Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Unique reference number SC456477 Inspector Jacqueline Malcolm Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

p.1

Registered person Cambian 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 Sharon Michaela Robson Date of last inspection 05/02/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 23/10/2014

p.1

Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

p.2

Overall effectiveness good

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

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Overall, this is a good home with outstanding features. Young people benefit from excellent quality of care in a nurturing and child-friendly environment. This provides young people with a safe base in which to start making sense of their histories and thrive from their starting points. Relationships between staff and young people are good. This helps young people to engage in their high quality placement plans, thus maximising their outcomes and reducing known risks.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

The highly skilled, competent and stable staff team are familiar with young people’s individual personalities and traits and they implement effective routines and boundaries. This promotes young people’s safety and welfare and improves some challenging behaviours over time. Professionals express satisfaction with the placements and raise no concerns about young people’s care and welfare.

p.2

Overall effectiveness

Leadership and management of the service are outstanding. The Registered Manager is aspirational for all young people to succeed and her high standards are adopted by the staff team. The manager has an excellent insight into the services delivered. She makes effective use of the robust monitoring systems in place. This ensures that her high expectations continue to drive forward improvement and make a positive difference to young people’s lives. 3 of 10 Three recommendations have been raised as a result of this inspection. These relate to documents in relation to allegations against staff, restraints and the safe care policy. These shortfalls do not impact negatively on young people's outcomes. 4 of 10

p.2

Information about this children’s home

This children's home is operated by a national company which provides residential care and educational services to young people. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.4

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2014 Interim good progress 25/07/2013 Full good

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

p.4

Recommendations

 actively promote the welfare of children in the home; specifically review the safe care policy to ensure compatibility with the agreed practice (NMS 4.2)  ensure a clear and comprehensive summary of any allegations made against a particular member of staff, including details of how the allegation was followed up and resolved, a record of any action taken and the decisions reached, is kept on the person's confidential file and a copy is provided to the person as soon as the investigation is concluded. The information is retained on the confidential file, even after someone leaves the organisation, until the person reaches normal retirement age, or for ten years if this is longer (NMS 20.7)  ensure the adequacy of record keeping; specifically ensure that all records made in the restraint book are securely maintained (NMS 22.1) 5 of 10

p.4

Outcomes for children and young people good

Good progress has been made by all of the young people who live at this home. Young people are making sense of their histories at a sensitive and realistic pace. This helps them to understand their future plans within the safety of their good relationships with staff. This develops young people’s self-confidence and emotional resilience over time. Young people's good involvement in their care and daily running of the home values and respects them and keeps them central to decision making at the home.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people benefit from good health. Their registration with primary health professionals ensures their attendance and treatment at routine health visits. Specialist health professionals support their psychological health needs as identified in their robust health plans. Young people enjoy a healthy lifestyle. For example, they engage in lots of activities and consume a healthy balanced diet. Their involvement in sporting activities keeps them fit and healthy, which makes them feel good.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people's exceptionally good engagement with their educational programmes stimulates their progressively good attainment levels. They are responsive to staff who actively ask about their school day and help them with their homework to improve their learning and skills. This challenges young people, improves their confidence and raises their aspirations. Out of school activities are thoroughly enjoyed by young people, that provides them with new and exciting experiences in the home, community and further afield. For example, young people are out fishing in the local area, involved in outdoor pursuits, trips away and camping holidays. Young people's in house activities, such as watching DVD's and playing games on the X-Box keep them entertained and occupied. Their involvement in theme nights raises young people's awareness about diversity and difference. Young people are making a positive contribution in the community, such as sponsoring a dog and visiting them.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people good

This gives young people a positive sense of responsibility.

p.5

Outcomes for children and young people good

Although young people have not reached the age for formal leaving care plans to be instigated, their good independence skills enable them to do more for themselves. For example, some young people are making their own way to school on public transport, helping out in the kitchen and taking care of their personal space. This enhances young people's confidence in their abilities. Young people benefit from positive contact with their families. Friends are made welcome to the home and young people are supported to ensure their contact is positive and meaningful. This helps young people maintain their sense of belonging and develops their relationships with family members, relatives and friends. 6 of 10

p.5

Quality of care outstanding

All young people without exception are cared for by a motivated staff team who have high aspirations for them. The care and commitment shown towards young people clearly demonstrates their steely determination to maximise their potential through high quality care planning. Young people experience unconditional, nurturing and genuine affection from staff. This promotes trust and improves young people’s sense of well-being. Relationships between the young people can be temperamental at times, but staff help them to learn to live as harmoniously as possible together. The positive outcomes arising from these interventions are making a significant difference to young people’s lives.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

One of the major strengths of the home is the attention paid to the voice of the child. Young people are given the authority to express their views and make choices about their life decisions and how the home is run. Young people are consulted through a range of different means. For example, regular key work sessions, young people's get together meetings, consultations from the Regulation 33 visitor and young people’s involvement in their reviews. Young people's views have informed their placement plans, choice of decoration in the home, activities and meals. Young people are also included when a new young person is introduced to the home. This values young people, makes them feel listened to and enhances their confidence.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

No complaints have been made by young people, but they know how to use the complaints procedure if they are unhappy about any aspect of their care. The manager has thoroughly addressed some neighbourhood complaints to their outcomes. The lessons learned from these complaints have been used by way of reparative work with the young people. This helps young people develop socially acceptable behaviours in the neighbourhood and reduces conflict in the local area.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit significantly from the positive working relationships forged between the home, education, health and other professionals. This supports young people to promptly access services so they are not placed at a disadvantage in relation to their peers. For example, challenging barriers to education to ensure that young people attend an appropriate educational placement without undue delay. Young people’s access to health services ensures their good holistic health and well- being. For example, the organisations psychological service ensures that young people’s health needs are well met and the support received by staff helps them to manage some young people’s diverse and complex behaviours. Effective links with the looked after nurse addresses emerging concerns quickly addressed. This counters any issues that may impact on young people's health and well-being.

