Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Unique reference number SC457433 Inspection date 15/05/2013 Inspector Pamela Nuckley Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/02/2013 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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Brief description of the service

The home, run by a private company, provides care and accommodation for one young person with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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

This is an established home which has recently been taken over by a large private company. The Registered Manager and stable staff team remain in place.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people have made significant progress in relation to their starting points. The nurturing environment, supportive staff and consistent boundaries enable young people to thrive. Individual needs are identified with plans and strategies put into place to address them. All aspects of care planning and practice are personalised and young people say they are central to their care.

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Overall effectiveness

Feedback from the young people during the inspection was limited as some were reluctant to engage in the inspection. However, their comments, observation of them, staff discussions and evidence within the home shows the good progress they have made. This was further supported through feedback from social workers who said ‘the progress this young person has made is fantastic’ and they would recommend this home to other local authorities.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe and are protected from significant harm. Feedback from young people shows that they are positive about the quality of care and the support they receive from the staff. This reflects the strong and positive relationships and trust that exist between young people and their carers and the constructive ways they tackle any difficulties.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people living in this home are supported by an experienced staff group who demonstrate their commitment to addressing welfare issues. The staff work closely with other services to meet the range of young people's needs in order to promote positive outcomes for young people. Young people's views are clearly listened to and acted upon in all aspects of their care at the home. Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and feel happy and settled in the home.

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Overall effectiveness

One area for further improvement has been raised within this report and this relates to identifying any restrictions to family members having contact.

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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 that any restrictions on contact are clearly identified within the young person's placement plan and care plan. (NMS 9.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from the highly individualised support provided which allows them to reflect and make positive choices about their own futures. Young people placed are experiencing positive outcomes in their lives. Examples of this include attending education, crime reduction and young people's significant reduction in being missing from home. It is possible to chart the good progress for young people currently living in the home throughout the good records maintained and the positive attachments between staff and young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people receive individualised care and support which helps them grow in confidence. Young people are involved in the daily running of the home, cooking, shopping, cleaning, menu and activity planning. They participate in individual consultation sessions, staff meetings and give written feedback on new members of staff. These practices enable young people to have control over their own daily lives and contribute to the development of the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people

The health of young people is promoted positively. This is an area that the home has excelled in. Due to the excellent relationships between staff and young people, young people have been able to discuss sensitive issues around their health. They have then been able to get the professional help, guidance and support to address their concerns. This has made a startling impact in all areas of their behaviour. The young person’s social worker said ‘this is a major breakthrough and the home has quickly sourced the help that she needs.’ Young people are appropriately registered to the full range of health services available to them. The company has their own mental health team, with qualified psychologists, so young people receive prompt advice and support. Health plans form part of the planning documentation and are updated regularly. Young people understand the importance of healthy lifestyles and take responsibility for their own health; they have access to specialised services that

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Outcomes for children and young people

regularly visit the home and discuss any risk taking behaviours. Menus offered include individual preferences, healthy options and offer a balanced nutritional diet to young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

This home has an excellent track record of ensuring that young people, who have not engaged in education before being placed here, receive some form of education. This may include an alternative provision, college or being privately tutored. As a result, young people have achieved beyond initial expectations. Young people engage in a range of educational opportunities, tailored to their individual needs. Young people, who were reluctant to engage with formal education now attend full time. Staff collaborate well with social workers, families, the young people and their education providers, to construct and review creative plans that support improvements in educational outcomes for young people. For example, young people who were being home tutored are now attending the company’s school on a phased introduction. The young person said ‘it’s great and I want to go more often’. However, staff are aware that this process needs to be paced to ensure it is

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Outcomes for children and young people

successful. This ensures young people progress to the best of their ability, and overcome patterns of behaviour that have previously prevented learning and development.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have access to a range of activities. Young people say that the staff try and encourage them to try new activities and hobbies. Young people at this home are very sporty and enjoy watching and playing football. One young person said ‘I go to watch football matches and I play football as often as I can.’ This shows that young people are enjoying their chosen hobby and are keeping fit at the same time.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are supported to establish and maintain constructive contact with families, friends, and other people who play a significant role in their lives. This is sensitively managed and in line with young people’s individual placement plans. However, contact plans do not identify any restrictions on absent parents. Therefore, they do not fully safeguard young people.

