Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC415710 Inspection date 09/01/2013 Inspector Anthony Kyem Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 12/01/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This service provides short, medium and long-term care for three young people aged 10 up to the age of 17 years who experience serious emotional behavioural difficulties. It is owned and operated by a private company.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care, that promotes their needs very effectively. They benefit from excellent support to promote their positive self-view, emotional resilience and self-confidence. The progress young people make and the outcomes they achieve are exceptionally positive.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people's views and opinions about the running of the home are regularly sought, to enable their positive contribution. Consequently, young people feel involved, valued, respected and listened too. Young people feel safe living at the home and they enjoy a strong sense of personal safety. Their views about the home and their relationships with staff, are consistently positive.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people said, out of ten I would give the home a thousand. They're so welcoming and loving. They're like my own family.'

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from excellent relationships with staff, who support them enthusiastically. They benefit from continuity of care so they can sustain their positive attachments. The quality of young people's care is reviewed and monitored effectively. The manager has a positive understanding of the home's strengths and weaknesses and they take action to secure improvement. As a result, the quality of young people's care is promoted effectively.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are meaningfully involved in all aspects of their care however their contribution to their plans is not recorded clearly. Consequently, they may not know or understand what goals they are meant to be working towards.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure children understand the purpose and content of their plans and the reasoning behind them. (NMS 25.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Outcomes for children and young people are good .

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Outcomes for children and young people

The outcomes achieved by young people are exceptionally positive. The good progress young people make, across all aspects of their care is testament to the excellent support provided to them. Young people have access to the help and support they need to ensure their progress is maximised.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are not involved in high risk taking activities. Their risk taking behaviours are minimised and these have reduced overtime. Young people develop their emotional resilience and this enables them to cope with the highs and lows of daily life. Consequently, young people are better prepared to manage and cope with those issues which affect them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A social worker reports, 'I think it’s really good. They make her life as normal as possible. They send me weekly reports and they do really seem to care about her. They have a sensible approach to risk taking behaviour. I'm very confident in their care.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively encouraged to make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community. They develop their social skills, friendships and social networks as a result of their participation. Young people are involved in charity work and they have helped to raise money for charitable causes. They benefit from positive opportunities, to enable them to pursue their chosen interests and hobbies.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from positive contact with their friends and families. They receive good support to maintain their family links. As a result, they enjoy positive relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people learn new life skills to promote their independence. They are allowed to take reasonable risks, to promote their growth and natural development. Staff plan for young people's independence effectively by ensuring they have the opportunity to develop their independence, knowledge and skills. Such support and careful planning will help young people make the transition towards adulthood successfully.

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Quality of care

The quality of the care is outstanding .

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Quality of care

Young people make exceptional progress in relation to their starting points. They benefit from excellent relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. Young people benefit from continuity of care to enable them to develop and enjoy constructive relationships. As a result, young people know and trust the staff who support them.

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Quality of care

Young people know how to make a compliant and their rights are promoted effectively. They feel respected and valued, as their views, feelings and suggestions are taken seriously. A house newsletter, key working activities and group meetings all promote effective consultation between staff and young people. This enables young people to have an effective influence in the day-to-day running of the home.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from highly individualised care that promotes their needs comprehensively. Their needs in relation to faith, culture, ethnicity and individual identity are addressed and identified positively. Staff involve young people in all aspects of their care to promote their inclusion. This enables young people to have a say in how they are cared for. Young people are involved in their plans and their plans are written comprehensively. However, their contribution is not recorded clearly. As a result, they may not know what goals and targets they are working towards.

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Quality of care

Young people's educational achievement is exceptional, taking into account both their attainment and their progress from their starting points. Staff have high aspirations of young people. They actively promote their needs and aspirations to help young people achieve their full potential. Young people benefit from excellent school attendance. The home strives to achieve the best educational outcomes possible.

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Quality of care

Young people receive excellent support, to promote their positive health. They have access to the health services they need to promote their physical, psychological and emotional well-being. Young people benefit from extensive support to develop their awareness of key health issues. Consequently, they take responsibility for their health and they learn to lead a healthy and active lifestyle.

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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

Young people's welfare and safety is at the centre of staff practice. Young people are pro-actively protected from abuse, bullying, neglect and exploitation. Risks associated with young people's behaviours are identified clearly and risk assessment and pro-active safeguarding practice keeps young people safe from harm. A young person's parent reports, 'yes the best thing is she is kept safe and is included in good activities.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

There are no issues with young people placing themselves, or other young people at risk of significant harm. Young people are not engaged in damaging, high risk taking activities. Safe care practices are consistently adhered to. This ensures young people are kept safe and feel safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The frequency with which young people go missing has reduced overtime. Missing from homes and unauthorised absences are now a rare occurrence. Agreed protocols with the local police are followed stringently to promote young people's safe return, if they are missing. Highly effective relationships are maintained with all professional agencies. This protects young people and keeps them safe from significant harm.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people receive excellent support to develop social acceptable behaviour. They receive instant recognition, praise, encouragement and reward to promote their self- esteem. Staff teach young people to recognise their positive attributes to promote their positive self-view.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Unacceptable behaviour is challenged appropriately and the use of sanctions are both fair and reasonable. Staff are trained in restorative justice. They encourage young people to accept responsibility for their actions and they help young people to understand and put right their own wrong doings. Young people learn to behave responsibly and they are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. There is a consistent approach towards the use of behaviour management.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are trained and skilled at managing young people's behaviours safely. Restraint is only used a last resort, to prevent young people from suffering accident, harm or injury. Young people have detailed risk management plans, which staff use to address their needs and behaviours positively. A social worker reports, 'I’mvery impressed with the consistent approach to managing behaviour.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides young people with a physically safe and secure environment. There are excellent systems in place to promote environmental safety. Health and safety checks are kept up to date and identified hazards are eliminated promptly. Fire drills are held frequently to ensure young people know how to evacuate the premises safely in the event of fire. The excellent and safe condition of the premises is maintained successfully.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff employed to work with young people are selected and vetted very carefully. This ensures that those employed, are safe and suitable people.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the previous inspection. There have been no concerns or complaints raised about the service. The home meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose. It provides young people with a high standard of good quality care. The quality of young people's care is reviewed and monitored effectively. There are effective systems in place to assess the home's performance and positive use is made of the home's rigorous monitoring activities. This secures the continuing improvement of young people's care.

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Leadership and management

The systems used for quality assurance are rigorous, robust and thorough. As a result, the home is able to improve its own performance by developing its strengths and tackling areas of identified weaknesses. The home has a written development plan and this includes consultation with young people and those significant to them. Consequently, their views are used by the home to develop its practice. The home is developing a proven track record.

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Leadership and management

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. They benefit from well-trained, suitably qualified and experienced staff. High quality training ensures the staff group are able to develop their skills, knowledge and professional practice. Staff are passionate about their roles and their efforts are channelled effectively. The home can demonstrate the positive progress young people have made and how their outcomes are improved, as a result of their time there.

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Leadership and management

A parent says, 'I am very happy about the care. My child is happy where she is…The staff are magnificent…I am very happy.'

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Leadership and management

An independent reviewing officer refers to the quality of young people's care as, 'excellent, the child has made huge progress.'

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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 and the evaluation schedule for children's homes.

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