Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Blackpool

Unique reference number SC415710 Inspection date 18/12/2013 Inspector Caroline Jones Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/03/2013 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 is owned by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and learning disabilities.

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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 live in a good home where they receive high quality care. This supports them in making progress across their development. They benefit from sound relationships with staff and speak highly of the home. They comment: 'I like this home, staff protect me, they care.' Staff have high aspirations for young people and support them in reaching their potential.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are central to care planning, which ensures their involvement and understanding of decisions about their lives. There is a safeguarding culture within the home where young people's safety is a priority, consequently they feel safe. Staff value the importance of building relationships with young people and the structured routines of the home ensure boundaries and expectations about group living are consistently followed. This contributes to the stability of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is effectively run by an experienced Registered Manager who is fully supported by the senior manager. Together they focus on developing and improving the service to young people. Plans are in place to secure improvements and tackle any areas of weakness and good monitoring scrutinises the quality of care. Shortfalls are identified in relation to updating risk assessments and gaining written consents from placing authorities. These gaps have not impacted negatively upon the welfare of young people to-date.

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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 placing authority consents to any restrictions or access to communication for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of young people. (Regulation 15(7)(a)) 22/01/2014

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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 risk assessment are regularly reviewed and updated. This relates specifically to recording lowered risks. (NMS 10.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are making good progress in particular in relation to their emotional and behavioural development. For example, since living at the home young people are attending education regularly, after long periods of absence. Furthermore, there is a significant reduction in risk taking behaviours, which ensures young people are safe. Young people are growing in confidence and gaining an understanding of their background to move forward in life.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people benefit from effective and consistent health care. They are registered with general medical practitioners and have detailed plans to meet their health needs. Young people are educated in a variety of health and wellbeing matters, including substance misuse. Furthermore, individual key work sessions add to young people's learning to ensure they have the knowledge to make informed decisions. Staff receive suitable training to support health and wellbeing and have a first aid qualification to ensure safer caring of young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people attend school regularly and achieve their potential, which is fully supported by staff. Young people participate in a range of leisure activities including: fishing, quad biking, theme parks, shopping, meals out and cinema trips. These opportunities encourage young people to enjoy, achieve and also builds their confidence and skills further.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people remain in touch with their family where this is in their best interests. They see their brothers and sisters and staff fully support this. Any issues arising are handled sensitively by staff enabling them to develop emotional resilience, knowledge and understanding of their background. They remain connected to their family through these arrangements to ensure their identity remains intact.

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Quality of care

Young people are involved in care planning and their placement plans are tailored to meet their individual needs. Furthermore, proactive relationships with young people's families ensure that young people's changing needs are consistently identified and met. Communication is good and their feedback about the quality of care is regularly gained to continually improve the service to young people. Partner agencies comment: 'They work very well with us to protect young people.'

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Quality of care

Young peoples views are sought on the daily running of the home through various means including: young people's meetings, direct work session and visits from children's rights officers. Complaints from young people are positively received and acted upon to resolve any dissatisfaction. Young people are confident in the complaints process. They comment: 'I would just talk to either staff or the manager, they listen, the rules are fair here.'

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Quality of care

Young people live in a healthy environment where their physical, emotional and social wellbeing is promoted. Staff encourage young people to plan their recreation time effectively and engage in purposeful and enjoyable leisure activities. Young people develop confidence by establishing relationships outside the home and pursuing personal interests such as fishing and mentoring other young people. These are a fine example of young people making a positive contribution to their community and show their growing confidence.

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Quality of care

Young people have good relationships with staff who demonstrate a clear commitment to them. Young people feel that staff care about them and can identify a particular staff member who they can share their feelings with. These relationships are the foundation for managing young people's complex behaviour successfully. The consistent core staff team ensures stability and predictability for young people, which helps them settle within the home.

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Quality of care

Staff promote young people's education through proactive relationships with partner agencies. They emphasis the value of education, through making sure young people are ready for their day and showing interest in their day when they return. Staff assist them with homework, attend parents evening and meetings to ensure they achieve their potential. As a result young people feel supported in their education.

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Quality of care

Young people live in a homely environment, which blends into the residential area. They have their own bedrooms and are encouraged to personalise them to reflect their own interests and tastes. They have space and privacy to see their friends and family and to do homework. This affords respect and dignity to young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

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

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Safeguarding children and young people

There is a strong safeguarding culture within the home. This is supported by effective training in areas of child sexual exploitation, child protection and self harm. Additionally, staff have a good knowledge of their safeguarding duties. This ensure that young people are safeguarded and protected by well trained staff. Young people comment: 'I feel safe, staff make me feel protected.' Staff also work with young people individually to address vulnerabilities and minimise risk. As a result, there is evidence that most young people's risk taking behaviours have significantly reduced. For others placements have ended due to the challenges.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Care plans and risks assessments provide a sound mechanism for responding to young people's need for protection. However, once risks are lowered these are not always reflected in the risk assessments to show young people's progress. Furthermore, risk management strategies to temporarily restrict young people's access to communication to safeguard them have not been agreed in writing with placing authorities to ensure complete clarity.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Structured boundaries and respect between staff and young people provides the basis for managing young people's behaviour successfully. There are minimal incidents of restraint and staff are clear that this is only used as a very last resort to prevent harm to young people. Reward systems encourage young people's positive behaviour and assist them in accepting responsibility for their actions. The recordings of sanctions are clear and include the opportunity for young people to record their views. A thorough review of these measures ensures their effectiveness.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people missing from home are responded to positively on their return and staff support them. Despite challenges staff work very hard and are proactive in reducing these incidents with young people. Agreed protocols are in place with the local police and multi-agency risk management meeting are convened to develop a strategy and action plan for managing the risks faced by young people. This promotes young people's safety.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people live in a home where health and safety matters are considered in ensuring a safe, clean and secure environment. Staff carry out routine health and safety checks around the home. Safety and insurance certificates are up-to-date and regular fire drills take place to ensure young people and staff are aware of an emergency evacuation route in the event of a fire. Staff are vigilant and take appropriate steps to verify visitors identity to ensure the safety of young 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

Leadership and management arrangements are strong. There is a Registered Manager in post who is well supported by a senior manager who consistently reinforces high expectations of care practice. The home is conducted according to the conditions set and is effective in meeting its Statement of Purpose. Social workers are clear about the aims of the home; the majority report high levels of satisfaction.

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Leadership and management

Young people's care is scrutinised by effective monitoring systems to ensure high quality care. Action plans are promptly addressed following visits from an independent person, to ensure timely improvements are made. The Registered Manager is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the service and continues to focus upon promoting and achieving positive outcomes for young people. All significant events are notified to the relevant authorities and appropriate action is taken to protect young people. There are no requirements or recommendations to follow up from the last inspection.

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Leadership and management

Staff confirm that they are fully supported and the organisation demonstrates a commitment to professional development. Staff have regular supervision and team meetings to further ensure their competence in caring for young people. All staff are suitably qualified and have experience in working with young people. Staff comment: 'I enjoy my work; I enjoy helping young people grow.'

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Leadership and management

The home's written records are generally good and provide a picture of young people's daily living. Young people's information is securely stored and shared confidentially to protect their safety and privacy. Staff fully understand young people's individual and diverse needs and have high aspirations for them in achieving their potential. There are sufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of young people and the core team remains stable which provides predictability for young people.

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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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