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Quality of care

The home has a good admissions process for young people. Staff are committed to ensuring each young person enjoys a positive experience while living at the home and that they are able to develop both physically and emotionally. Assessments are undertaken prior to admission, which clearly identify a young person’s needs and how these will be met.

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Quality of care

Young people enjoy positive and constructive relationships with staff and this has brought about significant improvements in young people’s behaviour. Staff are skilled in positively engaging young people, who benefit and thrive in a supportive and nurturing environment. Individual needs are clearly identified to form the basis of the comprehensive care planning systems that are in place. This includes identity, religious and cultural needs. Consistent monitoring and the updating of plans and strategies takes place regularly, with evidence available to show that staff, young people, their social worker and where appropriate, parents are aware of and agree with the changes made.

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Quality of care

Young people benefit from making a positive contribution to their home and their care plans through a variety of forums such as individual consultation, attending staff meetings, placement planning and statutory reviews. They also have the opportunity through regular discussion about routine and day-to-day matters. Young people report that their opinions and suggestions are put into practice whenever possible. Young people who have raised concerns, report that they have been fully satisfied with the outcome. Young people confirm that they are aware of the home’s complaint procedure and that they have access to several other independent agencies that could assist them if they felt that they needed to speak to someone not connected with the home. This ensures that young people have the opportunity to discuss any elements of their care, if they are unhappy, with someone of their own choosing.

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Quality of care

Staff at this home believe that education is important for young people. They support young people by ensuring they are ready for their day, assisting with homework or attending with young people for added support at school. This has resulted in young people being fully engaged in education within the home and they are now having a phased introduction into the company’s school. This ensures that young people are supported to access education and are engaging with their peers. Staff celebrate young people’s achievements within education by going out for meals or doing something more specific. For example, a young person received a good spring report with the maximum attendance. She has chosen to go to a concert. Staff say this gives young people a positive message and shows how proud staff are of them.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a healthy environment where their physical, emotional and psychological health is promoted and where they are able to access the services to meet their health needs. If necessary, there is access to health agencies and specialised services. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their health and lifestyle choices; this leads to a positive impact on young people understanding the risks and choices that they make. Effective policies and procedures concerning the storage, handling, administration and disposal of medication safeguard young people's welfare. All staff have received up-to-date safe medication and first aid training. As a result, young people receive their medication in line with their prescription.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a healthy environment that actively supports their physical and emotional health. The home is suitably located in a residential area where there are good public transport links and access to local facilities.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is outstanding at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe. Young people are kept safe and say they are safe at this home. When young people place themselves at risk of significant harm, staff work closely with external agencies to recognise and devise strategies. This ensures young people are protected and assisted to understand why strategies are in place. Staff demonstrate that they understand their role and responsibilities in protecting, recording and following policies and procedures in all safeguarding issues. Staff are very clear about how to respond and report any matters of concern. They receive regular training to update their knowledge and have a full understanding of safeguarding policies, procedures and actions they should take, if an incident arises.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has a clear policy in respect of whistle blowing and allegations of suspicions of harm; this is clearly understood by staff in the home. This ensures that any allegations are handled fairly, quickly and consistently in a way that provides effective protection for young people, the person making the allegation, and at the same time supports the person who is the subject of the allegation. Safeguarding young people is at the forefront of practice in the home to ensure that young people's welfare is appropriately safeguarded.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Feedback from a social worker was extremely positive, on how the home has been able to address several areas of risk. In that, the young person does not now present with the high level of concern that she did on first being placed here. She said ‘this young person was at grave risk and did not understand the concern we had for her. The staff have been fantastic and the improvements she has made, in all areas, is tremendous.’ She attributes this to the staffs’ constant supervision, listening skills and firm boundaries. She continued to say ‘a major breakthrough in the young person’s emotional health has significantly impacted on her behaviour and she had never been comfortable discussing it with anyone before.' This demonstrates that the approach that staff have has significantly impacted on the young person’s behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff maintain a very active oversight of the welfare of young people and have developed relationships with local police to reduce risks and address unsafe behaviour. When young people are absent from the home or missing, steps are taken to ensure their safety, and staff try to understand the triggers for their behaviour. Notably young people’s episodes of being missing have significantly reduced since their admission to the home. This has been through clear risk assessment and management of the associated risks and strategy meetings with all associated partnerships to ensure the welfare of young people. Young people's care plans and risk assessments take account of a young person's potential to go missing and their vulnerability should they do so. Staff work intensively with young people to reduce incidents occurring.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Positive behaviour is promoted through incentives which reward positive behaviours. Staff work consistently with young people to assist them to make positive choices and this works extremely well. Staff are trained in restraint; the use of restraint in this home has significantly reduced despite some very challenging behaviour. This demonstrates the home’s commitment to try and assist young people to manage their own behaviours to good effect. Although not viewed at this inspection, past evidence shows that young people are protected by the organisation's safe recruitment practices which ensure that all staff are thoroughly vetted before they are allowed to start work in the home. The identity of all visitors is checked and their whereabouts in the home monitored during the time they are there. These systems ensure the safety and well-being of young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home has established systems and structures in place to maintain safe practices and fulfil health and safety obligations. Fire safety and health and safety checks are regularly carried out and young people confirm they know how to respond in an emergency or fire drill. No hazards were identified during the course of the inspection and all associated checks are undertaken on a regular basis. Therefore, young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security.

