Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

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 are making some good progress in this home. As a result, they begin to make and maintain good relationships with staff.  Staff are regularly completing assessments of the young people using a range of tools available to them. These assessments help the staff to consider how to get the best out of their work with the young people.  Staff comment positively on the quality of training provided. This means that staff who have appropriate skills work with the young people.  Some young people place themselves at risk by being absent from the home. Managers and staff robustly follow the procedures and as a result, young people return quickly to the home.  Young people are not accessing the education services that would help them to achieve their assessed educational goals. Despite the proactive challenge to the placing authority from the manager and staff, young people are missing out on opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 This inspection has highlighted a shortfall in the management of a specific safeguarding incident. This shortfall is in respect of an on call manager not following the safeguarding processes within the provider’s policy and procedure. The on call manager did not discuss the incident with the Local Authority Designated Officer.

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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

In order to meet the protection of children standard the 20/11/2015 registered provider must ensure that staff: (2) (a) (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (vii) are familiar with; and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Ensure that the necessary support is given to children to enable them to access their education. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 28 paragraph 5.13)

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned home is able to provide care and accommodation for up to six young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20/01/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Some young people are making good progress in this home. Staff are working with them to develop positive relationships. For example, a staff member travelled some distance to help the transition into the home for one young person who was anxious. The staff member’s careful, honest and caring approach helped the move and gave the young person an immediate link to build their relationship with other staff. Young people are not accessing the education services that would help them to achieve their assessed educational goals. This is despite the proactive challenge to the placing authority by the manager and staff. Young people are missing out on opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. Staff are engaging young people in educational activities whilst they wait for their education provision. Staff are regularly completing assessments of the young people using a range of tools available to them. These assessments help the staff to consider how the work

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Good

with the young people is progressing and focus on key areas. Staff share these assessments with young people in a child friendly report. This gives young people the opportunity to comment on their care and understand their goals. The home is warm and welcoming. Young people comment positively on the decoration and maintenance of the home and social workers say that the home has ‘a pleasant, inviting feel and atmosphere’. The home provides a nurturing environment for young people who previously may not have experienced this. Staff support young people to make and keep appointments with doctors, dentists and other practitioners. This promotes good relationships with those professionals who can maintain their health. The staff provide homely, nourishing meals as well as encourage participation in sport, which is also important in maintaining overall wellbeing. Staff are effectively meeting with the young people to ascertain their wishes and

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Good

views, for example, to personalise rooms or in relation to activities. Discussions take place at house meetings; the manager reviews these meetings to consider views and to give reasons where any issues are not acted on. Regular key work sessions focus on the assessed needs of the young people. These planned sessions consider issues such as relationships, staying safe in the community, plans for their future and activities. Staff act quickly to recognise opportunities to pick up on issues as they occur in the young people’s day-to-day lives, rather than waiting for the planned sessions. As a result, young people have many chances to raise and discuss important issues in their lives. Activities such as trips to theme parks, the seaside, and cinema are available. Staff engage some of the young people in board games and computer games, which some of the young people enjoy. Staff use these opportunities to further develop

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Good

their relationships with young people. For some young people, increasing their independence skills is the next stage of their development. The staff are working with them, to help them to develop skills such as cooking and doing their laundry. These skills will prepare them for adult life. The staff support young people with contact with families and friends, some of whom live quite a distance from the home. Contact has taken place in the home, and with the support of staff in the community. This helps it to be positive and maintains young people’s relationships with those who are important to them. This also helps them to have a better understanding of their background and their culture.

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Requires Improvement

Young people say that they are happy and feel safe in the home. There is a strong emphasis on using the well-formed relationships that staff have with young people to observe and monitor their welfare. For instance, staff will remain in contact with young people when they are out of the home, by calling them regularly to check that they are safe and well. Young people feel that this reminds them that the staff care for them and helps them to have open communication with staff. This inspection has highlighted a shortfall in the management of a specific safeguarding incident. This is in respect of an on call manager not following the safeguarding processes in-line with the provider’s policy and procedure. The on call manager did not discuss the incident with the Local Authority Designated Officer. On their return, the registered manager immediately alerted local authority and followed the procedure as agreed. The registered manager has taken action within

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Requires Improvement

the staff group to ensure their awareness of the safeguarding processes. There is further training planned for staff and managers to reinforce the policy. The Local Authority Designated Officer commented: ‘I am happy that the home has contacted me regularly in the past, to discuss any concerns. I am happy with the way the home has now dealt with this particular issue .’ Some young people place themselves at risk by being absent from the home. Managers and staff robustly follow the procedures and, as a result, young people return quickly. Staff understand the risk of sexual exploitation. They work together and share information that may help to protect young people from this risk. They are clearly able to demonstrate their safeguarding approach to alerting the agencies who can work in the community to reduce the risk to the young people. As a result, staff protect young people from this danger. A police officer

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Requires Improvement

commented: ‘The home is well run. Recently, I observed staff trying their hardest to deter a young person from leaving and going missing.’ On their return, staff welcome young people into the home and complete key work sessions to focus on trying to understand the behaviour as well as providing advice on staying safe. The staff have well defined and regularly reviewed risk assessments to ensure that they meet the needs of the young people. These risk assessments help the staff to quickly understand the issues that may affect their care of the young people and minimise these risks. Consequently, staff with the most up to date information look after these young people. Staff receive training in restraint. Since May 2015, restraint has happened on eight occasions. The manager and staff have reflected on these incidents and the frequency of restraint has reduced to less than one in the last calendar month.

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Requires Improvement

Staff discuss the consequences of behaviour and use a restorative approach to help young people to make amends. Rewards, for instance, a top up of credit for the mobile telephone, help young people to learn a more positive way to manage their conduct. Recently, this has led to an improvement in behaviour.

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Good

The registered manager has a vocational qualification at level three in child care and a diploma in children’s studies. She has worked in this and other homes for a number of years. She encourages the team to achieve the very best outcomes for young people. The manager uses regular planned supervision with, and observation of, the staff practice. This means that she can compliment staff when they do well and act quickly to deter any unsafe or inappropriate behaviour. Staff comment positively on the quality of training provided. New staff complete induction training, which includes safeguarding, restraint and health and safety issues as well as shadow shifts with experienced staff prior to starting as a full shift member. This helps them to learn from and see how other workers interact with young people. The registered manager works well with the independent visitor. They regularly review the work completed in the home and rectify any shortfalls identified by the

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Good

visitor to promote improvement. The statement of purpose, which is of good quality, informs families and placing authorities of the services that the home provides. The registered manager, working with the independent visitor, has considered this document and its impact on the ethos of the home. The registered manager regularly reviews the progress that young people make. She monitors the improvements through a range of well-defined processes to ensure that these continue to support individual’s development. This also helps to focus the staff to work on specific areas. Social workers and managers comment that they are happy with the care young people receive while they live in the home. The registered manager has challenged the services provided by the placing authorities. In particular, she has challenged placing authorities to obtain the appropriate educational resources for young people. She has escalated concerns and continues to press for these services,

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Good

which are crucial for young people to achieve their aspirations. The registered manager has targeted developing relationships with education providers in the locality as a key issue to improving the performance of the home.

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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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