Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Unique reference number SC457573 Inspector Nicholas Murphy Type of inspection Interim 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 Lorna Ann Fearon Registered manager Nicola Jayne Pine Date of last inspection 13/08/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 18/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection there has been no enforcement action since the last inspection

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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This inspection

Young people have made good progress since the last inspection. Several have moved on from the home into other placements. These transitions were planned and well supported by staff, resulting in good outcomes for the young people. Those currently living here are doing well. They are attending education or training or, for those recently admitted, have plans in place to start placements imminently.

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This inspection

Young people like living here. They have very good relationships with staff and with each other. One said, ‘It’s OK here. I like the staff and the rules are mostly fair.’ None of the young people are local to the area, but with the support of staff they are beginning to integrate into the local community. The distance from their home area does not prevent young people having appropriate levels of contact with family and friends. Staff are proactive and creative in making sure that young people can travel safely to see people who are important to them. Sometimes, staff need to supervise contact in order to protect the young person. In response to a recommendation made at the last inspection, staff have now received training in supervising, recording and evaluating contact sessions. This enables staff to ensure that contact is beneficial and rewarding for the young person.

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This inspection

Staff place a high priority on keeping young people safe. They work with placing social workers to review plans to ensure that they respond to the changing needs and circumstances of young people. For example, the length of time that some young people can spend unsupervised in the community has been increased. This gives young people greater responsibility and has resulted in a significant reduction in young people going missing. Local police officers drop into the home regularly and have developed positive relationships with young people as well as staff. One officer said, ‘When a new young person is admitted, we drop by to introduce ourselves, and let them know we work with staff to help keep them safe. This home gives us no 3 of 5 problems at all, they look after the kids well.’

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This inspection

Staff involve young people in everyday decision making. Weekly meetings are attended by all and enable young people to express their views and make choices. Young people have the opportunity to select the colour scheme for their bedrooms. One young person was eagerly anticipating the arrival of a large wall motif of his home town football club which staff had ordered for him. The investment that young people make in the home is reflected in the absence of any deliberate damage to the fabric of the building.

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This inspection

The home is effectively managed. Both internal and external monitoring is detailed, evaluating the progress that young people make and how the home contributes to this. All statutory requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection have been fully addressed. The home notifies the local authority whenever a young person is admitted and discharged. This helps to identify any potential risks either to young people in the home or elsewhere. Staff supervision records are signed by both participants, improving the accountability of the record. Finally, full details of the recruitment and vetting process for new members of staff are kept within the home. This gives assurance that everyone employed is suitable to work with young people. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is run by a private company and provides care and accommodation for up to three young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2014 Full good 17/03/2014 Interim good progress 09/10/2013 Full good Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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