Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Rochdale

Unique reference number SC456543 Inspector Janine Shortman-Thomas 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 Michael Ore Registered manager Rachel Grima Date of last inspection 12/06/2014 2 of 7 Inspection date 25/03/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action taken 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 declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

The home has failed to address two of the five recommendations raised at the last inspection. Young people’s records are still incomplete. No effective action has been taken to acquire the minutes from looked after children reviews and outcomes of statutory health care plans. No action has been taken to improve young peoples’ participation in the compilation of the risk assessments and risk management plans. Young people still do not sign these documents to confirm they understand the expectations and risk management strategies used by staff. This means that young people are not aware of how staff will help them manage their known and emerging risks and vulnerabilities.

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This inspection

Suitable action has been taken to address three recommendations from the previous inspection. These relate to incorporating the impact of therapeutic intervention into placement planning, supporting positive and appropriate social and sexual relationships, and insuring the written record is kept within the home highlighting when supervision has been undertaken.

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This inspection

Young peoples’ known risks are not effectively managed. Areas of risk are identified in young people’s risk assessment. However, these documents do not make clear for staff how these risks are to be effectively managed in order to keep young people safe. For example, there are no written management strategies in place for young peoples’ management of smoking materials, including how staff should respond in the event of young people refusing to hand these in. This means that expectations are not clear for young people or staff and that there is a potential for their physical safety to be compromised.

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This inspection

Young people who are known to engage in risk taking behaviours, such as cannabis use are not appropriately supported to address their behaviours effectively. There 3 of 7 are no clear strategies for challenging this behaviour when young people are suspected of smoking cannabis within the grounds of the home. For example, during the inspection one young person was in the back garden with his friends when the inspector noticed a strong smell of cannabis. The inspector raised this concern with the manager who simply advised the young people to leave the grounds. As a consequence young peoples’ risk taking behaviours are not sufficiently challenged and their physical health and well-being is compromised.

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This inspection

Young peoples’ diagnosed health conditions are not being fully considered upon their recent admission into the home. One young person was recently admitted to the home with a diagnosed medical condition which required prescribed medication. The manager has not taken any action to ensure a stock of this medication is acquired and stored in the home. This means young peoples’ known health needs are not being adequately addressed.

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This inspection

Quality of care is routinely reviewed as part of the managers monitoring processes. These systems are complemented by monthly regulation 33 monitoring visits. These visits have been undertaken by managers who are employed by the provider and do not fulfil the regulatory requirement to be independent. This means there is no independent oversight to provide external scrutiny and challenge to the provider. Consequently, shortfalls and areas of concerns are not being highlighted to safeguard young people and to develop the service further.

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This inspection

One young person who lived in the home for two years has left the home since the last inspection. They benefited from a stable and consistent staff team who provided a high standard of care. Staff speak fondly of their work they undertook alongside the young person. Despite the challenges they faced in managing an increase in the young person’s risk taking behaviour, staff and the Registered Manager remained committed to working with them. Collaborative working with partner agencies such as the Police, Ambulance, specialist drug and alcohol teams, parents and placing authorities assisted in a reduction in these risk taking behaviours for this young person. This ensured placement stability was maintained and this young person kept safe. The allocated social worker wrote, ‘Thank you for all your hard work. (Name) has been given a period of stability for the first time in his life. (Name) has reached

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This inspection

Young people benefit from the support the home provides to help them successfully re-engage with the in house education programme. As such young people are beginning to make some progress in their education from their starting points on arrival. Staff promote and support young people's learning, participate in regular meetings, and maintain daily contact with the education providers which is provided within the home. As such, staff have a good understanding of young people's progress, the challenges they face and how they can be further supported to achieve.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager, who manages this and two other homes, is completing the 4 of 7 required National Vocation Qualification. She is supported by a first line manager and three team leaders. Reporting and recording is good. Processes for undertaking any investigations are robust and transparent and investigations into allegations against staff are handled fairly and quickly in a way that supports all involved. There have been two complaints since the last inspection. The Registered Manager has managed these effectively in line with procedures and, where necessary, informed partner agencies such as the Local Area Designated Officer, Ofsted, and the placing authority.

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This inspection

Young people continue to live in a home which is maintained to an acceptable standard. A further period of redecoration is underway to ensure young people’s bedrooms are personalised to their own taste and likes.

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This inspection

In order to promote the welfare and progress of young people three requirements and three recommendations have been raised to improve outcomes for young people. These relate to risk management plans; medication arrangements; regulation 33 visits; behaviour management plans and how young peoples’ views are included within these and maintaining full records. 5 of 7

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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

12/06/2014 Full good 19/11/2013 Interim satisfactory progress 07/08/2013 Full adequate

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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 the children home is conducted as to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there, specifically ensuring and individual risk management plans clearly identify any known risks and how these will be consistently managed by the staff team (Regulation 11(1)(a)) 24/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that suitable arrangements for recording, handling, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of any medicine received into the children’s home, in particular the registered person shall ensure any medicine which is prescribed for a child is available within the home to be administered as prescribed (Regulation 21 (1)(2)(b)) 24/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the registered provider shall appoint, at the registered providers expense, an independent person to visit and report on the children’s home in 24/04/2015 6 of 7 accordance with this regulation. (Regulation 33 (1))

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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 when the choices a child makes are poor or the risks unacceptable, it is the responsibility of children’s home staff to assist them to understand and manage their own behaviour differently; with specific regard to obtaining their participation in the compilation of their risk assessments and risk management plans (volume 5 guidance, para 2.62)  ensure that there is an environment and culture, to promote models and support positive behaviour that all staff understand and implement, specifically in regards to addressing risk taking behaviours such as smoking cannabis (NMS 3.2)  work with the responsible authority to ensure effective and timely sharing of records and documents held by the responsible authority, with specific regard to obtaining minutes of looked after reviews and outcomes of statutory health care assessments. (NMS 22.7) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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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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