Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Unique reference number SC456729 Inspection date 15/01/2014 Inspector Pamela Nuckley Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 30/04/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home, run by a private company, provides care and accommodation for two young people with 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 good progress .

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Progress

At the last full inspection in April 2013, the overall effectiveness of the service was judged as good and there was one recommendation set. The home was asked to ensure that records are clear, up to date, stored securely and contribute to an understanding of the child’s life. The purpose of this visit is to assess the progress made since the time of the last inspection and how any progress has improved the quality of care and outcomes for young people.

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Progress

The home has designed a new structure to maintain records of all young people. These records are well maintained. They are clear and give the reader an understanding of the child’s life, background and progress made whilst they have been living at the home. Further to this, these records show that young people are fully consulted on their care and are able to influence how they are cared for and are included in the development of the home.

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Progress

Young people say this is a good home and that they are safe and happy here. Young people were extremely positive on how the home has ensured that their cultural needs have been met. One young person said ‘staff have helped me stay informed about a natural disaster within my home country. I have been able to access the internet for information and they have bought me newspapers to keep up with the news. This is great.’ They continued to say ‘I could not go home for Christmas, so my family and I stayed in a hotel up here. It was great to spend time as a family.’ As a result, young people are benefiting from appropriate contact arrangements.

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Progress

Young people are encouraged to have a hobby. One young person attends Explorers and has been camping. They also met a famous survival expert, which they are extremely proud of. Other young people have made significant relationships within the community. One young person said ‘the home pays for my friend to come on activities with me. So we can do things together.’ As a consequence, young people have the opportunity to mix with other young people of a similar age, develop friendships and are involved within the community.

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Progress

There has been a significant reduction of young people going missing from this home. Staff demonstrated that they were fully aware of the ‘missing from home’ protocol for the area. Staff say that their priority is to ensure that young people are safe and well. The home works closely with the missing from home coordinator of the police and they visit the young person on their return. Young people also have a return interview to see if there are any underlying issues of why they went missing. This ensures that young people are able to express their reasons, that risk assessments are fully updated and that any concerns or issues raised can be fully addressed. In addition to this, the home has made good links with other services that independently address safety issues with young people who have been missing from home. Due to these good procedures, young people who have, in past placements, been of high risk due to the level of missing from homes have

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Progress

Some young people who have refuted all attempts of engaging with education, health professionals and other services before being placed here, now have full attendance at school, are up to date with all health appointments and are engaging with other specialised services. Other young people who have recently been placed at this home, are already completing college courses which will aid them in their future career choices. This shows that the home is proactive in ensuring that young people understand and receive prompt services to meet their needs. Therefore, young people are afforded the same opportunities as their peers, are in good health and are achieving within education.

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Progress

Since the last inspection, the manager has made improvements to the recording systems. There is now a clear audit trail of events and incidents which inform placement plans and relevant documentation. Further to this, there is a new staffing structure in place. This gives staff accountability for shifts, responsibilities in completing roles and aids progression within the company.

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Progress

Staff at this home receive good training opportunities and say they are supported, through regular supervision, appraisals and development opportunities to be able to give good care to young people. Staff are knowledgeable about the homes policies and procedures and demonstrate a sound reporting system for any safeguarding concern. Therefore, young people are protected from the good systems in place and by a staff team that understand their roles and responsibilities in delivering good care to young people.

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Progress

Good monitoring systems review the quality of care and identify areas where outcomes for young people can be improved. Young people are consulted as part of this process. Monitoring of the home is effective and reports of monitoring are completed in a timely manner. Any significant incident is reported promptly to the appropriate person and Ofsted is notified of the incident, the action taken and of the outcome. These systems ensure that Ofsted have a good oversight of the home between inspections.

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Progress

The recommendation issued at the last inspection has been addressed and the home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for young people. As a result, the home is making good progress. No requirements or recommendations have been issued as a result of this visit.

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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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