Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Tameside

Unique reference number SC430239 Inspection date 29/11/2011 Inspector Pamela Nuckley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 15/06/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011) and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service that exceeds minimum requirements Satisfactory : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Brief description of the service

The home can accommodate up to five young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be outstanding .

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Overall effectiveness

This is an outstanding service that positively impacts on young people’s lives. Young people make exceptional progress in a number of key areas, notably education attendance, reducing challenging behaviours, developing self-esteem, and keeping safe. Overall young people’s welfare significantly improves which enables them to make progress in other areas. Young people are positive about their care and their relationships with staff and say that they feel well supported. One young person said ‘I get on really well with the staff and they take time to listen.’ Young people feel safe and robust policies and protocols ensure that young people are safeguarded. The key strengths of the service are the calibre of the staff and the effective management. Staff are enthusiastic, trained to a high standard and understand the complex needs of young people well. The manager understands the strengths and areas of further development for the home. The effectiveness with which the home

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Overall effectiveness

provides individualised care is outstanding and takes full account of the individual needs of each young person, while promoting positive outcomes for all young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are outstanding .

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people achieve positive outcomes and are provided with high quality care within a warm, caring and nurturing environment. They benefit from the firm and consistent boundaries provided. They make significant progress in all areas and are supported to make good choices and learn how their actions impact upon their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to develop mature responses to anger, frustration and disappointment and increasingly express their feelings more positively. Staff have an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the complex individual needs of the young people in their care, which enables excellent tailored responses to individual young people. As a result, young people are supported to understand their life events and learn how they can move forward.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff support young people to make outstanding progress based on their assessed abilities and needs. The home promotes a positive ethos that fully embraces diversity and difference. As a result, young people begin to truly appreciate the significance of differing values and are actively learning to have respect for each other.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people grow in confidence and develop good emotional resilience because they are treated with respect, have their needs clearly assessed, and their individuality facilitated and celebrated. Young people enjoy engaging in meaningful relationships with staff. These strong and positive attachments are demonstrated by how positively young people talk about the staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Staff work unwaveringly to support young people to attend their education provisions and young people have made significant progress in their educational attendance. They are able to try different opportunities and develop new skills. They do exceptionally well and earn treats as part of their behaviour and education incentives. Young people who had little or no attendance within education at the start of their placement have gone on to achieve outstanding results within examinations or have progressed and gained college placements. Therefore, these young people are now looking forward to careers in their chosen fields; some have gained employment. For example, one young person who has recently left this provision is employed by a project which is a charity run by National Voice for young people. They deliver training for young people in care and are part of groups that focus on care practices.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people’s health, including their physical, emotional and psychological health, is actively supported. Young people demonstrate increasing awareness of how to live a healthy life; they eat healthily and take regular exercise. The home has promoted exercise by purchasing gym equipment for young people. Young people are encouraged to develop a self-awareness about the benefits of good personal hygiene. This helps to increase young people’s self-esteem and self-image.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people feel valued because they are encouraged to express their views, feelings and wishes. They feel listened to because staff make time to talk about their interests and concerns, support them with family contact and escort them to appointments and sessions with other support agencies. They help make decisions about menus, group activities and in identifying their own personal interests and individual hobbies. Young people celebrate and attend events which are significant to other cultures. For example, the young people attended a Caribbean festival.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are fully consulted and included in developing their pathway plan. Young people prepare for independent living through developing their cooking, laundry and budgeting skills. Staff assist them with job applications and interviews; these skills help a successful transition to independence and adult life.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive good allowances to ensure that their personal needs are addressed. They are also able to earn extra monies through incentive schemes.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding . Young people enjoy positive and respectful relationships with staff and each other. They are looked after by a competent and well-trained staff team, and report they are happy living in the home and feel listened to by staff. There is an effective framework for care, education support and behaviour management. Young people are cared for and develop their confidence in the stable and nurturing environment. Staff maintain positive relationships with young people while consistently implementing clear expectations and boundaries. Staff are dedicated and enthusiastic in encouraging young people to explore opportunities to develop self-confidence and achieve their full potential. These relationships are a key strength underpinning the positive outcomes for young people.

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Quality of care

Young people are supported by a diverse staff team that have a clear commitment to promoting diversity and equality. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of the social, cultural and religious backgrounds of young people and respect their individuality. Staff provide an environment where young people can express themselves and also explore and develop their awareness of diversity, tolerance and equality.

