Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Birmingham

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 make good, sustained progress from some difficult starting points.  The registered manager and staff are nurturing.  Relationships between staff and young people are good.  Young people have trusted adults they can talk to and confide in.  The registered manager and staff understand the crucial importance of promoting education and training for young people.  Good and effective relationships exist between the staff and families.  The registered manager and staff advocate strongly on behalf of young people to ensure they receive the services they need.  The home is led by a committed, skilled and experienced registered manager.  Staff members are well supported through good quality supervision processes, training and development.  There are strong and effective multi-agency partnerships with other agencies. This supports keeping young people safe and working towards improved outcomes.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are some shortfalls. The location assessment lacks consultation with other agencies. Additionally, fire extinguishers have been moved and this means fire equipment is not available.

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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 take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 16/10/2015

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46(2)) 16/10/2015

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for young people aged between 11-18 years (11-17 upon admission). Young people referred to the home have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

30/01/2015 CH - Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

08/10/2013 CH - Interim Inadequate progress

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good

Young people benefit from a staff team that invests time in them and maintain high aspirations. As a result, young people’s behaviour quickly improves as they experience stability and consistency of care.

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good

The registered manager and staff understand the importance of educational and vocational achievement. Most young people are in either education or training and maintaining good attendance. It is to their credit they travel, by bus some distance to the education or training provider. They are motivated to achieve their goals and objectives; they enjoy education, training and on target to achieve good outcomes. This results in young people developing improved skills, confidence and self-esteem. For those young people not in training, staff are making exhaustive efforts to resolve this situation. An education professional said, ‘the home are proactive and passionate about young people’s education and understand it makes a difference’.

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good

Young people are engaged with universal health care services. Their general health is carefully monitored through the provision of statutory health assessments, dental and eye care. Staff have clear and effective strategies to improve health outcomes. For example, one young person, prior to being admitted had refused dental care. Through support and reassurance, they are now accessing the dental care they need. Nutritionally balanced diets are encouraged; young people are engaged in meal planning and preparation. This means young people’s health and well-being are of crucial importance to the manager and staff team. Unfortunately, some young people continue to smoke. Advice, guidance and individual work with these young people has been undertaken in efforts to decrease and stop smoking.

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good

The young people are successfully developing independent living skills. Young people are taking responsibility for getting up early in the mornings, keeping appointments and using public transport, cleaning and shopping. Through taking greater levels of responsibility, they have developed confidence in their abilities.

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good

Diversity is valued and encouraged. Young people’s culture, race and ethnicity are respected and nurtured. Celebration of other cultures, including religions and customs are promoted. This ensures there is an ethos of openness, acceptance and appreciation of difference.

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good

Young people are central to their care planning. This includes staff working openly and transparently with them in developing and implementing care plans that reduce risk, manage behaviour and enhance life opportunities.

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good

Keeping young people safe is of paramount importance to the registered manager and staff. Young people feel safe through good consistent care practices. Robust risk assessment and management plans are developed and tailored to the individual needs of the young person. Staff work effectively with other professionals working with the young person. This includes monitoring any changes and reviewing plans regularly. The experienced and knowledgeable leadership team in the home are adept at recognising risk factors. For example, the registered manager pro-actively seeks information regarding young people’s friendships and relationships to ensure risk is minimal.

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good

Signs and indicators of alcohol, drug use and legal highs are well understood by the staff. The young people, to their credit are not using substances or alcohol. Individual work including education about the risks involved in substance misuse takes place in addition to close monitoring and staff vigilance.

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good

Young people go missing from care rarely. There have been two occasions since the last inspection. This signifies a significant reduction in missing from care over the past twelve months. Staff understands the risks to young people from going missing. They carry out individual work and use their relationships to prevent the young people putting themselves at risk. Staff ensure they know where young people are going, who with and set expectations on time expected home.

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good

Expectations of behaviour are well understood by young people. The registered manager and staff have clear and firm boundaries. These are implemented in a nurturing and supportive manner. As a result, there have been no physical interventions for some years. There has been one negative consequence for poor behaviour since the last inspection. Discussion, compromise and negotiation are used to resolve conflict. This means young people learn and develop positive and socially acceptable behaviour. This will prepare them well for leaving care.

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good

Good relationships exist between young people. There are no reported incidents of bullying. The staff understand the damaging impact of bullying and work to improve relationships. Continued monitoring of relationships takes place, any indicators of bullying met by prompt action.

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good

The environment is homely, clean and well furnished. The young people have personalised the home throughout and are proud of their home. In young people’s meetings, they speak about their home, improving decoration and changes they want. A young person also stated in a questionnaire they liked the home because it is not like a children’s home.

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good

Young people are safeguarded by agencies working together in a coordinated and responsive manner. Regular meetings take place, including looked after reviews and planning meetings. These key meetings benefit from comprehensive reports written by the staff. This means professionals are fully informed regarding the young people, enabling effective information sharing and communication.

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good

Young people and the staff team benefit from a qualified registered manager who has been in post since 2012. She has significant experience in residential childcare and holds a Diploma level 5 in leaderships and management.

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good

The registered manager responded promptly to a requirement made at the last interim inspection. She ensured the independent visitor consults with young people during their visits to the home. The manager has ensured a strong quality assurance process is in place. Monitoring reports from the independent visitor and feedback from other organisation provide valuable evaluative information to the manager that drives improvement.

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good

The registered manager understands strengths and weaknesses. She values the staff team, their commitment and devotion to providing the best possible care to young people. Equally, she recognises the staff team are relatively inexperienced and need support to develop skills further.

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good

Potential new staff members undergo a rigorous recruitment process including full employment history, reference and criminal history checks. This process minimises the likelihood of young people being harmed by those charged with their care.

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good

Staff members are accountable in their work with young people. They receive regular oversight of their work through supervision processes. Supervision sessions are guided by a clear and structured agenda that focusses upon the care of young people. This means young people are cared for by a staff team that are well supported and accountable.

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good

The training and development of staff improves services to young people. There is a comprehensive staff-training programme in place, underpinned by effective development and appraisals for staff. This means young people benefit from a well-trained staff group who seek to improve practice. Staff members are mutually respectful of each other and share good practice. Team meetings take place regularly. These provide good opportunities for sharing views and ideas. Action plans emerge from team meetings that are jointly agreed. This ensures good communication across the staff team with coordinated plans.

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good

New young people being admitted to the home are supported by assessments and plans considering the impact upon them and other young people.

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good

The registered manager has not ensured the location assessment is robust. The assessment is lacking consultation with key partner agencies. This means the assessment is without crucial information from agencies such as police and local authority. This hinders the registered manager and staff having access to key information which helps to keep young people safe.

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good

Fire extinguishers have been re-located from positions on fire escape exits to the office and staff room. The registered manager has not sought the advice and guidance from the fire service on moving these extinguishers.

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good

Advocacy for young people is evident. In circumstances where the manager and staff believe the needs of a young person are not being met, they advocate strongly and clearly on behalf of the young person. They will work hard to secure the best possible services and resources to meet the needs identified.

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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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