Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Unique reference number SC456911 Inspection date 22/08/2013 Inspector Clive Lucas Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Date of last inspection 25/02/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

Brief description of the service

This home is able to accommodate six young people. It is privately owned and provides care for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.3

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

p.3

Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Overall the home provides a good level of care for young people. This is the first inspection since the home was re-registered following a change in ownership. Consequently, there are no previous requirements or recommendations. The home has a Registered Manager who provides clear leadership. Young people are happy to be in the home and describe a good level of care from staff. This view is supported by the social workers and independent reviewing officers.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

There are good staffing levels and staff develop good, supportive relationships with young people. Staff work to provide good outcomes for young people. However, the effectiveness of this varies for individual young people and their willingness to engage with staff, but overall all young people make progress. Some of them make very good progress and for others it is limited, but does show an improvement from their starting points.

p.3

Overall effectiveness

Young people's access to a telephone without having to ask staff is limited as the telephone is currently broken. They do have mobile phones and can be given phone cards to use outside of the home. However, there is the potential that if they have no credit, or lose their mobile, young people may not be able to have easy access to a telephone without asking staff. Records are mostly clear, up to date and provide information on young people's lives in the home. However, one risk assessment was contradictory and had out of date information. Records of decisions on admissions to the home do not fully show how decisions are made. Good staff knowledge of young people helps to minimise any shortfalls from the risk assessment to some degree.

p.3

Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

p.4

Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 15(4)(a)) 11/10/2013

p.4

Recommendations

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

p.4

Recommendations

 ensure that only children whose assessed needs can reasonably expect to be met are admitted to the home, this relates to ensuring that records demonstrate robust decision making on admissions to the home (NMS 11.2)  implement a proportionate approach to risk assessment, this relates to ensuring that risk assessments are clear and accurate. (NMS 4.5)

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Overall young people make good progress at the home and as a result of being there, achieve better outcomes. Some young people make very good progress and others may make less progress, but nevertheless do achieve better outcomes given their starting points and previous patterns of behaviour. Social workers report seeing progress in young people and in some cases this is the first progress they have seen throughout the history of placements. They are helped to develop a positive self-view and social workers comment positively on the help that young people receive with their identity. One young person said 'I have fun living here.’

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

Young people's health needs are met well. They are encouraged to improve their health by reducing their use of alcohol and drugs. Some young people do not consistently accept this help, but due to staff perseverance do so at times. Other young people make significant progress in developing their health, including emotional health. They have regular health checks, dental and optician's appointments. Staff support young people to self-administer their medication where appropriate. This helps them with their independence and to prepare for managing their health and medicines when they move from the home.

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people

All young people make progress in their educational achievement taking into account their starting point and backgrounds. While for some this is limited, for others it is very good. Young people spoke proudly of the progress they have made in some areas of education since being at the home and the support that staff have given in areas that they struggle with. Young people are encouraged to attend education. All of the young people in the home are in full time education. Even those who do not always attend show an increased attendance level from previous placements.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

The young people experience good contact with families and are supported emotionally by staff. This helps to ensure continued contact that will be of benefit to young people during the placement and in their future lives. Throughout the daily running of the home, young people are helped to develop independence skills such as washing clothes, cooking and shopping. These are building the blocks for future independence and will put the young people in a stronger position when they begin to work towards leaving care.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people

Some young people have a history of involvement in anti-social and criminal behaviour, which continues at the home. They are encouraged to reduce this behaviour and to participate in work with other agencies such as the youth offending service. They are also helped to understand the implications of their behaviour and its potential consequences. Social workers say that staff work to address this behaviour and they believe that when this is not effective, it is due to factors from outside of the home.

p.5

Quality of care

Young people at the home have good relationships with staff. One young person said that staff are very good fun, are understanding and stick with the young people. These good relationships form the basis of the work with young people. Staff are aware of the contents of young people's plans and what they need to do to meet them. This helps to ensure consistent work with young people and increases the chances of it being effective. Risk assessments set out the way staff should work with young people to meet their needs and minimise risks. Most are clear and up to date, but one was unclear and inconsistent. However, staff were aware of the current issues for that young person and another document did set out clearly how staff should work with the young person. The shortfalls in the document have the potential to reduce the effectiveness of work with this young person, but the good knowledge that staff have of his needs and other documentation minimises the

p.5

Quality of care

impact of this. Staff seek young people's views on aspects of their lives such as the activities they can take part in and their planned menus. Young people confirm this and say that they can discuss things at house meetings. This helps young people to feel involved in decisions about their everyday lives. Young people are aware of how to make a complaint and say that if they do make one it is dealt with properly. This gives young people confidence in their ability to be heard and helps to improve the quality of care in the home.

p.5

Quality of care

The staff use their knowledge of young people to help ensure that their needs, including emotional health needs are met well. They also continue to encourage young people to co-operate in plans to look at their health needs, education and behaviour, even young people who are resistant to engage. This helps young people realise the importance of these issues for themselves and the value that staff place on them. Staff are alert to signs of drug use and pro-active in dealing with it, involving the police when necessary. Staff are good at encouraging and supporting young people in education. They have planned rotas to ensure that staff with appropriate skills are available for young people at important times such as when they are revising. They liaise with schools and are aware of what young people are covering in school so that they can provide support with it. This includes getting film versions of books that young people are studying. They attend open evenings at

p.6

Quality of care

schools. This all helps to ensure that young people recognise the importance of education and are able to do well.

