Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Birmingham

Unique reference number SC424851 Inspection date 23/01/2013 Inspector Jo Stephenson Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 09/05/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The service is operated and managed by a private organisation.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress .

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Progress

The judgement at the full inspection in May 2012 was adequate. Progress since the last inspection has been good. The service has demonstrated significant improvements in the quality of care for young people, such as effective and interactive consultation. The home has addressed the three requirements and four recommendations that were made at the full inspection. These actions show a developing service that has the capacity to deliver further improvement.

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Progress

Statutory placement plans are now in place for all young people. These are supplemented and supported by detailed internal support plans and risk assessments that specify the individual needs of young people. Plans are regularly reviewed and evaluated, by keyworkers, to ensure that behaviour strategies reflect progress made by young people. For example, young people participate in one-to-one sessions that consider their thoughts and feelings about the behaviours they display. Young people have the opportunity to discuss current interventions and comment on the impact of these. This means that young people are encouraged to reflect on their behaviour and are praised for the positive changes they make. Consultation with young people is now embedded in the ethos of the home. Staff complete weekly feedback reports for placing authorities and young people are encouraged to write comments on these reports about their personal achievements.

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Progress

Young people say they are involved in discussions about their care, and feel ‘safe and well looked after’ in the home. Staff facilitate weekly young people’s meetings to plan activities, arrange social events and consider the progress of the home. As a result, young people’s views are now included in development plans and this has had a positive impact on their quality of care.

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Progress

Staff have made significant improvements to the internal decoration of the home, and young people are actively involved in this on-going programme of transformation. Soft furnishing, photographs and ornaments give the home a comfortable and welcoming feel. The home now has a nominated staff member who is responsible for working with young people to help them to decorate their bedrooms, and to implement changes to the use of some rooms. For example, the home has introduced an upstairs mini lounge where young people can relax or participate in one-to-one sessions with staff. The provider has now completed a thorough health and safety assessment of the home. All areas identified for action have been completed and this means that young people live in an environment that promotes their safety and protects them from hazards.

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Progress

The Registered Manager has introduced robust monitoring systems to assess the quality of recording in general documents and case files. Furthermore, managers now complete random audit checks on medication administration records. Therefore, medication recording errors can be detected, if applicable, and immediate action taken to rectify these. This meets the previous requirement raised and consequently young people can be confident that their medication is correctly handled and administered.

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Progress

Greater emphasis is now placed on the importance of education. Young people all have school provisions and attendance is high. Staff provide practical support and transport to encourage young people to continue with their education and participate, when possible, in extra curriculum activities. Staff say this is an essential part of their role and means they are able to develop close links with schools and named teaching staff. As a result, young people experience a comprehensive approach to maintain their education.

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Progress

The service has reviewed the admissions policy for placements at the home. Detailed compatibility risk assessments are now in place to consider the complex care needs of individual young people and the impact potential admissions may have on those already in placement. This means that the home is more stable and staff numbers reflect the individual needs of young people. Therefore, the home provides a calm and nurturing environment that provides young people with the support they need to develop.

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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 progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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