

When there are allegations or concerns about adult’s practice, managers always take timely action to review these. They consult appropriately with other professionals such as the placing authority and local authority designated officer. In most cases there are thorough timely investigations, alongside action to manage any interim risks. However, for some allegations deemed to be unfounded, managers could not fully evidence the action taken to investigate and manage concerns. Several allegations were not shared with the regulator, and some were not shared promptly.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong and stable leadership team. The manager is experienced, knowledgeable and aspirational for children. They have a good knowledge of the service and lead by example in the way that they approach the care of children. Adults report feeling well supported by managers who are present and available. This underpins a positive culture of care for all.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults express and demonstrate a commitment to approaching care in a trauma informed way, sensitive to the unique needs of individual children. They talk with respect Inspection report children's home: 2506232 5 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and pride about children who have moved through the home and the progress they made.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults are supported through regular, good quality supervision and appraisal alongside helpful team meetings. Group supervision provides a valuable opportunity to help adults reflect, learn, and consider different approaches. However, this does not happen at the frequency outlined in the statement of purpose. This is a missed opportunity to bolster support for staff.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults complete a suitable range of training for their roles. Managers have effective systems in place to monitor adult’s progress with training and required qualifications. Managers actively consider additional training linked to the needs of children and seek to build expertise within the team that other adults can draw on. Adults comment favourably on the training and guidance they receive and feel well informed in their work.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults work constructively with children’s professional networks. They communicate well to share progress and review plans which helps children receive co-ordinated care. Social care professionals provided positive feedback in relation to care and communication. Managers have not ensured that formal placement review meetings happen at the intervals set out in the statement of purpose. This has not impacted on children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and leaders have helpful systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The responsible individual is actively involved and supports robust oversight, including analysis of patterns and trends to inform service delivery. An independent person conducts monthly visits. The independent person normally talks to children and provides helpful recommendations, but they rarely talk to adults who are not managers or to children’s relatives to inform their report. This weakens their understanding of the home and how it functions. Inspection report children's home: 2506232 6 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b)(e))

p.6

Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all allegations are thoroughly investigated and followed up in accordance with the allegation management policy, that a clear record is kept of this, and that the regulator is notified promptly of all serious incidents. 26 April 2026

p.6

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

p.6

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; 26 April 2026 Inspection report children's home: 2506232 7 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.6

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the actions from children’s health plans are carried out in a timely manner and that there is consultation with health professionals when needed to inform support for children.

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is managed in accordance with the statement of purpose. The information set out in the statement of purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.6)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the independent person makes a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. This should include obtaining the views of staff working in the home and, where appropriate, the views of the relatives of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 65, paragraph 15.5)

p.7

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: 2506232 8 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Calcot Services for Children Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Jacob Robson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2506232 9 OFSTED USE ONLY

p.8

Inspector

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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9