Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The same three children and young people have lived together here since the full inspection in June 2015. They are all making good progress. They have enjoyed a long period of high quality nurture from a stable and motivated staff team. They are more confident about what is going to happen to them long term and they are making the emotional and behavioural strides they need to fulfil their plans. For example, children are accepting medical and dental help and treatment for the first time. Some of them are working towards mainstream school and living back in their home community in a family. Children and young people are completing important learning about sex and relationships. They are managing their personal hygiene and social behaviour significantly better. They enjoy attending community clubs, such as dance, scouts, drama, cadets, skating and horse riding. Some of them have local friends and free time out locally, cycling and using trains and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people’s confidence and participation within the home are hugely increased also. For example, they spend time cooking, cleaning, shopping, playing games and making things with staff. They are blossoming into considerate, kind and well behaved young people. They sometimes say they don’t want to be here, but they clearly show how comfortable, safe, secure and loved they feel. The manager and staff are making a significant difference to children and young people’s lives because they are enthusiastic, creative, well organised and nurturing. Staff morale is high and they have developed into a confident and consistent team. Children and young people like staff and trust them to be there for them and do things with them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are ambitious and creative to widen children’s experiences. They have taken them sightseeing to London and Edinburgh and to the seaside for fun days out. They make sure children’s contact with their relatives is good quality, even when long journeys are involved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people’s risk taking behaviour has significantly reduced over the last six months. For example, they rarely cause damage or harm that requires staff to physically intervene. They very rarely walk out of the home or go missing any more. There have been no allegations against staff made by children and young people in the home. Each of them feels more confident about themselves. They are less easily led and they are enjoying the full and interesting lifestyle that staff create. They are also increasingly enjoying their individual lifestyles of hobbies, friendships and school. Staff influence this improvement in behaviour through the insightful, sensitive, proactive and positive help and protection they give to children and young people. Staff notice what children and young people do well. They praise and encourage them for all the good they do and all that they achieve. Staff are sensitive and think of ways to defuse tension and avoid dictating,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

confronting or embarrassing children and young people. They let children and young people know how proud they feel about the progress they are making. However, the written plans of what staff would do if children or young people were to go missing are out of date, contradictory and unhelpful. Similarly, the risk assessment for staff lone working has not been reviewed in the light of children and young people’s improved understanding about safe and appropriate adult behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager was new in post in 2015 and Ofsted registered her at the time of the last inspection. She has redeveloped the home environment and the staff team well during the year. In particular, the skills, insight, morale and commitment of the staff team are much improved, thanks to her leadership and management. She is warm and involved, admired by children, young people and staff alike. She spends time with them all and prioritises well. For example, she writes to children and young people positively in response to their feedback and she supports them to say their views about their plans and be in their review meetings. She helps them celebrate each month’s progress and achievements through a photo newsletter which is sent to key people with a laminated keepsake copy for themselves.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are places in the home that the manager, responsible individual and staff have not filled since the last inspection. This is because their impact risk assessments have not shown that any of the referred children match safely with the children and young people already living here. Nevertheless, staff are well trained, supported and supervised to provide appropriately skilled help for the next child or young person who moves into the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is timely and thorough in her monitoring and review work. She gets some messages for improvement from doing this. However, she does not always probe evidence of weaker practice that she sees described in physical intervention records. She also does not innovate enough in her consultations to get the best messages for improving the home and contributing to children and young people’s care planning. She uses set questions which become repetitive and do not address current and specific issues about children and young people’s needs and progress. Similarly, her reports for children and young people’s reviews contain little evaluation of their progress and experiences or professional comment and views about the impact of those on the child’s plan. These shortfalls are minor missed opportunities to have more professional input and influence on staff practice and local authority planning for children and young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders make good use of external monitoring and inspection. The manager and registered individual have acted on the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. They have learnt from experience about the consequences of accepting children and young people on emergency placements who do not match with the children and young people already in placement. They are taking much more care to plan transitions out of the home at the correct pace and with children and young people’s full understanding. They are responding to children and young people promptly and clearly when they express their wishes and feelings. They are helping children and young people to speak up in meetings. The manager has established a more contented and resilient staff team. She ensures that staff are all well supported and that they deliver more personalised care. Staff turnover is no longer an issue.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has good ideas to improve the progress of children and young people’s through building the skills of staff. For example, she has devised a comprehensive workbook to help staff ensure children and young people learn what they need to know to be successfully independent. She has also put together a comprehensive handbook for staff. This contains references to important policies and procedures; contact information that staff might need; and places to log all their training needs and career support and development. These innovations are new and not yet tested, but the manager monitors the usefulness of her ideas and is prepared to adapt or change them if they do not prove helpful.

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Information about this children's home

This private children's home is part of a national organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural problems arising from severe trauma. Therapy is provided and a special school is available.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

29/06/2015 CH - Full Requires improvement

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2014 CH – Re-registration Not judged

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations: Ensure that managers make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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Recommendations

Continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. This relates in particular to accurately reassessing the management of the risk of children going missing and the risk of children making allegations of abuse against staff. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

Ensure that records of restraint enable the registered person and staff to effectively review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify the quality of practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

Ensure that managers and their staff engage proactively with the placing authority to contribute fully to the relevant plans for the child's care on an ongoing basis. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 56, paragraph 11.3)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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