Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Unique reference number SC456535 Inspector Jackie Line Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Cambian Childcare Limited Registered person address Pinnacle House 2 Oakwood Square, Cheadle Royal Business Park CHEADLE Cheshire SK8 3SB Responsible individual Michael Ore Registered manager Carol Statham Date of last inspection 13/03/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 29/10/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness adequate

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

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Overall effectiveness

Staff ensure young people receive personalised care and provide good role models. This helps young people to develop positive relationships. Young people are involved in the running of the home and this means they influence day to day life. Young people access a range of activities and experiences and as a result, their confidence and self-esteem improves. This is an area of strength.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people feel safe and are happy living in the home. The service has developed close and effective working relationships with parents and professionals. This collaborative approach clearly benefits young people. For example, as a result of working together, missing from home episodes have reduced.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people continue to engage in some risk taking and offending behaviour. This negatively impacts on their health, well-being and outcomes. Staff actively support young people to access help and support. As a result, young people are now involved in services designed to help them address this behaviour, and this is encouraging progress.

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Overall effectiveness

Structures in place in the home do not support consistent levels of engagement in education. Challenges and shortfalls are not sufficiently reviewed and addressed. This has impacted on young people's ability to build on initial improvements and 3 of 11 continue to make progress with their learning.

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Overall effectiveness

Quality assurance monitoring takes place regularly but does not always identify shortfalls in the service. As a result, these processes do not contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the home.

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Overall effectiveness

One requirement and four recommendations have been made following this inspection. This is to ensure the home meets regulation, the effectiveness of the running of the home improves and this impacts positively on outcomes for young people. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately run and is registered for up to one young person with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2014 Interim good progress 11/10/2013 Full good

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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 educational achievement of children accommodated in the children's home is promoted by ensuring that children make the best use of educational facilities, and that the routine of the home is organised so as to further their participation in education (Regulation 18(1)(a)(b)) 05/01/2015

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated (NMS 10.3)  ensure staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the 5 of 11 children and purpose of the setting, specifically in relation to all staff completing drug awareness and attachment training (NMS 18.1)  ensure there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home; specifically in relation to the arrangements for visits by an independent person, ensuring the robustness of monthly monitoring visits and that quality assurance monitoring is evaluated and acted upon to promote continuous improvement and development (NMS 21.1)  ensure there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping and take action when needed, with particular reference to the development plan, keeping memorabilia for children of their time in

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Recommendations

placement and ensuring all records are routinely signed and dated. (NMS 22.1) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are living a considerable distance from their area of origin. Importantly, young people contribute to discussions about the location and frequency of contact. As a result, arrangements are reviewed in line with young people’s wishes and feelings. Staff facilitate contact and offer support to young people. This ensures young people are able to maintain relationships with those important to them, despite the distances involved.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have made progress in the way they view themselves. For example, staff and social workers describe young people as being ‘more mature and grown up’ since coming to live at the home. Consequently, they are able to think about how they want to live their lives, and have aspirations about what job they would like to do in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s attendance at school and engagement in lessons is inconsistent. Young people have progressed from their starting points in that they are attending part-time at a school in conjunction with home learning. However, levels of disruption are high and this is impacting on their learning and ability to make continued progress.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people’s inclusion in community life is promoted by their participation in a number of enjoyable leisure activities that are supported by the staff. For example, young people regularly go skiing and swimming. This provides opportunities for young people to develop new skills and confidence, as well as to discover and nurture new talents. Young people have also established links and friendships in the local community. These influences are not always positive, and have sometimes impacted negatively on young people.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Outcomes for young people are variable. Young people have undoubtedly made some progress since coming to live in the home.They learn that behaviour has consequences, and as a result they are modifying aspects of their behaviour. For example, one young person does not have as many outbursts as he once did, and these are not as extreme. Moreover, young people are better equipped to manage situations when it is not possible to act on their wishes. However, young people engage in some risk taking and offending behaviour, and this impacts on their future social and economic life chances.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people live in an environment where their health needs are largely met. Young people are registered with appropriate health care professionals and attend routine appointments. A range of health information and support is available to help them make informed decisions. However, young people continue to engage in activities 7 of 11 that are detrimental to their health; such as smoking cigarettes and cannabis.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff engage positively with young people. They act as good role models because they interact in a respectful and sensitive manner. This is supporting young people to display less hostility in their own interactions. As a result, young people’s relationships with staff have improved over time.

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Quality of care adequate

Placement plans clearly outline the individual needs of young people. Young people are not routinely involved in contributing to their plans. This is an area already identified for development by the Registered Manager, and is included in the home’s development plan.

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Quality of care adequate

Daily routines and structures are in place. Staff promote models of care and implement support to try and positively engage young people. However, this has achieved limited success. For example, young people do not always respond well to the morning routines in place, and therefore they do not consistently attend school on time. This adversely effects young people’s constructive participation in education and some social settings Moreover, although the home is dually registered as a school, facilities in the designated classroom area are not sufficient to support and promote young people’s learning.