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Quality of care

Staff practice is exceptionally child centred and personalised, the manager and staff analyse each young person’s needs and continually review the effectiveness of behaviour management strategies. Placement plans support young people’s emotional, behavioural and learning processes. Plans are assessed and reviewed and young people participate fully in these processes. This makes sure young people make significant progress, aspire and achieve to reach their full potential. Social workers identify that young people have significantly progressed since living at the home; they particularly praise the care and support young people receive. One social worker reported ‘the home is excellent’ and ‘there is nothing they could do better.’ Excellent key work support encourages young people to work through difficulties and supports the key areas in placement plans. As a result, young people feel consulted, fully contribute to their plans and know what they are working towards. Equally, staff

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Quality of care

celebrate and share achievements to ensure young people receive positive recognition. Two social workers commented that the home’s communication with them is ‘very good.’

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Quality of care

Excellent systems support young people in school. Staff work in an integrated manner to promote positive outcomes for young people. This high level of communication between the home and schools means that everybody is aware of achievement, issues and areas for development.

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Quality of care

Staff ensure that young people receive their medication in line with their prescription. There is safe storing of medicines and staff are trained in the administration of medication and all staff are first aid trained. Young people can self-administer their own medication as part of their independence plan and risk assessments accompany this decision. These areas, along with robust recording of medication, ensure young people are protected from potential harm.

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Quality of care

Young people look after their home, which is well maintained. There are good levels of privacy for young people; they have their own bedroom key and privacy locks for bathrooms. There is good indoor and outdoor space.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Safeguarding young people is a priority and central to practice. Young people say they feel safe and they are supported to keep safe. High levels of supervision, both inside and outside the home, recognise their significant vulnerabilities. Staff are proactive and safeguarding strategies include and engage young people so there are significant improvements in their behaviour. Staff receive regular and wide ranging training in safeguarding. As a result, they demonstrate a sound understanding of the action to take should they have any concerns about a young person’s safety or well- being.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Practice is informed by clearly assessed risks which minimise risks without impeding young people’s independence. As a result, young people are not unnecessarily restricted when accessing the community and activities. The quality of relationships between staff and young people is outstanding and reinforces the very caring atmosphere that can be witnessed throughout the home. Young people are assisted to develop appropriate behaviour through the home’s behaviour management policy and strategies. Staff are very comfortable with their role of setting clear understandable boundaries while maintaining high quality relationships between themselves and young people. Young people are enthusiastic about the praise they receive for good behaviour, and staff are also enthusiastic at seeing this progress.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are well informed of their rights and are given contact numbers and addresses of a range of independent people and organisations available for them. This offers choices about who young people speak to if they have any concerns. One young person said, 'I feel respected and treated as an adult because the home acknowledges and puts the outcome of my complaint in writing to me. I was fully satisfied with the outcome.’ Staff work hard to protect young people from the impact of bullying, anti-social or intimidating behaviour and young people are clear about their right to feel safe from this. Young people missing from care episodes have reduced significantly. One social worker commented that a young person ‘has significantly reduced the episodes of missing from home.’ One young person said 'I do not go missing now as there is no point. Staff listen to me and discuss anything I want to do.’

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home is safe and well maintained. There are established systems and structures to maintain safe practices and fulfil health and safety obligations. There are robust and safe recruitment procedures within the home.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are outstanding . The home is efficiently and effectively managed. The home is operating in line with the Statement of Purpose and the principles are understood by interested parties, including young people. Young people benefit from a consistent, enthusiastic and committed staff team that focus on their needs and welfare. As a result young people’s progress is clearly evident and noted by local authorities.

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Leadership and management

Staff feel very well supported, supervised and involved in making decisions. Staff report development and training opportunities are available and varied and progress their careers. The manager and staff team are very well qualified and sufficient in number to meet the needs of young people. Regular meetings, supervisions and appraisals ensure practice improves further and the focus remains on young people’s needs and development.

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Leadership and management

The home has a development plan and the manager is not just aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home but is constantly striving to improve all areas. Key documents, policies and procedures are regularly revisited to ensure practice is current, relevant to young people’s needs and accountable.

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Leadership and management

An exceptional level of monitoring young people’s care and experiences ensures practice is safe and the quality of care remains consistently high. Independent visits contribute further to reflective practice and driving improvement. Young people are consistently consulted about their care and therefore feel included in the developments of the home and are clear about their placement plans. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection, quality of care remains consistently high resulting in no requirements or recommendations being made at this visit.

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Leadership and management

Equality and diversity practice is outstanding .

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