Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Unique reference number SC456602 Inspection date 26/03/2014 Inspector Nicholas Murphy Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 10/12/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

The home is run by a private company and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional or 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

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress.

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Progress

The home received a full inspection in December 2103, when it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness. At that inspection one statutory requirement was made, to ensure that full details are entered in the records of disciplinary measures. The home has addressed this, meaning that there is now full accountability for the use of sanctions and physical restraints. Two recommendations were also made. The registered provider has addressed the first, taking action to ensure that future Ofsted survey forms are distributed to young people in good time. The second relates to the Registered Manager’s qualification. The Registered Manager is making good progress towards this but has not yet finished the study programme. As the timescale for completion is December 2014, this recommendation has therefore been repeated.

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Progress

The home is able to demonstrate that, on the whole, outcomes for young people are showing continuing improvement. School attendance is excellent, with young people behaving well in school and on course to achieve good qualifications. Young people are in good health. They are aware of how to keep themselves physically healthy and also take advantage of services which promote their emotional welfare. Young people have made significant progress in sustaining meaningful family contact. They understand their backgrounds and are better able to deal with difficult family relationships.

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Progress

The home keeps young people safe. Most young people do not go missing from the home. When this does happen, the home is very proactive in keeping in touch with the young person. This ensures that, even when a young person is away for extended periods, staff can make a judgement as to whether they are safe. They are then able to decide on the appropriate action to take in conjunction with other agencies. Staff manage behaviour very well. Sanctions are used sparingly and appropriately. Wherever possible, the nature of the sanction is restorative, enabling young people to understand the impact of their behaviour. Restraint is very rare, the good relationships between young people and staff enabling challenging behaviour to be managed effectively. Young people appreciate the quality of care they receive here. One young person said, ‘It’s really nice here. The staff are great, and the rules are fair. There’s nothing I would change about the home.’

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Progress

Young people’s needs are met through the use of comprehensive and detailed placement plans. These are updated frequently, and there is clear evidence of how young people themselves are involved in the care planning process. This includes attendance at their looked after reviews. However, notes of decisions made at reviews are often not recorded within young people’s files. This means that staff cannot be certain that the residential plan for the young person is consistent with the placing authority’s care plan. Staff promote the young people’s independence and encourage them to have a voice. For example, staff have supported young people in accessing advocacy services in order to successfully challenge decisions made by the placing authority. Regular young people’s meetings demonstrate the commitment of the home to listening to, and wherever possible acting on, young people’s views.

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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 the Registered Manager gains a relevant management qualification within three years of their appointment. This means by 15 December 2014 (NMS 14.3)  ensure that the result of all statutory reviews are recorded on the child's file, and individuals responsible for pursuing actions at the home arising from reviews are clearly identified. (NMS 25.8)

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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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