Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Unique reference number SC457327 Inspection date 18/10/2013 Inspector Pippa Greed Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/07/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is operated by a private national service provider and is registered to care for up to three young people of either gender, who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 inadequate progress .

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Progress

At the full inspection in July 2013, the overall effectiveness rating for the service was judged as good with two recommendations made. The home has not met the recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. These remain areas for improvement for good practice development and have been carried forward.

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Progress

The home in recent months has experienced placements of young people that were not compatible with one another. This has impacted significantly on the young people’s welfare. A compliance notice has been issued with regards to the matter of compatibility. There has been a commitment by staff to provide young people with continuity of care. The home has worked hard to address young people’s health and educational needs. There is evidence to demonstrate how young people’s health has improved since starting in the home and staff have successfully supported them to achieve this. Young people are accessing education with positive outcomes. However, the mismatching of placement has impacted on the ability of the service to prevent some instances of bullying and risk-taking behaviour. This has been compounded by organisational pressures to take on emergency placements without due care with placement compatibility. Young people have been subjected to bullying

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Progress

behaviour in the form of physical assault, damage to the environment and general intimidation, which has placed vulnerable individuals at risk. This has impacted significantly on young people’s emotional well-being. Despite staff’s best endeavours, not all instances of bullying have been managed effectively. Through poor placement matching, young people with known vulnerabilities were placed with one another, which presented an increase in risk taking behaviour.

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Progress

At the time of inspection, young people confirm they feel safe but said this has not always been the case. This has meant young people were subjected to bullying treatment from their peers. Young people say they feel able to talk to staff if they have concerns. The home has a policy for the management of bullying, including a contract signed by young people. Young people are sanctioned for inappropriate behaviour. It is evident that staff follow through incidences with clear explanation in one-to-one sessions with the young person. The incompatibility of placements has meant that this has not always been effective in preventing incidences from escalating. The home has a stable core staff team. The staffing ratio has remained unchanged. This has meant that changing needs and ratios of young people placed at the home has not been staffed effectively, which resulted in some serious behavioural incidences. This has impacted on young people’s safety at times and

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Progress

compromised staff’s ability to manage volatile situations safely at a ratio of two staff to three people. The staff team providing day-to-day care include both genders from time to time. The core staff team is solely male and led by a female Registered Manager. The home utilises female staff from other group homes working at this home from time to time. Young people benefit from differing approaches used by a mixed staff team to nurture and encourage them to progress, however this has not been provided at all times and this impacts on young people’s emotional well-being.

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Progress

The home has an improved maintenance programme. The new system of logging requests online has enabled the manager and staff team to place requests for replacement or repairs quickly. This has been effective and it was clear that damages sustained to the environment have been dealt with as a matter of priority. The home environment is homely and offers a range of communal space for young people to access. There has been some redecoration and repairs carried out since the last visit to the lounge, kitchen and hallway along with one vacant bedroom. There are some areas within the home in need of further maintenance work and redecoration. Sleeping arrangements for one young person, although temporary, are not acceptable.

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Progress

The home has a no smoking policy in the home and this is displayed in the quiet communal area information board. Young people are not allowed to keep lighters and the home has a procedure for the safekeeping of lighters. If young people must smoke, they are reminded to smoke in the designated area within the garden. Young people smoke under age and obtain tobacco outside of the home. This means the home’s no smoking policy is not highly effective in encouraging young people to stop smoking.

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Progress

The manager is experienced and is supported by a stable and committed staff team. Young people and staff were seen to engage with one another in an open and supportive manner.

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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.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children's home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the care, education, supervision, and were appropriate, treatment of children living there; ensuring the mix of children in the home is appropriate and children are not missing from the home and engaging in high risk behaviour as a result of inappropriate compatibility (Regulation 11(1) (a)) 14/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) prepare and implement as required a written policy for the prevention of bullying in the children’s home, which shall in particular set out the procedure for dealing with an allegation of bullying. This relates to the effectiveness of anti-bullying practices and how this is monitored (Regulation 16 (4) (a)) 14/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, having regard to the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of the children accommodated in the home, a sufficient number of suitably qualified persons working at the home. (Regulation 25 (1) (b)) 14/11/2013

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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 there is an environment and culture, to promote models and support positive behaviour that all staff understand and implement. This is in relation to smoking cessation programmes for young people (NMS 3.2)  ensure that the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. This relates to replacement of broken furnishing, floorings and doorframe identified for repairs (NMS 10.3)  ensure that information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files. This relates to the placement plan (NMS 22.5)  develop a system to support and encourage the child to reflect on and understand their history, and to keep appropriate memorabilia of their time in the placement. Staff to record and help children make a record of significant life events. (NMS 22.6)

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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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