p.6

Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from life in a secure, warm home environment that is well located close to the beach. This exposes young people to fresh air and constructively engages them in community life. Recent improvements to upgrade the home have involved young people choosing the décor. New carpets improve the overall appearance of the home and shows positive use of resources that invests in the 7 of 10 young people who live there.

p.6

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people’ safety is treated as a high priority at this home and their protection is embedded in the homes ethos and values. Staff understand young people’s vulnerabilities arising from their young age and complex histories. This is enhanced by their safeguarding training that helps them to spot any signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect. A member of staff described this training as being 'brilliant'. Staff members’ understanding of the role of the local authority designated officer (LADO) ensures they understand their responsibilities in the event of a safeguarding concern. Staff take prompt action to minimise the risks to young people’s safety. Strong risk management plans and interventions from other professionals have reduced young people’s risk taking behaviours. These measures keep young people safe. Young people are helped to understand how to protect themselves and they are developing a sense of safety in the home. Professionals express no concerns about young

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are adept at comforting young people in distress and they show appropriate affection towards them, which promotes warmth and trust. However, the related safe care policy states that touch with young people should be limited touch or no contact. The provider has undertaken to review this policy to provide clarity of information for staff which should ensure everyone's protection.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Allegations that young people make against staff are taken seriously. This includes a repeated allegation raised by a young person at the time of the inspection. An audit of actions taken by the home supports how these matters are dealt with. However, a comprehensive summary of allegations has not been completed and so the benefits of considering the findings of an overview of how issues are responded to and dealt with are missed.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Bullying is taken very seriously. This is demonstrated by the extensive work that young people have engaged in with staff with to understand bullying and counter such behaviour. Young people are protected by the prompt action taken by staff if bullying is detected. This has gone some way to minimising the risk of bullying and helps young people feel safe in their own home.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people’s complex and at times, highly challenging behaviours are well managed within clear routines and boundaries. This is mainly due to the positive relationships between young people and staff. Young people respond well to positive rewards. Physical intervention is used to keep young people or others safe or prevent serious damage to property. Records are clear but some loose paper in the restraint 8 of 10 book may compromise the integrity of the document. Effective, proactive and positive strategies help young people to regulate their own behaviours. They are supported and encouraged by staff to behave in a socially acceptable manner, which should keep them in good stead as they get older.

p.7

Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff make excellent use of their relationships with the police who are regular visitors to the home. This enables young people to observe the positive face of the police and reinforces the positive adult role models around them. Some young people have accessed sporting activities through their contact with the police. This has potentially diverted them from the criminal justice system.

p.8

Keeping children and young people safe good

Missing from care incidents have reduced. This is testament to the proactive action taken by the staff team and other professionals to ensure their involvement in other distractions deter this behaviour.

p.8

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people benefit from good, robust staff recruitment and vetting procedures. These ensure that only suitable people are employed to care for young people at this home.

p.8

Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people live in a home that provides a safe and secure environment. For instance, good systems identify and minimise any risks or hazards to individual’s health and safety. Fire drills that staff and young people partake in keeps everyone safe from the risk of fire. Good contacts with the fire service ensure preventative work is undertaken to stamp out fire starting behaviour before it escalates.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

Young people benefit immensely from living in an exceptionally well-managed children’s home. The Registered Manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2010. She has the relevant experience and management qualifications to manage the home. She is aspirational for the young people and has an excellent understanding of their needs and oversees and delivers high quality care with accountability. A young person said that they think the manager is good, that she talks to them and listens to what they have to say. A competent and experienced senior team supports the manager, which also ensures the smooth running of the home in the manager’s absence. Staff understand their roles and responsibilities. They are valued and empowered by the manager to carry out their role with confidence and flair. This ensures their effective work as a team, which improves high expectations about sustaining improvement.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

The manager is acutely aware about the homes strengths and promptly deals with any identified weaknesses through a range of rigorous monitoring systems. This includes the regularly reviewed development plan that drives forward improvement in the home. Strong and effective internal and external monitoring systems clearly show the difference that living in the home makes to young people’s lives. This includes 9 of 10 the appropriate arrangements for consulting with young people and stakeholders about their view of the home.

p.8

Leadership and management outstanding

Young people are cared for by a strong and skilled staff team. The team is highly motivated and sufficient in numbers to ensure young people get the individual support they need. Staff are well supported and trained. This includes newly appointed staff who have commenced their induction training and they are acclimatising into the team dynamics. They receive good support from the management team, such as regular and meaningful supervision. This helps staff to reflect on their practice, obtain sufficient guidance and development opportunities to provide a high quality service to young people.

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

Regular staff meetings and good handovers between shifts promotes effective communication within the staff team. This keeps staff updated with young people’s changing needs and situations.

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

One recommendation made at the last inspection has been addressed. This was in relation to ensuring the security of the bound and numbered book used to record measures of control. A new book has since been introduced in response to this issue.

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

The home has an informative Statement of Purpose and parents’ guide that provides clear information about the services that young people can expect to receive. The children’s guide provides excellent information in a child friendly format that is accessible to young people. The document informs young people about the complaints procedure and comprehensively describes the role of the regulator, Ofsted.

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

Significant events relating to the protection of the young people are appropriately notified. Exceptionally good records of the care and welfare of young people are kept up to date and are sufficiently detailed. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9

Leadership and management outstanding

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.

p.10

Judgement Description

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

p.10

Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

p.10

Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

p.10

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.

p.10

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.

p.10