Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bradford

Unique reference number SC424141 Inspector Michael McCleave MBE Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Advanced Childcare Limited Registered person address Pinnacle House 2 Oakwood Square, Cheadle Royal Business Park CHEADLE Cheshire SK8 3SB Responsible individual Lorna Ann Fearon Registered manager Joanne Siobhan O'Donnell Date of last inspection 11/12/2013 2 of 10 Inspection date 28/05/2014

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are positively supported to achieve good outcomes at this home. They make significant progress in becoming more confident in themselves and learn how to behave in the community. Staff are highly motivated in their work and are always willing to go the extra mile for the young people.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are encouraged to take an active part in the life at the home. Their views are welcomed by staff. There is a listening culture where young people can influence decisions on life at the home. A strong feature are the positive relationships existing between the young people and staff.

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Overall effectiveness

Staff work hard to encourage young people to value their education. All young people are attending school. This is an excellent achievement and compares very well to their low starting points before they moved to this home. A positive partnership has been established between the home and schools. All young people are achieving good outcomes at school within their capabilities. This is something which the staff are very proud of.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe living at this home. A strong link has been established with the local police service. This promotes a better understanding between the police and young people on how to behave within the wider community. None of the 3 of 10 young people are currently involved in offending activities. However, staff do not always follow the home's missing person procedure which reflects local arrangements as an additional step. This requires staff to consult with the local authority designated officer when a trend emerges of a young person going missing. The home is compliant with national guidance.

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Overall effectiveness

The management of the home is sound and staff feel supported and valued by the management team. The office systems are efficient enabling easy access to records. Information about the young people is monitored regularly to ensure a focus on progress against the care plans. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a privately owned children's home which is part of a larger organisation. The home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and/or behavioural problems.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2013 Full good 10/01/2013 Interim good progress 22/05/2012 Full good 14/12/2011 Interim good progress

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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 written records detail the action taken by staff when a child goes missing, in particular, ensuring that the home's missing person policy is follow (NMS 5.10) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people significantly develop their self confidence and belief in their abilities as a result of their experience at this home. They learn how to form meaningful attachments with staff and their peers. They are provided with ongoing support from staff and other professionals such as CAMHS and the looked after nurse to help them with their health and emotional needs. A social worker said, 'I have seen a remarkable change in my young person over the past two years.' For some young people there has been a welcome improvement in the relationships with their families. This increases the likelihood of rehabilitation for the young people with their parents.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The health of young people has improved. There has been a marked reduction in young people experimenting with illegal substances. This promotes their health and increases their chances of a more healthier lifestyle now and in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The educational achievements of young people is a strong feature. All are attending school and their attainments indicate impressive achievements since their move to the home. Some young people are predicted to achieve good exam results. This could open up the opportunity for a higher education course at college. A social worker stated, 'The staff have done wonders in getting my young person to attend school.' A manager said, 'We are proud of the achievements of our young people at school.' It is evident that education is valued and strongly promoted by staff. This enhances their life chances when they leave the home and improves their opportunity for employment.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people continue to make a positive contribution to the life of the home. They actively take part in meetings to discuss a wide range of issues that affect the home. For example, planning holidays, trips out to places of interest, decoration of the home. Staff place great emphasis on encouraging young people to take an ownership in the life of the home. Young people are supported to take responsibility for their own personal care such as personal hygiene, undertaking their laundry needs, keeping their bedrooms tidy and clean, spending their own money. This not only helps to develop their self confidence it additionally gives them ownership of the decisions they make. It also prepares them for making their own decisions as they progress towards independence. This promotes a sense of responsibility among young people.

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Quality of care good

6 of 10 Young people enjoy excellent relationships between each other and with staff. There is a harmonious atmosphere at the home. Although young people will challenge staff over decisions they may not agree with they nevertheless respect staff. The manager made the point, 'I insist that staff tell the young people the truth. Even if it may not be what they want to hear, it is how the information is communicated.' Young people enjoy living at the home and they say that staff genuinely care about their welfare. One young person commented, 'The staff here are ok I think they like me' There is a warm relaxed atmosphere at the home where young people and staff regularly engage in friendly dialogue. A noticeable feature is the open door policy for the office. Young people are trusted to behave appropriately and they have access to staff at all times. The manager said, 'Trust and good humour is essential in our work

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Quality of care good

Young people play a significant role in the day-to-day life at the home. Their views are taken seriously by staff who encourage them to put forward suggestions on how to make the home a better place to live. For example, young people have a say in the planning of trips out to places of interest and activities during weekends and school holidays. This emphasis on young people having a role in decisions encourages and promotes their self confidence. This was demonstrated by staff who said, 'Young people are encouraged to have their say in any aspect of life at this home. We value their contribution' and 'after all this is their house not ours. We only work here, they live here.'

