Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

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:

 Overall, young people experience positive, trusting relationships with staff that enables them to develop confidence and benefit from the support provided.  Staff demonstrate a very good understanding of young people’s individual needs. This is underpinned by high quality care planning.  Young people attend school regularly and are making progress from their starting points.  Strong multi-agency working has led to improvements in young people’s emotional well-being and educational achievements.  Young people take part in a wide range of social activities in the local and wider community. This is increasing their confidence and feelings of self- worth.  Staff work proactively and positively with young people’s families to ensure important attachments are maintained.  Staff receive good levels of support, supervision and training to ensure they are equipped to meet the needs of young people.  Staff work hard to keep young people safe; however work is needed to

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The children's home provision is good because:

help them understand how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and social media.  Staff are proactive in promoting positive behaviour, they use consequences to enable young people to learn from their negative behaviour. However, a number of the consequences are repetitive and ineffective.

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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

Ensure no measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable or contrary to paragraph(2) may be used in relation to any child (Regulation 19 (1)) 01/03/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 Young people must feel safe and be safe. Staff should support young people to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent any good parent would. Staff should help young people to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. This specifically relates to internet safety. (The Guide to Quality Care Standards, page 43 paragraph 9.9)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people with emotional and or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a large national private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

Two young people have remained living in the home since the last inspection, and continue to make progress in their emotional well-being and education. Staff work hard to raise young people’s self-esteem and build their resilience. Consequently, young people have a good understanding of their backgrounds and can recognise their achievements since coming to live at the home. Staff help them to build positive relationships with others, but at times they can struggle to get along with each other. One young person commented, ‘they talk to me about the arguing and try to stop it happening. I know we need to get along.′ Another young person said, ‘this home is good…I like the staff most of the time I just get angry sometimes.’

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good

Staff have high aspirations for young people, challenge barriers to learning and advocate on their behalf. They work closely with education professionals to ensure young people enjoy the same opportunities as their peers. For example, ensuring additional support was in place to help bring one young person’s grades up. They also liaise with school if one of the young people is struggling with their behaviour, so that this does not impact on their attendance levels. Both young people are in full time education, and one received an award from her placing authority in recognition of her 100% attendance. One young person said, ‘they (staff) let me know they are there for me, they help me with my school work and that.’ A staff member said, ‘X’s support in school feels like part of our team.’

p.6

good

Young people are healthy and access a range of services to meet their holistic health needs. A key strength is in relation to how well their psychological and emotional needs are supported. For example, one young person has access to an independent specialist service. Staff also have access to the organisation’s own clinical team, and they have regular consultations with them. This ensures that the staff are confident in responding to young people’s presenting needs. Staff commented, ‘consultation helps massively…consultation is probably the best support we’ve had in a long time.′ Staff effectively use the model of therapeutic parenting, to help them understand the impact of previous experiences on young people’s well-being.

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good

Regular planned and unplanned key work sessions mean young people are able to contribute their views on all aspects of their care. These sessions also provide young people with the opportunity to discuss behaviours that maybe impacting on their progress. As a result, young people feel listened to, valued and respected.

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good

Young people are encouraged to pursue their individual hobbies and interests. For example, going to cadets, roller skating, cinema trips and bowling. One young person has a season ticket for their favourite rugby team and a member of staff who also supports the same team goes to the games with her. They also went to Wembley to watch the Challenge Cup. Both young people also go regularly away during the holidays with the cadets. This builds their confidence, self-esteem and improves their social skills.

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good

Staff encourage young people to participate in a number of household tasks, including keeping their bedrooms tidy and helping with the cooking. They are involved in decisions about menu planning and what to do in their spare time. Over time this helps them to develop confidence in their own abilities.

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good

Staff are very proactive in identifying young people’s particular risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments clearly recognise the risks factors for each of them and the strategies in place for managing these. These are consistently implemented and regularly reviewed, to ensure they are up to date and continue to keep young people safe from harm.

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good

Staff have received training in working with young people who are at risk from sexual exploitation and missing from care. This ensures they are skilled in recognising when young people are at risk and what action to take. Where necessary, multi-agency strategy meetings take place in order to share information and formulate action plans. This effective multi-agency working ensures young people are appropriately safeguarded.

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good

Staff have persevered in trying to engage individual young people in direct work relating to their own personal safety. Despite this some young people have refused to fully engage in this piece of work. This limits the staff’s ability to provide them with the advice and guidance necessary to keep them safe, particularly when accessing the internet and social media sites.

p.7

good

Young people very rarely go missing from the home and this represents significant progress for some young people from their starting point. There has only been one incident since the last inspection. In the event of a young person going missing the home follows agreed local police protocols to ensure they return safely.

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good

Young people benefit from firm and consistent boundaries which, in the main, they respect. They help young people to find ways of coping with their anxieties and stress; however there has been an increase in one young person’s challenging behaviour in recent months. The manager and staff recognise that this is having an impact on the other young person, so staffing levels have been increased. This means they receive one to one support and attention, particularly at these difficult times.

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good

Staff are well trained in behaviour management, including the use of physical intervention. This is regularly updated to ensure their skills are knowledge are up to date with current practice. The records demonstrate physical intervention is kept to a minimum. Staff use consequences to enable young people to learn from their negative behaviour. However, the records show that a number of these are repetitive, for example, the main consequence used is the loss of unsupervised time; in one instance this was for a week. In the main, young people lose their unsupervised time because they have returned later than their agreed times. It is unclear how this is helping young people to make changes to this particular behaviour.

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good

The manager has been registered since October 2012; she has recently completed her level 5 management qualification and is waiting for this to be signed off. She is also the Registered Manager for another two homes within the organisation. Although this means she is not in full time day-to-day charge of the home, there is a suitably qualified and experienced first line manager who deputises effectively in her absence.

p.8

good

The home is appropriately staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the young people. The staff team is stable, suitably vetted, qualified and competent to deliver high quality child care. The home continues to achieve the aims and objectives as set out in its Statement of Purpose.

p.8

good

The manager and staff acknowledge they have been through a difficult time in recent months. They continue to work together to overcome these challenges to ensure a consistent and shared approach. Regular team meetings and supervision sessions provide them with effective support so that good practice continues. Furthermore, they reflect on the progress of young people and how best to support them.

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good

The home has effective working relationships with key professionals and some parents. A parent said, ‘communication between us is brilliant.′ There has been one complaint from a neighbour since the last inspection due to noise levels. Staff encouraged the young people to write a letter of apology, which helped to resolve the issue. Relations with the neighbours are good.

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good

The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of home. A development plan is in place and identifies ways to enhance the service further. For example, there are plans to replace the gravel at the back with grass and replacing the decking. This will enable the young people to utilise this area effectively.

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good

There are effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care and the operation of the home. An independent visitor is now undertaking the external monitoring visits to ensure the service continues to improve. An action plan is formulated to ensure any tasks highlighted are completed within the agreed timescales. The manager also undertakes monthly monitoring of the home to ensure they continue to drive up standards and progress for young people. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection.

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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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