Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Unique reference number SC457327 Inspector Sarah Canto 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 Sharon Michelle Edney Registered manager Claire Jane Reed Date of last inspection 15/10/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 14/01/2015

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Previous inspection sustained effectiveness 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 make good progress from their starting points because of the quality care given by the well-managed and stable staff team. Young people form good relationships with staff and benefit from structured routines and activities. They are supported to see their families, who staff are in regular communication with. Young people feel safe and cared for and, as a result, have increased self-esteem. Educational attendance and engagement has greatly improved and significant incidents have reduced.

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Overall effectiveness

The manager works hard to ensure young people’s needs are individually met by producing carefully thought out placement plans with clear targets. Carers explain documentation and plans to young people so they are meaningful to them. Young people plan and contribute to reviews, other meetings and generally to the running of the house, which is well-maintained and welcoming.

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Overall effectiveness

A recommendation made at the last inspection has been met. Should agency staff be employed, a safe recruitment procedure now exists for their recruitment; however, agency staff have not been used since the last inspection. A requirement has been made from this inspection to ensure young people have access to a phone at all times in case a private call needs to be made. A recommendation has been made to organise specialist training and consultation to meet all young people’s 3 of 10 needs.

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Overall effectiveness

Professionals describe the team as ‘really caring’, and are very pleased with the progress made by young people. They highlight the positive working relationships and communication the manager and staff have with other agencies. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private national service provider and is registered to care for up to three young people of either gender, who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/10/2014 Interim sustained effectiveness 18/10/2013 Interim inadequate progress 16/07/2013 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 children accommodated in the home are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home - a telephone on which to make and receive calls in private. (Regulation 15 (4) (a)) 18/02/2015

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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 staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the 5 of 10 children and purpose of the setting. (NMS 18.1) 6 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people have made good progress from their starting points. Relationships with staff are positive and meaningful. Young people feel cared for, and as a result, want to stay in the home when they have persistently absconded from other homes. Young people see their family regularly and staff encourage and facilitate family contact. Some young people have improved family relationships and are supported to understand their unique backgrounds.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people receive necessary health care and support. Health care needs are now met when previously this has not been the case. For example, when young people have been nervous about dental treatment, staff have worked hard to prepare them for appointments in advance and they meet with health care professionals to consider best approaches. Such preparation has resulted in young people accessing services they previously have not been able to and treatment is consequently successful.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Risk taking behaviours have decreased significantly. Although still occurring, young people have the confidence to confide in staff and seek professional support, aiding reduction in such behaviours. Young people receive counselling to discuss important issues in their lives. This support has resulted in young people feeling calmer and less stressed. When facing challenges, young people are learning strategies to cope with these. When offending occurs, the manager and team support young people to ensure they receive the necessary help to reduce the likelihood of this in the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Educational attendance is excellent. Young people engage and respond to creative approaches towards education which take place in a variety of educational establishments. Some young people, before coming to the home, attended education sporadically and encountered difficulties. Young people’s commitment and staff’s hands on support has increased attendance. In turn, young people’s grades have improved and they are helped to reach their full potential.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Plans are starting to form for young people’s long term futures and the manager of the home advocates for young people to support clarity for their future care. Young people respond to well thought out semi-independence training within the home.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

One young person said ‘they care about me and they don’t give up on me, and that’s why I stay’.

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Quality of care good

7 of 10 Staff enjoy looking after the young people in the home and encourage progress in all areas of their lives. Young people benefit from caring relationships with staff and this encourages positive interactions. Young people feel valued as the manager and staff consult with them over a variety of different aspects of the running of the home. This includes personalising of bedrooms, activity planning, menu planning and day to day running of the home. House meetings for young people occur regularly, cover a wide range of topics and are recorded well.