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Quality of care good

Complaints from young people are rare and they are confident in approaching the manager, deputy or other staff if they have any concerns.

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Quality of care good

Care plans give a clear indication as to why each young person is placed at the home. These are supplemented with monthly evaluative summaries provided for social workers outlining the work undertaken and progress against the care plan. Most young people take an active role in reading and agreeing the information.

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Quality of care good

A strong feature at this home is the commitment of staff for the young people to achieve positively at school or college and to have good health. Staff are proactive in advocating on behalf of the young people if required, to ensure they are given every opportunity to do well educationally. Young people benefit from access to a range of health care resources.

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Quality of care good

Young people participate in a wide range of activities. These include, army cadets, swimming, trips to places of interest, cinema and visits to theme parks. These pursuits enable young people to enjoy themselves and to meet other young people from beyond the home.

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Quality of care good

Staff are committed to equality and diversity. They encourage young people to appreciate cultural differences in the wider community. Staff are active in challenging any racist comments from young people and encourage them to appreciate the diverse nature of the local area. The cultural and religious needs of young people are 7 of 10 appropriately met by the home.

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Quality of care good

Staff are strong advocates for young people and challenge barriers to their progress. This is enhanced through the effective relationships established with key statutory services such as health, education and the police. Staff bring about positive outcomes for the young people through their contacts with these services. For example, in setting up education packages for some young people who require more individual educational arrangements. This flexible approach enables young people to have the best possible chances to succeed educationally.

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Quality of care good

The home is located close to public transport thereby enabling young people easy access to the city centre and associated amenities. It is well maintained and furnished throughout. This gives young people a safe and comfortable place to live and to enjoy good quality care.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a safe environment and they are confident that staff will listen if they have any concerns. Bullying for example, is not an issue at the home. This is due to the good relationships established between all the young people. Staff are confident that if any sign of bullying is evident they would deal with this quickly to reduce tensions.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Case records contain good quality risk assessments identifying any safeguarding concerns. These are regularly updated by key workers. The information is clearly set out enabling any member of staff to respond to concerns as these occur. Young people rarely go missing from the home due to the trust and confidence they have in the staff. The company's policy on missing person's is robust. For example, it informs staff that any young person who is listed as missing on more than three occasions within a set period of time, the local authority safeguarding officer is to be informed. However, this policy is not always been adhered to.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Although all staff are trained in behaviour management, they are proud of the fact that restraint is not a common feature at the home. Young people respond positively to staff when issues about their behaviour are raised. This is based on the trust and respect that has been established between staff and young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety of young people is further enhanced with the robust staff recruitment and selection processes in place. This requires a full detailed assessment and checks of all applicants for work. No appointment is confirmed until all checks are completed. These measures promote safety at the home by preventing unsuitable adults from working with young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff have established excellent relationships with the local police service who are 8 of 10 regular visitors to the home. These positive links provide staff with ready access to the police for advice and guidance on any issues of concern. Additionally, police community officers spend time with the young people. This promotes a more positive awareness among the young people of the role of the police.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The building is physically safe and well maintained. All fire safety procedures have been correctly carried out and equipment fully checked by authorised contractors.

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Leadership and management good

The home has a Registered Manager in post who provides strong leadership and direction to the staff. This helps promote an efficient and motivated staff team. The home operates to the aims and objectives identified in the Statement of Purpose. This clearly sets out what the home can offer young people. A child friendly guide to the home has been developed. This is a colourful document that informs young people about life at the home and contains useful information on who young people can contact outside of the home if they have any concerns.

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Leadership and management good

There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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Leadership and management good

The home demonstrates a capacity to improve and this is clearly evident in the much improved school attendance of the young people compared to the last inspection. The manager has organised a staff awareness day. This is to explore more efficient ways of working and to improve the outcomes for young people. In order to enhance the management capabilities of senior staff, the manager has been successful in obtaining company approval for this group to obtain the Diploma at Level 5 in Management. This clearly demonstrates a commitment to management development.

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Leadership and management good

Staff are appropriately supported by management to carry out their complex work with young people. All staff receive formal supervision and appraisal to enhance their knowledge base. The training programme encourages staff to continually develop their professional competences and knowledge. This ensures that young people are cared for by staff who have a sound awareness and understanding of challenging behaviour. The manager and deputy carry out regular monitoring oversight of the quality of work and they provide professional support to staff on a day-to-day basis. This means that managers can take appropriate steps to deal with any shortfalls in professional standards. There is a clear commitment among the management team for continual improvement in service delivery.

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Leadership and management good

Records are appropriately maintained. Information in the young people's case records give a clear account of the progress made since their arrival at the home. Key worker staff complete provider progress reports on the work carried out with the young people. This gives an assessment of how each child is progressing and if any changes in strategy are required to achieve positive outcomes. These records make a positive contribution towards each young person's care programme. 9 of 10 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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