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Quality of care adequate

The home is clean and bright. Young people are benefitting from new bedroom furniture which is of good quality. There are some photographs on display that reflect young people’s experiences and enjoyment in different activities. An absence of pictures and soft furnishings in some areas of the home means that it does not have a homely feel throughout. In addition, matters identified for repair are not addressed quickly. This means that good standards of care are not always maintained in the home.

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Quality of care adequate

Staff are persistent in supporting young people to attend health appointments. This means they have had success with young people accessing health care when required. This improves young people’s health and well-being.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people are consulted and their wishes and feelings are considered. As a result, young people influence certain aspects of the running of the home. For example, they are involved in menu and activity planning. Young people cook a meal for staff once a week and take responsibility for minor household tasks. Young people practice skills, in line with their age and development that supports their preparation for independence. 8 of 11 Staff have developed positive working relationships with partner agencies. Professionals and families report they are happy with the care afforded to young people, and that young people are ‘well looked after.’ They confirm they are usually kept up to date with young people’s progress. This collaborative approach promotes young people’s welfare.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people report they feel safe and ‘can easily talk to staff’. Staff are well trained in safeguarding. Moreover, they understand and are alert to young people’s individual circumstances. Staff know what to do if they are concerned about the safety and well-being of young people, and will take decisive action to protect them. The means the overall arrangements to protect and safeguard young people are good.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people’s individual plans clearly identify any risks they may face, and outline strategies to ensure their welfare is protected. Staff consistently apply these strategies and this helps to keep young people safe. Young people are supported to take risks appropriate to their age and development, enabling them to build resilience and confidence.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Good links with agencies tasked with the role of safeguarding young people are well established. This ensures that incidents are responded to quickly and effectively, and this contributes to keeping young people safe. Professionals are positive about staff at the home. They say they are supportive in helping them engage young people in interventions designed to reduce risk taking behaviour. This is particularly evident in relation to drug use and young people are now actively engaged with support to address this risky behaviour. This helps to safeguard young people, and promotes their welfare.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There is evidence of young people, staff and partner agencies working together to minimise incidents where young people go missing from care. A renegotiation of boundaries means the frequency with which young people go missing has reduced in recent months. A Police and Community Support Officer said: ‘In the past there were lots of reports about young people going missing. A meeting established that free time was too restrictive and this has now been extended. This seems to be working as there are not as many calls now.’ There are systems in place for young people to keep in touch with staff when they are out of the home. On the occasions when young people do go missing, the staff take appropriate action to locate young people and ensure their safe return.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Robust recruitment practice ensures that only suitable people are employed to work with young people. Criminal Records Bureau and reference checks are undertaken before any appointment of staff is made. These are repeated at suitable intervals during their employment and this helps to protect young people. 9 of 11 Young people live in a physically safe environment. They are protected by a range of health and safety procedures, risk assessments and routine fire checks that ensure the premises are safe. Fire drills are undertaken regularly. This means that young people and staff know how to evacuate the home safely in the event of such an emergency.

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Leadership and management adequate

The home benefits from an experienced Registered Manager who has been in post since 2010. She is working towards her management qualification and it is anticipated this will be completed before the end of the year. Staff confirm the manager is approachable, accessible and supportive. The recent appointment of an experienced senior worker to the team is beneficial. She provides additional support to the manager, guidance to the team and to the care of young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff members receive regular supervision and appraisal. Staff who are newly recruited to work at the home say they have had a thorough induction, and records demonstrate there is a review at the end of a probationary period. This means that staff are appropriately supported in their work with young people, and their development is promoted.

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Leadership and management adequate

Records reflect that most staff have completed all mandatory training. The home’s Statement of Purpose states: ‘We have an experienced staff team who are trained in complex trauma and attachment issues.’ However, attachment training is not routinely offered as part of the mandatory training programme, and not all staff are trained in attachment. In addition, some staff have yet to complete training in drug awareness. Therefore, all staff are not equipped with the necessary skills to meet the specific and complex needs of young people living in the home. Furthermore, the home is not acting in accordance with its Statement of Purpose.

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Leadership and management adequate

Young people’s placements are stable and the home has a good record in compliance. No requirements or recommendations had been set at the last inspection. There have been no concerns or complaints raised about the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

Significant events are reviewed by the manager. As a result, incidents are reported consistently to the appropriate authorities in line with regulations. This helps to ensure young people are safeguarded.

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Leadership and management adequate

Internal and external monitoring of the home takes place regularly. However, these processes failed to highlight shortfalls identified in this inspection. Moreover, external monitoring reports contain factual inaccuracies. This undermines the robustness of quality assurance monitoring in the home. The manager has completed a development plan in which she clearly identifies the home’s strengths, as well as areas designed to take the home forward. Actions are not always reviewed and 10 of 11 implemented within timescales set out. These factors have limited progress the home has been able to achieve since the last inspection.

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Leadership and management adequate

Most records pertaining to young people are accurate, although not all are routinely signed and dated. Some improvements are required to ensure memorabilia of a young person’s time in placement is kept in an organised and meaningful manner. Because of changes to the organisation, recording systems and formats are also subject to change. As a result, not all of the home’s records are consistently clear to staff, and this impacts on the smooth running of the home. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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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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