Children's Home run by Crystal Care Solutions Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 1 Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to 3 children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home, and no children have moved out. Three children were living at the home at the time of the inspection, and all were spoken to by the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2025. The quality assurance manager has been managing the home on an interim basis. A new manager started at the home on 7 May 2026.

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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: 27 October 2025

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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: 2748579 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/10/2025 Full Good 08/07/2024 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 3

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Summary of findings

There has been change in the management of this home. This has not affected the care the children receive. Staff and managers have developed positive relationships with professionals, families and with children.

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Summary of findings

As a result, children feel happy, settled and safe in their home, and are able to talk to staff when they have any worries. Interactions between staff and children are natural and warm.

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Summary of findings

The staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and risks and there are strategies in place to support them. Staff show commitment to their roles and enjoy working in the home and supporting children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points. Feedback from those who know the children well reflects the positive difference that living at the home has made. The social worker for one child who recently moved in said there had been real improvement in the child’s behaviour and presentation. They said, ‘Staff genuinely care for [name of child]. This has helped her to feel settled and stable.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a well-decorated and nicely furnished home. Children personalise their bedrooms, helping them to feel settled and gain a sense of belonging. The need for door alarms and for household chemicals and knives to be locked away is not regularly reviewed for all the children. These restrictions detract from the homely environment that the home is striving to achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education has progressed because managers and staff understand the importance of this. One child had not been in education for over a year and has now started to attend. Staff ensure clear morning routines are in place that support this. This is helping to build children’s confidence and set goals for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in decision-making about their day-to-day lives, such as planning weekly menus and suggesting home improvements. Children are also asked to provide their views on prospective employees’ engagement during their visits to the home. This empowers them to contribute to decisions about their daily lives, which helps them to feel listened to and valued. However, on one occasion, a child was not given the appropriate time or support to prepare for an important meeting. This led to the child feeling overwhelmed and unprepared, limiting their ability to fully participate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported well to spend time with the people who are important to them. One parent said staff are helping her to rebuild her relationship with her child, through regular phone calls and visits. Another parent praised staff for creating a relaxed and Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 4 natural atmosphere during time they spend with their child. This helps children maintain important relationships and enjoy their time with their loved ones.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support that enables them to increase their independence skills. Staff actively support children by encouraging them to carry out daily tasks, such as cleaning their bedroom and cooking simple meals. These skills build independence and prepare children for adult life.

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

Children feel safe in the home. Staff have a good understanding of the children’s needs and risks. Written assessments and plans are detailed and support staff’s understanding. Children also have their own plans that are in a child-friendly format. This means that children, as well as staff, are clear about the expectations and how these will keep them safe.

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

There have been no incidents of children going missing. A child who recently moved into the home had a high number of missing incidents before moving in. Conversations take place with children to explore the reasons they may go missing. Following these conversations, plans are put in place to help address the reasons. One child’s photo, on her missing from home protocol, was very unclear which could hinder attempts to try and locate them, should they go missing.

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

Children’s positive behaviour is promoted and their achievements are celebrated. On occasions, consequences have not always been fair or proportionate. A child was allowed less time on his electronic devices after misbehaving at school, when the school had already given a detention. There are discussions about behaviour at school, but the consequences are not helping to improve behaviour at school and are not restorative.

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

Systems are in place to check and restrict what the children can access online. Staff react quickly when the system notifies them a child has tried to access certain sites. Frequent discussions take place with children, in an open and child-centred way. This raise’s children’s awareness of risks online, helping them to stay safe.

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

There has been a reduction in the use of physical intervention. One low-level intervention, as a last resort, has been used and this was well managed. Staff use appropriate de-escalation techniques when children are struggling to regulate their emotions. A parent spoke of a noticeable change in their child’s ability to manage their different emotions. The parent said their child is now talking rather than reacting in a physical way. These are skills that will help children throughout their childhood and into their adulthood.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, there have been changes in the leadership of the home. The interim manager had been in post since July 2025. The newly appointed manager had been in post for less than a week at the time of the inspection. These changes have Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 5 been well managed to ensure minimal disruption. As a result, stability and continuity have been maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager confidently advocated for children when needed, and speaks fondly of their experiences, progress and achievements. External professionals and family members were wholly positive about the care the children receive. One social worker said, ‘Relationship-building is a real strength of [name of interim manager], before work with children can begin. Trusted relationships are needed and this is something [name of interim manager] has done, which is really good.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The leadership team generally has good oversight of all aspects of the home. A range of auditing and monitoring processes are in place. The independent person visits the home monthly. However, the visitor often does not gain views from children, parents, staff and external professionals. This means that opportunities are potentially missed to incorporate important information into the assessment of the quality of care and development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have all received mandatory training. Further additional training tailored to children’s individual needs is also identified when required. A member of staff spoke of training making them feel more confident to carry out their role. Training supports staff self-confidence and provides them with the knowledge they need to help them in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings, which are well attended. They give staff an opportunity to learn from any incidents that have occurred over the previous month, using reflective discussions. This strengthens staff practice and helps staff understand children’s changing needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff morale is high. Staff said the leaders are supportive and approachable. One member of staff said, ‘I am very proud to be a member of such a supportive team.’ Another said, ‘Everyone works together as a team, it is like a second family.’ This enables staff to feel valued, confident and focused on children’s needs and safety. Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure all children’s missing person profiles contain a clear photo and implement a policy to update photos at set intervals (e.g., every 3 to 6 months) or immediately following a significant change in the child’s appearance. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.28)  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and proportionate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  The registered person should ensure that the independent person routinely and actively seeks the views of children, staff, parents and professionals during monthly visits. This is so that the regulation 44 reports provide robust, well-triangulated feedback that drives improvement in the home. (Guide to the Children’s Homes

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Recommendations

Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3)  The registered person should ensure that any decisions to limit children’s access to items, or regarding restrictions, are made to safeguard children’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of individual children’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. This includes access to hazardous materials and sharp knives and the use of door alarms. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)  The registered person should ensure that staff give children the time, tools and opportunity to plan, prepare for and structure their contributions to all important care and review meetings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 18, paragraph 4.7) Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 7

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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: 2748579 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Crystal Care Solutions Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Bank House, Market Square, Congleton, Cheshire CW12 1ET

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Inspector

Emma Hutton, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2748579 9 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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