Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Plymouth

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The young person has made sustained and significant progress in this home, particularly emotionally and educationally.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The young person states the home and staff are ‘really good.’ They feel safe, included and play a fundamental part in contributing to the day to day running of the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff use a child centred and individual approach to caring for the young person, with good insight into complex behaviours, assessing and managing risk. This approach has a positive impact on outcomes.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager has a clear focus on what needs to be happen now and in the future for the young person, and how this will be achieved.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff have good communication with family members and external agencies, ensuring a consistent approach to the young person’s care.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff are skilled in managing challenging behaviours and the young person has not been restrained since moving to the home. Police intervention is not common practice and is only used as a last resort. However, while this is the home’s ethos, written policies do not exist to embed this practice.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Some administrative processes are not completed. These include not recording all work carried out with the young person, and lone working and missing protocols are not fully updated. The home computer system cannot receive all reports sent by secure email. Consequently, the home does not have complete records.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children. In particular, monitor and evaluate the quality of record keeping to ensure that it is accurate; specifically, that missing protocols describe all actions that need to be taken, lone working agreements are up to date, key working sessions are fully recorded and link in with current placement plans and the home holds all relevant reports provided by other agencies. (Regulation 45 (2) (c)) 31/07/2105

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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

 The registered person should agree with their local police force, procedures and guidance on police involvement with the home; specifically the manager should provide a written policy for staff guidance in relation to police involvement (Quality Standard 9.40)

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Information about this children's home

 This home may only provide care and accommodation for no more than one child  This home may provide care and accommodation for children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties  This home is operated by a private company

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

29/12/2014 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

p.5

good

Young people make significant progress in this home. Staff care for young people in a way that is uniquely tailored to their needs and they are supported to achieve their full potential in many areas of their lives.

p.5

good

The young person in the home has good relationships with staff and says ‘the staff and the home are good, really good.’ Young people mature in their attitudes and approaches and are supported by staff to share thoughts and ideas. They are enabled by staff to discuss sensitive and important issues openly which promotes their safety and well-being.

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good

Educationally, the young person has made significant progress since coming to live in this home. Having previously been home tutored, they are now receiving full time education in a school environment, with 100% attendance, engaging in a full range of activities and taking examinations. Such progress is described by a social worker as ‘unthinkable a year ago.’ Staff support the young person to explore a variety of different educational options which suit their style of learning, while communicating regularly with parents and all relevant professionals. Plans are in place for the next educational year and the young person is inspired to now look forward to their educational futures.

p.5

good

The home’s approach to managing challenging behaviour has resulted in the young person becoming more confident and caring about themselves. The manager and staff thoughtfully educate young people to try to manage their feelings and behaviours safely. This approach is supported by therapeutic sessions with CAMHS (Children and Mental Health Services) which are carried out in the home so it is more comfortable for the young person. Good communication between young people, staff and CAMHS exists via verbal discussions and written feedback. Communication styles used by staff are discussed with CAMHS so that they complement young people’s diagnoses and treatment. As such, the potential for incidents of aggression and violence are minimised.

p.5

good

The young person feels part of the home and how it runs. They talk about what ‘we’ in the home do. Parents state they feel confident that the young person is included and valued. Staff who are new to the home are encouraged by the contributions made by the young person to the running of the home and say ‘the young person is included in the daily activities plans, cooking, shopping and part of the home, there is no us and them.’ In turn, the young person is developing independence skills which helps prepare them for the future and the transition period over the next two to three years. Weekly, well documented resident meeting demonstrate how staff and the young person get together and discuss particular issues as well as menu planning and activities for the week. Young people are encouraged how to share their views about their care and raise any issues that concern them. A book entitled ‘Your say is important to us’ is used by

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good

young people and the manager responds in this book.

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good

Socially, young people are encouraged by the manager and staff to take part in a number of activities and clubs such as music nights, Duke of Edinburgh and any activity that young people are inspired by. Day to day activities also include swimming, drives and walking on the beach. Staff compile memory books for the young person to keep when they leave which records messages and reminders of time lived in the home, whether these are significant events, or just ordinary, every-day experiences. The young person also has a photo album/scrap book which again enables young people to recall events at the home they have enjoyed.

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good

The young person sees their family regularly. A parent said ‘the young person is a priority’ and described how the staff enable them to have a ‘normal parent child relationship’ due to the excellent communication, flexibility and belief in supporting family contact. The young person benefits greatly from this and as a result feels more secure.

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good

Frequency of absconding has reduced significantly over the last year. While missing episodes are not for long periods, staff concern remains high and their responses reflect this concern. Staff know what to do and consult with their on-call managers who have comprehensive profiles of young people which ensure a personal response.

p.7

good

The written missing guidance for staff in the home is not comprehensive. Therefore the potential exists for confusion when searching for young people without this guidance covering all possibilities. The manager works in partnership with the police and agencies that provide an independent visiting service when young people go missing. The young person feels confident to take up the offer of an independent visitor when they return. This intervention helps professionals and the staff in the home understand the reasons why absconding occurs, and put in place support needed to prevent it happening in the future. The home records do not contain all of the visitor reports due to a secure system to send electronic information securely not being in place and an alternative solution not being found.

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good

Young people receive good support on how to make positive relationships and use the internet safely. Staff spend individual time with the young person discussing this and young people also receive specialist help from other relevant agencies.

p.7

good

The young person has not been restrained in this home because staff employ a variety of approaches to de-escalate behaviours which is in line with a psychologist’s advice. Staff recognise positive behaviour and rewards are innovative and motivational; they include praise as well as incentives which recognise the young person’s efforts and achievements.

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good

The police are rarely called on by staff. More recently, when police were called to the home, staff reported a significant incident to the police. Managers and leaders do not have clear written guidance for staff about reporting matters to the police although the manager’s and the company’s view is not to criminalise young people unless under extreme circumstances.

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good

Requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection are met. The home has a system for quality assurance and the manager acts on the resulting action plan. The manager knows the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has an up to date development plan. Communication with the home and other agencies is effective, transparent and is described as ‘very good’ by a social worker. A member of the REACH (Reducing Exploitation and Absence from Care and Home) team views the home as ‘very helpful, organised and on top of things.’

p.7

good

The experienced registered manager is highly skilled in leading the team and enabling staff to care for young people and helping improve outcomes. The manager receives supervision from the company’s in-house psychologist as well as a senior manager which further improves practice. Staff feel supported by their manager, who provides regular supervision, training and addresses performance issues. One staff member described their experience of working in the home as ‘very positive. I feel very supported by the manager.’ Two staff recently left the home which provides a new challenge for the manager to recruit a stable workforce. The young person received support for this transition and was able to mark a dedicated staff member leaving with a special occasion. Lone working strategies are in place, as staff work with young people on a one to one basis. Some of the working practice in relation to lone working has changed but the

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good

written assessments are yet to be updated.

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good

The manager updates placement plans and appraises risk assessments and strategies regularly. Consequently, the young person’s progress is continually reviewed and action plans re-defined accordingly. Placement plan documents do not always link to the work that is carried out by staff and other professionals despite this happening in practice. The individual work carried out with the young person is not recorded as frequently as it happens and this could limit a reflective review on work carried out.

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good

The home is welcoming and clean, personalised and is subject to regular improvements and maintenance.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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