p.6

Quality of care

There are a range of activities for young people to take part in. These include regular hobbies such as ice skating as well as trips to the cinema and more special days out that young people can work towards during the holidays. These include trips to national attractions that young people are interested in. Young people say they are involved in a good range of activities and social workers say that the home do a really good job at involving young people in activities. They also say that staff recognise young people as individuals and do not 'put them in a box'. This helps to ensure that young people can develop interests and have things to look forward to as other young people do. They are treated as individuals and can develop their own sense of identity.

p.6

Quality of care

Young people in the home do not have access to a telephone that they can use without having to ask staff first. They do have mobile telephones and if they abide by certain rules are given credit for them. If they do not abide by the rules, they are not given the credit. They would then be given a telephone card that they can use in a public payphone, but would have to go out to use one. This does not fully meet the requirements of the regulations that young people accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private.

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

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

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they feel safe in the home. This is confirmed by social workers. One said that this was the first time the young person had said they felt safe. Young people describe staff as 'supportive' and 'brilliant'. They say they can ask to speak to staff at any time. There is an appropriate procedure on safeguarding young people. Staff receive training and there is refresher training booked for the week following the inspection. There have not been any safeguarding concerns since the home was re-registered. There is a good system of procedures and processes in place to protect young people from risks such as fire. Young people say that they have regular fire drills. They are held shortly after a new young person moves in, so that they are aware of what to do if there is a fire. If young people are likely to struggle to learn from a routine fire drill, staff make other arrangements to ensure

p.6

Safeguarding children and young people

that they know what the procedure is and that they learn what to do to keep themselves safe. Safety systems are regularly checked to ensure that they are working and will protect young people.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

There have been high numbers of young people going missing from care. This has included young people who have bail conditions and have had to be reported as soon as they left. Staff search for young people and respond supportively when they return. They also try to discourage young people from going missing by thinking why they go and looking for ways to discourage it and remove the incentive to go. Numbers of young people being missing from care have reduced significantly over the last seven weeks. When young people do go missing they are vulnerable to becoming involved in criminal behaviour. However, the preventative work done by staff does help to reduce this risk to some degree. The home liaise well with the police when young people are missing from care.

p.7

Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are clear about what behaviour is expected of them and say that this is reasonable as are any consequences if they do not adhere to this. Records of sanctions and restraints are clear; restraint is used rarely. Young people have opportunities to record their views and sign the records. Records also show that there is recognition and rewards for positive behaviour, which is in line with young people's plans. Staff are trained in managing difficult behaviour and provide clear and firm boundaries for young people. Social workers say that the placements provide structure and very clear boundaries. In most cases young people respond positively to this and develop appropriate behaviour. When young people are resistant, staff continue to provide clear expectations of behaviour and remain calm and firm when facing challenges.

p.7

Leadership and management

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

p.7

Leadership and management

The home has a suitably qualified and very experienced Registered Manager who provides clear leadership. There is a good level of staffing that allows rotas to provide high levels of supervision for young people. There is good consistency of staffing so that young people have opportunities to develop positive relationships with staff. Staff, other than those still completing their induction, are qualified and receive training that meets their needs and supports them to provide a good level of care for young people. This includes training in specific areas as well as general areas such as safeguarding, first aid, equality and diversity and food safety. This helps to ensure that staff are able to meet young people's individual and general needs. The manager undertakes reviews of the quality of care to look at ways of improving the way they look after children. In addition there are monthly unannounced visits from someone independent of the running of the home, who

p.7

Leadership and management

report to senior managers on the quality of care provided to young people. Staff receive regular supervision which is reported to be supportive and challenging. This helps to ensure that staff are working effectively and consistently. Those who undertake supervision receive training to help them in the process.

p.7

Leadership and management

The home has a good relationship with its immediate neighbours. There is some involvement of young people from the home in anti-social behaviour in the local community. The manager is aware of this and is working to try and address it. She takes part in community meetings to look at any concerns or issues in the wider community that are relevant to, or involve young people from the home.

p.8

Leadership and management

Health and safety requirements are met in the home, this includes regular checks of the property and health and safety training for staff. There is a Statement of Purpose that is clear and covers the areas set out in regulations. There is a children's guide that young people say they are given and that they find helpful and easy to read. Complaints are dealt with in an appropriate and timely manner. Records show the details of the complaint, the action taken and outcome. Complainants have the opportunity to comment on the outcome and whether they are satisfied with it. This is all clearly recorded. The effective complaints system allows young people and others to raise concerns and helps to ensure the quality of care in the home.

p.8

Leadership and management

Records are mostly clearly recorded, up to date and regularly monitored, so that they can contribute to an understanding of the young people's lives. The records of assessing the potential impact of a new admission and how the home can meet their needs, as well as those of young people already living in the home, are not sufficiently comprehensive. Not all include the details of how the home will realistically work with any potential risks. While the Registered Manager is able to explain her decision making, this information is not captured on the records for monitoring and for future reference. Records are securely stored in the office.

p.8

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.

p.9

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.

p.9