Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

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:

 Staff provide young people with continuity of care so they have stability and consistency in their lives. Young people develop good relationships with staff and consequently benefit from appropriate roles models they can look up to and learn from.  Young people new to the home are always made to feel welcome. They have settled in quickly into a structured, supportive, caring and nurturing environment. They benefit from well planned, highly personalised care that promotes their needs effectively.  Young people attend school regularly and are making good progress in relation to their individual starting points.  Young people become increasing safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. They feel safe and have a strong sense of personal safety.  Staff provide young people with a broad range of positive activities that help them develop their hobbies and interests, social skills and self-confidence.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The home maintains effective partnerships with the families of young people, their social workers, independent reviewing officers and other professional agencies to secure positive outcomes for young people.  Young people benefit from enthusiastic, caring and capable staff that prioritise their needs and work positively with young people.

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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 each child should have permission for staff to administer first aid and non-prescription medication from a person with parental responsibility. (The Guide to the quality standards, page 25, paragraph 7.14)

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Recommendations

 ensure significant changes to a looked after child’s care, such as a change in placement, should only take place following a statutory review of their care plan chaired by the independent reviewing officer (IRO). (The Guide to the quality standards, page 57, paragraph 11.10)

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Information about this children's home

 The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for 1 young person who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.  The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

good

The young person who currently lives at the home was only placed on 29 September 2015. They have settled in quickly, and have been made to feel very welcome by staff. The young person says they enjoy living at the home and have quickly established positive relationships with the staff who care for them.

p.6

good

They report, ‘I thinks it’s alright. I like all of the staff, here. I like Peter and Craig because they’re more on my level…Schools ok. I want to go into groundwork and work on the roads and motorways. I like going go karting, walking, snooker and climbing with staff.’

p.6

good

The young person benefits from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively. Staff have a good understanding of the young person’s needs and take appropriate action, to support them. They provide them with effective support, help and protection. Young people respond well to a structured, caring, supportive and nurturing environment. The young person is making good progress in relation to their starting point across all aspects of their welfare, physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. They now attend school on a regular basis which is something they have previously struggled to do. Their educational attendance has improved considerably and their goals and aspirations are known and supported by staff who have consistently high aspirations for young people. Staff praise the young person for their educational achievements. They provide them with good support at school to help them cope, where education becomes

p.6

good

difficult for them. They show a keen interest in their education and work closely with their schools to improve their educational achievement. Staff provide the young person with positive activities both at home and in the wider community. As a result, the young person develops their social skills, interests and hobbies. The young person enjoys watching DVD’s, hill walking, gym, snooker, skiing and going go karting, with staff. The home actively promotes contact for the young person even though they live a long way from home. Staff facilitate contact and ensure contact is a safe and positive experience for young people. They support the young person to sustain, and where necessary, re-establish their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. This ensures the young person has a positive personal identity and sense of belonging.

p.6

good

Staff help the young person to develop their life skills in shopping, cooking and budgeting to promote their readiness for independence. The young person has developed good self-care skills and is able to complete household chores on their own, such as washing, cooking and ironing. They take pride in their personal appearance and maintain good personal hygiene. They enjoy good health and are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician. Staff provide support on key health issues and ensure the young person has access to the services they need to promote their physical and emotional well-being. As a result, the young person benefits from effective support to promote their positive health.

p.7

good

The placing authority has provided consent for delegated authority. However, it is unclear if, delegated authority includes, consent the administration of first aid and suitably homely remedies. As a result, staff may not be clear about what health decisions and responsibilities are formally delegated to them.

p.7

good

Staff are supported in house by a clinical psychologist who attends their team meetings on a regular basis for the purpose of providing them with advice, direction and consultation. Staff members value their professional input in developing individualised care plans and support strategies that help them understand the needs and presenting behaviours of the young person. Consequently, the young person benefits from staff, who know them well, understand their needs and implement their plans effectively, to address their specific needs and behaviours.

