Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Middlesbrough

Unique reference number SC454266 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 David Thomas Lambert Date of last inspection 13/01/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 18/03/2015

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Previous inspection good progress 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

Since the last inspection, outcomes for young people have improved. All are engaged in education, with increased levels of attendance and attainment. One young person has taken a GCSE a year early, and achieved a good grade. Another said, ‘I like school, I didn’t used to go much but being here has helped me to attend regularly.’ Young people are in good health, helped by the evident promotion of healthy living within the home. They understand what they need to do to maintain and improve their well-being, such as attending health appointments, eating healthily, and taking exercise. During the inspection, one young person made the inspector a very tasty fresh fruit smoothie. Another demonstrated their ability at doing press-ups. Other young people have made a significant reduction in their use of substances. This has contributed not only to their overall health but also their engagement in education.

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This inspection

Young people are developing a better awareness of potential risks to their safety. The frequency of missing from home episodes has reduced. Young people confirm that they feel safe inside the home and in the community. Staff are very vigilant in respect of young people’s safety. They acted very promptly in response to one particular threat to a young person as a result of social media use. In liaison with the police and other agencies, staff ensured that any danger was averted. They also work with the young people to help them become more confident and knowledgeable in keeping themselves safe. One young person said, ‘I know how to avoid dangerous situations when I’m using my phone, Facebook and stuff.’

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This inspection

In general, young people get on with each other and staff. One said, ‘I like all the staff and the other young people. It feels like a normal home.’ Incidents of challenging behaviour have reduced, with few sanctions and fewer physical restraints. There have been some incidents where young people have lost their 3 of 5 temper and caused serious damage to the home. Staff have managed these using a restorative approach, requiring the young person to undertake reparation, alongside appropriate sanctions. This strategy has proved extremely effective, resulting in a reduction in such behaviour. Other work with young people aims to prevent such incidents arising at all, by showing them better ways of managing their emotions. One young person said, ‘I have learnt to breathe properly when I’m feeling stressed, this helps me to calm down.’

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This inspection

Young people’s care plans are comprehensive and updated on a regular basis. Staff support young people in their looked after reviews and use key worker sessions to ensure that they understand the plan for their future. There is evidence of wider consultation with young people in day-to-day living, from menus to leisure activities. One young person commented, ‘We choose what activities we do, not staff.’ During the inspection, there was discussion between staff and young people about plans for the summer holiday, a camping trip emerging as the preferred option.

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This inspection

The home is well organised and managed. The Registered Manager has addressed in full the two recommendations made at the previous inspection. The windows in the bathroom have been modified to provide a greater feeling of privacy for young people. In addition, staff have received a training session in supervising contact between young people and family members. One member of staff said, ‘I found this really helpful. It gives staff a consistent template to use in feeding back observations to social workers, as well as making us more aware of what to look for when monitoring the interactions between young people and their family.’

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This inspection

External monitoring of the home is thorough, identifying shortfalls in practice. However, due to an administrative oversight the reports for several recent visits have not been submitted to Ofsted within the required timescale. This reduces the effectiveness of scrutiny by the regulator. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered with Ofsted to provide care and accommodation for a maximum of four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private limited company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/01/2014 Interim good progress 21/11/2013 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) supply a copy of the written report on the conduct of the home made under paragraph (4)(c) to HMCI. (Regulation 33 (5(a)) 31/03/2015 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Reg. Requirement Due date

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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