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Quality of care good

Staff take care to ensure that young people understand how the home is run and that they are prepared for different activities. Young people enjoy varied activities and staff encourage young people to try different experiences in addition to their own interests. This can range from writing stories, playing games or paintballing. Staff carefully think about young people’s individual learning styles when constructing weekly planners and rotas. Visual prompts of photographs and drawings are used which are relevant and age appropriate. Young people can see at a glance who will be caring for them and when, by referring to their copy of the staff rota with photographs.

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Quality of care good

The manager takes care to ensure that documents about young people are meaningful for young people. Young people are involved in constructing their own placement plans which are user friendly and have young people’s own contributions. The manager personally writes to each young person after specific incidents that have occurred. The letters re-cap discussions and give positive messages, clarifying any resulting positive or negative consequences and the reasons why. This process helps young people to reflect on what has happened and reinforces understanding and learning.

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Quality of care good

Each young person has a memory book which contains photos, comments, descriptions of activities or events. They also have a compliments book which carers enter into positive and encouraging messages daily. Young people value these books. Those that have left the home have informed the manager that they refer to these books for comfort and to help them remember their time in the home.

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Quality of care good

Staff encourage diversity and equality. Young people enjoy cultural evenings with staff and learn about customs, food and religions. Much information is available to young people.

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Quality of care good

Young people are encouraged to make complaints and feedback and have all the information to enable them to do so. If young people complain about aspects of the home, the manager responds appropriately and young people are satisfied with the outcome.

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Quality of care good

Young people currently have mobile phones which staff ensure are in credit so private calls can be made if needed. When young people do not have access to their mobile phones, a landline is available for young people to use if they request this from the staff. Therefore there is not a fail-safe method to ensure young people can 8 of 10 make private calls.

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Quality of care good

Staff say ‘I really enjoy working here, I can ask lots of questions and benefit from the experienced staff team.’

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people feel safe in this home. There have been no allegations in relation to the care given in the home. A preventative approach is taken in relation to issues such as bullying, which are openly discussed during well attended house meetings.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

All staff receive physical intervention training. However, physical intervention with young people is hardly ever used in this home due to the emphasis staff place upon using de-escalation techniques and positive communication with young people. Consequences for behaviours comprise of specific praise for young people and staff also use a restorative justice approach where possible. As a result, young people have become calmer since coming to live in this home.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Positive behavioural management plans and risk assessments highlight risks and corresponding strategies to deal with these. Some young people have a history of absconding prior to coming to live in this home. Such absconding has significantly reduced for young people, only two occasions in the last three months, when previously this was a regular occurrence. When young people go missing, staff follow a robust missing procedure and do their upmost to ensure young people are safe, both during the absconding and after.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The organisation and manager ensure that all staff who work in the home are recruited safely to ensure they are suitable to work with young people.

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Leadership and management good

The experienced and qualified registered manager is highly thought of by staff, who say ‘I feel very supported by my manager, who is firm but fair and is focused on young people’s interests’. Staff receive regular supervision in accordance with the organisation’s policy; evidence of performance management and personal development is recorded fully.

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Leadership and management good

Young people have regular care plan reviews and social work visits. The home’s records for young people are clear and up to date, allowing professionals and young people to understand why decisions are made. The manager and staff communicate with all relevant professionals. When plans are not kept up to date by other professionals, the manager pursues these to obtain clarity for young people’s futures. Professionals reported they find it helpful that the manager and carers question 9 of 10 information and check that planning for young people is on track.

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Leadership and management good

The home is well maintained and clean. There has been recent refurbishment of a high standard to the kitchen and bathroom. The manager responds to action plans in internal monitoring reports, provided by the independent visitor, which increase standards in the home. The manager’s development plan is detailed and sits alongside the regular monitoring reports undertaken by the manager report which measures the impact of the home on young people’s care.

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Leadership and management good

Agency staff have not been used since the last inspection as a core and stable staff team exists. Should it be necessary to use agency staff, a system is in place which ensures that the manager personally verifies all necessary employment checks. The manager has organised some bespoke training to assist carers in looking after young people’s specialist needs. The team require further specialist training and consultation to enable young people to be supported to live independent lives and reach their full potential. 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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