Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Dudley

Unique reference number SC472465 Inspector Rachel Ruth Britten 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 Samantha Millward Registered manager POST VACANT / Caroline Ann Ellis Date of last inspection 26/08/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 20/01/2015

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Previous inspection not judged 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 adequate Leadership and management inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

Two young people were admitted to the home during December 2014 and this is the first inspection since registration where young people have been present. The new manager's application is in progress and she has been in post since October 2014.

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Overall effectiveness

The home provides adequate, individualised care which promotes improved outcomes for young people, particularly with respect to their risk-taking behaviours. Overall, young people have positive views about their care and therapy in the home and their relationships with staff. However, young people are not yet in education or training; are not well engaged in their records; and do not get all opportunities to take up advocacy being offered by their local authority.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are safe and feel safe here. Unsafe behaviour is well managed in the home and there is a significant reduction in young people going missing and/or self- harming. However, a number of records relating to safe care practice require improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

The leadership and management of the home is inadequate because the new manager is not up to date with the children's homes regulations and how they are applied through the organisation's policies and procedures. She has not been able to spend sufficient time in the home with senior staff to gain their confidence. 3 of 10 Numerous delegated management and monitoring tasks are being inadequately performed and dissatisfaction levels amongst the senior team are running high. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large limited company. It provides care for up to five children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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 a copy of these Regulations (and any amendments to them) are kept in the home and made available on request to persons working in the home, children accommodated in the home and their parents (Regulation 35) 21/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall, without delay, notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30(1)) 21/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 24 (5)) 21/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the procedure followed in the event of any allegation of abuse or neglect provides for written records to be kept of the allegation and of the action taken in response (Regulation 16 (2)(d)) 21/02/2015 5 of 10 (2001) maintain the system for monitoring the matters set out in schedule 6 and improving the quality of care at least once in every three months and supply to HMCI a report of any review conducted for this purpose (Regulation 34) 21/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the independent person provides a copy of their written report to HMCI. (Regulation 33 (9)(a)) 21/02/2015

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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 that staff have access to support and advice and are provided with regular supervision by appropriately qualified and experienced staff (NMS 19.4)  ensure that managers and staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities. The level of delegation and responsibility of the manager and staff and the lines of accountability are clearly defined (NMS 21.4)  ensure that there is a system in place to monitor and take action when needed regarding the quality and adequacy of record keeping (NMS 22.1)  ensure that information about children is recorded in a way which will be helpful to them and that they are actively encouraged to read their files, other than confidential or third party information, and to correct errors and add personal statements (NMS 22.5)  ensure that all children have access to appropriate education and training, so that they are supported and enabled to resume full time education

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Recommendations

(NMS 8.8)  ensure that the home only carries out searches of a child's room in accordance with the home's guidance. This specifically relates to recording the details of the search using the home's record form (NMS 3.20)  ensure that children have access to advice, support and advocacy. This particularly relates to utilising offers of advocacy made by placing authorities where children are placed a long way from home. (NMS 1.5) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

In the short time since young people have been placed, they have made some good progress towards improved emotional resilience and a positive self-view. They are able to talk about their plans for the future and what they need to do in order to achieve goals such as moving back to their home areas. Young people are engaging regularly in discussions with the home's assistant psychologist as well as with staff in the home. This is helping them to enjoy improved emotional and psychological health.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people are having some positive engagement with the wider community, for example, through a local youth club. They have also met local police and have enjoyed some trips to local places of interest and leisure facilities, such as bowling, the library and a museum. Young people are focusing on acquiring practical and life skills to prepare them for adulthood and independence. For example, they are taking part in food shopping, cooking, caring for their pets and making the house more homely with wall art and crafts.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people have not yet got full time education provision in place following their moves here; the Christmas holidays; and periods of years without attending school. This is holding back their educational achievement. Nevertheless, young people have appropriate goals for their education related to their interests, capabilities and anxieties. Some of them are attending interviews in regard to educational placements and they are all in adequate daily routines. They sometimes use computers and suitable books responsibly under the supervision of staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people adequate

Young people benefit from appropriate contact with family who are important to them. They are behaving responsibly around this contact and are gaining increasing maturity to understand the emotional complexity of their family relationships. Young people are also participating in their review meetings and in house meetings with increasing appropriateness and confidence. However, they have insufficient involvement in their records and do not have many opportunities to read what is written, reflect on it, and add their comments or make changes. This is a missed opportunity to review and build on the progress they are making here.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people enjoy sound relationships with one another and this is supported well by staff. One young person said in the young people's meeting, 'I'm feeling fine and we're okay with each other.' Staff set consistent and appropriate boundaries, consequences and levels of supervision that are combined with warm, nurturing and 7 of 10 positive approaches. As a result, young people respond positively to the care they receive and a calm atmosphere persists in the home. In addition, the care practice of staff enables the views, wishes and feelings of young people to be taken into account in the running of the home. For example, young people choose the menus during their weekly meeting and are getting help to explore their families' religion and culture within daily living.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people know how to make a complaint and feel able to do so. For example, young people have made complaints about the approach of specific staff and have put forward their ideas about re-naming their meeting to make it sound more grown up than 'children's chat.' However, their complaints and views have not all been taken forward in a timely way. Staff and managers do not always communicate effectively enough to ensure that young people understand what is happening about things that concern them. In addition, there are missed opportunities for some children to receive advocacy and support offered by placing authorities specifically for young people placed a long way from home. This is because a written offer from a placing authority has been filed and overlooked.