p.7

good

The young person benefit from continuity of care and has stability and consistency in their lives. They benefit from effective support from dedicated staff that make a positive difference to their lives. Staff maintain effective partnerships with the families of young people, their social workers, schools and other professional agencies to ensure they receive the best possible help and support. Consequently, there is a well-planned and coordinated response to meet the specific needs of the young person at the home. Judgement grade

p.7

good

The young person benefits from effective support, help and protection. They become increasing safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. Risks associated with the young person are well known and understood by staff. Risk taking behaviours, such as drug use, offending, anti-social behaviour and going missing from care for long periods are decreasing considerably. One to one work is helping the young person to understand the implications and consequences of their behaviour.

p.8

good

Staff anticipate issues and understand how strong feelings and emotions can quickly be communicated through often difficult and sometimes challenging behaviour. They help the young person to manage their own feelings and emotions safely, and this enables them to self-regulate and manage their own feelings and behaviour. As a result, they are less likely to get themselves in trouble as a consequence of their behaviour. Staff adopt a caring and non-punitive approach that ensures the use of sanctions, if used at all, are kept to an absolute minimum.

p.8

good

Staff are skilled in de-escalation and the use of restraint is exceptionally rare. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from accident, harm or injury. The use of praise, targeted incentives and rewards are used positively, to develop and encourage the young person’s positive behaviour. Staff report, ‘Rewards are given because they are earned and deserved.’

p.8

good

Staff share and implement the home’s ethos, approach and philosophy in how they care for the young people. They implement the homes rules and boundaries fairly and are consistent in their approach.

p.8

good

There are no issues with child sexual exploitation and the young person who lives at the home does not go missing from care. However, should they do, there are effective procedures and arrangements for staff to follow to promote their safe return. Return home interviews have been requested but these are not taking place by, or on behalf of, the placing authority.

p.8

good

Staff are trained in child protection, e-safety and child sexual exploitation so they know how deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities to support and protect the young people. The home maintains effective partnerships with social workers, youth offending services, the police and other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety of young people. Staff consistently prioritise the safety of the young person, while enabling them to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development. They provide them with a safe, warm, comfortable and homely environment. The use of clear risk assessment, safe working practice and effective health and safety arrangements ensure a safe environment for the young person.

p.8

good

The home employs a well-qualified, trained and experienced Registered Manager, who has been in post since the home’s registration in August 2014. The home employs sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, well trained and experienced staff. The manager ensures the home is consistently well staffed and resourced to meet the specific needs of the young people.

p.9

good

The home meets the aims and objectives, as outlined in its Statement of Purpose in providing and delivering a good quality service for young people. The home has addressed both of the recommendations from the previous inspection in ensuring independent return home interviews are requested for young people who go missing from care, and independent monitoring reports now provide improved evaluation to enable the manager to understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses to secure improvement. External monitoring activities, however, are not undertaken independently. There are plans underway to ensure these visits are undertaken by a person is completely independent of the home. Interviews are currently being conducted to appoint to this position.

p.9

good

The Registered Manager undertakes their own rigorous monitoring activities to track young people’s progress, secure improvement and monitor the performance of the home. Consequently, the performance of the home is monitored effectively to raise standards and improve outcomes for young people. The manager ensures staff receive effective support, training and regular, professional supervision. Consequently, staff feel well supported in their roles and their training needs are identified and met. Staff benefit from good quality training to promote their individual skills and knowledge and professional development.

p.9

good

Leaders and managers exercise strong and effective leadership of the home’s operation. They effectively prioritise the needs of young people entrusted in their care. They monitor their progress and experiences and provide staff with clear purpose and direction. They maintain strong partnerships with the placing authority, work proactively and positively with other agencies, to secure positive outcomes for young people. The home is able to evidence and demonstrate the positive difference and value that it has made to the lives of young people.

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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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