Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in West Northamptonshire

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:

 Young people feel listened to. Although they may not always agree with decisions made about their day-to-day care, the reasons are explained sensitively. Young people have opportunities to negotiate and put their views across regularly.  The manager demonstrates strong leadership and management skills. She is described as a ‘positive force’ by stakeholders. She has improved the functioning of the home and staff morale. As a result, young people make positive progress, are settled and motivated for their future.  There is strong advocacy. Supported by staff and advocacy services, young people have successfully represented their own views about their independence plans or challenged their placing authority in relation to proposed placement moves.  Investment in the development of the staff team ensures they are stable, happy and can see the difference their care is making. Staff feel valued. Research-

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The children's home provision is good because:

based practice is being introduced to help enhance their skills further.  Strong support of young people’s contact arrangments means they have the opportunity to make new links with family members. An independent reviewing officer described staff at the home as going ‘over and above’ in relation to contact arrangements.  The home successfully promotes a homely feel. Young people are central to the functioning of the home. The environment is warm and highly personally decorated, with framed pictures of staff and young people in all communal areas. Fewer doors are locked; young people have free access to communal areas. As a result, they respect their home, do not damage it and are comfortable in their surroundings.  Appropriate challenge of placing authorities where there are shortfalls in practice or performance helps ensure young people receive the care they are entitled to.  There is regular promotion of young people’s independence skills; however,

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The children's home provision is good because:

further focus is needed to ensure they take advantage of every opportunity to enhance these skills such as using public transport.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home. This specifically relates to improved promotion of young people's independence skills. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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Information about this children's home

The home is run by a large private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation to three young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 CH - Interim Sustained Effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

09/12/2013 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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good

A young person said, ‘The home feels welcoming, like a family home.’ Staff and young people have worked hard to achieve this feel. A ‘painting party’ involving staff members and young people has brightened up communal areas; pictures of young people and staff taking part in activities adorn the walls. In the dining room, a large chalk board is colourfully decorated with staff’s, young people’s and visitors’ names. Young people are at the heart of this home. They feel respected, listened to and valued.

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good

Young people are settled. Two have lived in the home for over a year and another for six months. They receive individualised care, and as a result, they have a secure understanding of why they are living in care. They understand the rules of the home, their care plans and what they have to do to achieve their goals, whether this be moving back to their home area or living at the home until they reach adulthood. Young people are secure about their futures because staff patiently and consistently explain how their actions and behaviour can help them achieve their goals.

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good

For all young people, changes in them since coming to live at the home are significant. For one young person, going missing and engaging in risk-taking behaviour in the community have stopped. For others, attendance and achievement at school have increased markedly in comparison to their starting points. Two young people have finished their schooling and have places on college courses for September.

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good

Staff are positive and confident in their roles. They strive to create a nurturing environment and are focused on the individual needs of young people. Staff and the manager are strong advocates; for example, when consideration was being given to moving a young person back to their placing authority area, he was supported in using an advocate and writing a complaint detailing the reasons why he wanted to stay.

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good

Young people’s health, emotional and psychological needs are met. They are registered with local health providers, and staff are persistent in helping them understand the importance of visiting health practitioners such as the dentist.

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good

Young people have access to various activities and are encouraged to integrate in local activities such as a football club, as well as taking part in house activities such as trips to the seaside. A large garden is well used and young people are looking forward to using recently purchased outdoor games over the summer school holidays. Contact with people important to them is well promoted. Staff and young people frequently make long journeys to help ensure they can maintain relationships with friends and family members.

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good

Young people receive support and encouragement as they move towards adulthood and prepare for independent living. They are encouraged to complete independence tasks as part of their weekly planners. This helps them to develop the practical skills to cope when they move on from the home. However, young people would benefit from greater opportunities to practise their independence skills, such as considering using public transport more frequently.

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good

Young people are protected through effective implementation of comprehensive risk management plans. Staff undertake direct work with young people in order to address risky behaviours relating to specific difficulties such as going missing. Any form of risk-taking behaviour is extremely rare. Since the last inspection, episodes of young people being absent or missing from care have decreased and stopped completely. There is a strong professional relationship between the staff, the manager of the home and the local missing from care police. This benefits young people because where there are concerns about them being absent from the home, robust joint working helps young people consider the impact of, and change, their behaviour. They are safer as a result.

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good

Safeguarding systems, including whistleblowing, are robust and well known by staff. Any concerns, which may indicate a young person is at risk of harm, are notified promptly to the appropriate safeguarding agency. One safeguarding referral made since the last inspection did not involve a young person living at the home but a young person unknown to the staff team. This demonstrates the manager is proficient in fulfilling her safeguarding duty by enabling quick and effective investigation into allegations of harm. A proportionate view is taken of young people’s need for restrictive safeguarding measures. For example, for those who are not at risk of going missing at night-time, door alarms are removed from their bedroom doors in consultation with the placing authority. While an alarm at the home’s front door would alert a member of staff to movement at night-time, measures such as this are good practice and make young people feel valued.

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good

Strong relationships between staff and young people help promote a positive atmosphere, meaning they rarely show negative behaviour. As a result, there has been no use of physical intervention since before the last inspection. Positive and negative consequences are used effectively to help young people take pride in their positive behaviour and understand when their behaviour has not been appropriate. Positive relationships between young people means bullying is not reported to be a problem.

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good

The manager has been in post for nine months and her registration with Ofsted has been completed since the last inspection. She holds a Level 5 qualification in the residential care of children and young people and will be undertaking a further Level 5 qualification in leadership and management in a residential environment, in line with regulation, to further enhance her skills.

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good

In the short time the manager has been in post, she has made considerable impact on the functioning of the home for the benefit of staff and young people. Staff have individual professional development plans which are regularly reviewed. They benefit from regular supervision and team meetings. They have high morale and put this down to the changes the new manager has made and the increase in team working. One member of staff said, ‘I feel like I am part of a team. It feels like we are actually achieving something. I’m getting something back from the job and the young people know that too.’ As a result, staff interact in a positive way with young people and each other.

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good

The manager is introducing research-based practice in to the home. While this is not yet fully embedded, staff say that they have already developed a better understanding of how to work with children and young people who are looked after.

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good

Requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection are fully met. The manager has introduced new systems to help ensure the competency of car drivers, and notifications of significant events are received promptly by the regulator. These measures help enhance the safety of young people. In addition, the metal case around the doorbell has been removed, further promoting the homely feel.

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good

A strength of the manager’s practice is her ability to advocate on behalf of young people and challenge other professionals where practice falls short of expectation. For example, where placing authorities are delayed in providing important statutory documentation, the manager has escalated her concerns. This helps ensure young people’s needs are met by the care the home is providing. An education specialist stated, ‘The manager was exceptionally good in representing the needs of a young person at an exclusion meeting.’

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good

Stakeholders and parents consulted during the inspection all gave positive feedback in relation to young people’s progress, staff communication, the positive atmosphere in the home and in particular the positive influence of the registered manager. An education tutor commented in relation to the homely feel of the home and attitude of staff members, ‘What it means for the young people is that we care for the place, we care for ourselves, we care for you. There is pride.’

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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