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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

The Registered Manager is an experienced and well-respected professional who provides effective and competent leadership. Young people have a close and positive relationship with the home’s manager who knows them well. The manager is enthusiastic and has identified areas of development within the home, is building upon the strengths within the staff team and is working towards implementing improvements in all areas. She has managerial responsibility for another dual home. Her time is divided effectively between the homes and there are clear arrangements for cover in her absence.

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Leadership and management

The young people benefit from a committed, energetic staff group who are supportive of the management team and all work together in a team centred approach that puts the needs of young people first. The ethos and working practices of the home meets the aims and objectives set out in the Statement of Purpose. This document is available to placing officers, families and other stakeholders and accurately reflects the current staffing arrangements and the services being provided by the home. Young people receive information prior or on admission which tells them of the services and allowances they can expect during their time in the home.

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Leadership and management

Young people are cared for by a consistent, stable staff team. This is reflected in the stability of the young people and the excellent relationships that they have made with the staff. Staff are competent and have a good understanding of their responsibilities. All staff are qualified and continue to develop their knowledge through training opportunities. Training programmes covering mandatory requirements are carried out at induction and continued through regular refresher training. This ensures that all staff are up to date with new legislation and guidance. Staff are supervised regularly which means that they are supported in their work with young people and also that their work is monitored. They say that communication within the team is very good. This promotes consistency of care for young people. Visits to young people by their placing authority are regular, as are statutory reviews in which young people actively engage and contribute. This ensures they can

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Leadership and management

influence decisions in relation to their current and future lives.

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Leadership and management

The regulation 33 visitor to the home provides good reports that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the home. Regular consultation with young people who use the service and professionals provides invaluable insights to assist in the long- term development of the service. The home's development plan outlines areas for further improvement within the service.

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Leadership and management

All records are clear and up to date. Daily journals are maintained for the young people, they are person centred and child focussed. Records are also stored securely, and contribute to an understanding of the individual young people’s life, experiences and plans for the future.

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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 the inspection of children's homes.

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