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Quality of care adequate

Young people have good access overall to the services and support they need to meet their physical, emotional and psychological health needs. An assistant psychologist works every week in the home and completes both direct and indirect work with young people. Staff and the therapist help young people learn strategies to recognise and deal with threats to their emotional health, such as anger and frustration. For example, young people learn self-soothing strategies, such as winding down with a bubble bath; discussing the 'here and now' of what they observe during a walk in the garden; or taking a few minutes alone. In addition, the arrangements for dealing with medication, first aid, accidents and illness are adequately safe and effective. Progress has also been made to ensure that the home is more appropriately furnished and decorated. This has reduced what was previously a rather institutional feel.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people report that they generally feel safe in the home and outside it. There are good staffing levels and properly selected, vetted staff. Young people know who is on duty. They can identify both from senior and care staff alike, adults who they can talk to if they feel unsafe. They know why the bedroom door alarms are set at night and that the rules about smoking are required. Positive relationships between staff and young people provide the basis for all behaviour management. Sanctions are rarely and proportionately used and there is debrief, discussion, and reflection both amongst staff and with young people. This ensures that young people feel respected and understood.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

Young people have an adequate understanding of their individual risks, such as vulnerability to harm if they are missing, self-harming, and damaging property. They 8 of 10 agree to the measures in place to minimise these risks and are aware of the home's procedure for room searches. However, the record of a logged room search could not be located. This makes it impossible to check if the search was appropriately carried out and acted upon. Nevertheless, young people have not gone missing and there has only been one minor incident of self-harm since young people have been in placement. Young people have also shown maturity and been appropriately praised and rewarded for handing in a workman's knife which they found in the garden. They have also shown that they are able to accept appropriate consequences for unsafe behaviour while out in the car.

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Keeping children and young people safe adequate

There has been no use of physical restraint in the home to date. Staff are trained in physical intervention techniques that offer strategies and skills for de-escalation and they have positively enabled young people to manage their emotions in this way. Similarly, staff are adequately trained about self-harm, safe care practice and child protection. As a result, social workers, police and safeguarding agencies work together with the home to provide adequate protection for young people and staff if there are any allegations. However, records about allegations and significant incidents are located in various different places. This creates potential for necessary actions to be overlooked or momentum lost in following procedures through. The welfare or safety of a young person has not been compromised thus far, but notifications to the regulator, Ofsted, have not been received and monitoring, reflection and learning by management has been poor.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The new manager came into post about six weeks prior to the first young person's admission to the home. Ofsted have recently received the manager's application for registration and a fit person interview was conducted as part of this inspection. The manager has previously managed two children's homes over an 18 month period. She is suitably qualified in both management and child care. However, she has not managed a children's home for approximately four years. She is unfamiliar with children's homes regulations and they are not available in the home. The manager is also unsure of the content of the policies and procedures for the organisation. As a result, numerous regulatory shortfalls exist that relate to effective record keeping and monitoring. The shortfalls do not adversely affect young people's safety or well- being. Nevertheless, they hold back the quality and development of the home and potentially jeopardise safe care provision.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The staff and leadership team works specifically within this home. This provides young people with consistent care and management. However, a number of the team are presently working here while their assigned home is prepared for registration. Over the last few months, relationships between the manager, deputy and some seniors have deteriorated to a stage where whistle-blowing and resignations are taking place. Some senior staff feel poorly led and are not clear about their roles and responsibilities. They feel that the manager has inappropriately delegated 9 of 10 assessment, monitoring and recording tasks, without being confident to complete or check them herself. In addition, some staff have not had regular supervision of a good quality. The manager is aware that difficulties in relationships have escalated. She plans to have more regular staff meetings where positive, supportive language is used and is resuming responsibility for the supervision of all staff. The manager

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Leadership and management inadequate

retains a commitment to meeting the needs of young people and has ensured that the requirements made at the first inspection of the home in August 2014 have been met.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Different preferred ways of recording and lack of understanding of required records are cited as reasons why some records are incomplete or missing. For example, complaints and room searches records are not in the designated file locations. The manager is unclear where measures of control and safeguarding issues are recorded. Risk assessments are incomplete and some care planning documents relate only to young people's previous placements. Central files do not contain examples of the forms to be used or copies of the relevant policy and/or procedure. This hampers everyone in recording effectively. These shortfalls prevent the leadership team from being proactive and well organised. The shortfalls also hamper internal and independent monitoring and review. As a result, managers and staff cannot reliably use records to identify strengths and weaknesses or to underpin consistent, proactive care that maximises young people's engagement.

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Leadership and management inadequate

No three monthly reviews of care have been received by Ofsted since April 2014 and no notifications have been received. The independent monthly visitor's reports are being sent to the organisation's head office, where senior managers review them before forwarding them to Ofsted. This means that they are received over a month after the visit. The regulator's insight into the quality of the home between inspections is therefore also hindered. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management inadequate

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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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