Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 The manager and staff team have a very positive ethos towards children and young people achieving good results in education. They support and guide children and young people through any barriers to attending school and can advocate on their behalf when there are challenges.  The staff team work consistently with the children and young people introducing boundaries and safety measures yet still allowing the children and young people to take age appropriate risks and enjoy their childhood.  The relationship between the staff team and the children and young people is secure and trusting. Staff work hard to ensure that the children and young people are listened to and that their wishes and feelings are heard and actioned in meetings about what happens next.  The manager and staff team are very clear about the risks that children and young people can face. This understanding helps them to ensure preventative work is completed and if there are concerns, they are

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

responded to quickly and robustly.  Children and young people make good progress in all areas of their lives. This includes education, learning new skills and hobbies and becoming healthier.  The manager and staff work proactively with other professionals involved with the children and young people. Other professionals have high regard for the manager and staff team, especially their communication in multi- agency meetings, and commitment and motivation to ensure children and young people living in the home make progress.  The home is managed by a strong and confident manager who is caring and supportive. She acts as an advocate for the children and young people and will challenge others where necessary. She is a very positive role model to her staff team.

p.3

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.

p.4

14: The care planning standard

In order to meet the care planning standard with particular reference to; Ensuring that children and young people can fully access and understand the records kept about them and they are written in child friendly language,

p.4

14: The care planning standard

14 (2)(f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. 31/03/2016

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home's records as 'living documents' supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. In particular, the recording in daily logs needs to be reviewed. Details of all young people, in one book does not allow for the young person to have access to these records and would breach other young people's confidentiality. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 58 paragraph 11.19)

p.4

Information about this children's home

This children's home is operated by a private company. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

p.5

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

16/03/2015 Interim sustained effectiveness

p.5

good

The manager and staff team ensure they have a clear understanding of the challenges and difficulties children and young people face when they come to the home. Pre-admission risk assessments and detailed information about them helps placement plans to support their introduction to the home. The staff team also ensure that children and young people already living at the home are kept informed to minimise any uncertainty or disruption. This attention to detail encourages new arrivals to feel comfortable quickly, and allows for stability in the home. One young person said ‘its lovely here, it’s my home I don’t want to be anywhere else’

p.6

good

Staff ensure that children and young people are encouraged to participate in a variety of activities, these range from days out, to walks in the local area and craft activities. Some of these are linked to educational targets, whilst others are for fun and relaxation. Photographs and memorabilia helps the children and young people to create memories and feel like they belong and are valued. This in turn helps to develop self-esteem and self-worth. One young person said ‘I feel more confident, I can do things better now’.

p.6

good

Liaison with schools and colleges is seen as a vital task for the staff team. This ensures that they can quickly deal with any barriers to education and they can ensure that children and young people are making progress. Rewards and certificates are proudly displayed on walls and in files supporting the children and young people’s sense of achievement. Aspirations for the children and young people are high.

p.6

good

The manager and staff team recognise the importance of contact with family and important adults. For some young people, this means regular contact and re- building bridges that once seemed broken. For others, it is helping them understand restrictions on contact with their families and managing supervised contact. Safe contact with families and significant adults is important in building self-identity and belonging and understanding the past. One social care professional remarked, ‘he is so much more settled now he has contact. The staff have been brilliant in making sure this is a positive experience.’ Judgement grade

p.6

good

The home is very well maintained, clean and hygienic and has a lovely homely nurturing atmosphere. Children and young people say they love living at the home and that they feel safe and protected. They also state ‘it is the way that staff look after them, listen to them and take time to know them which makes them feel safe.’

p.7

good

The manager and staff have taken time to get to know each child well, they understand their starting points, triggers and body language. This information is translated into plans and risk assessments and this helps to keep children and young people safer. However, recording of risk assessments and plans is not child- friendly and accessible to young people. They should be able to understand what is written about them and able to contribute to this recording.

p.7

good

Risks connected with going missing and exploitative relationships and behaviours are understood by staff and robustly responded to when necessary. Clear risk assessments follow local protocols and include staff going looking for children and young people who go missing. Return home interviews are used to gather information and this is used to inform future risk assessments. Where necessary, the manager attends local risk management conferences. There has been a significant decrease in the number of missing episodes for young people who go missing as a result of this co-ordinated response.

p.7

good

The staff team present as happy and pleased to be at work. They say they are very well supported through supervision and appraisal and feel they are well- prepared to deal with ‘whatever comes along’. They are all suitably qualified and there is a robust system for ensuring mandatory training is up to date and relevant. All were very clear of safeguarding policies and were confident in saying what they would do if they were concerned about a child. This confident and creative staff team are very significant in making the children and young people feel safe and valued.

p.7

good

Behaviour management relies on a number of approaches include a restorative approach. Children are given new ways to regulate their behaviour and physical interventions are only used as a last resort. Children and young people’s behaviour has improved significantly. Detailed debriefs following incidents are used to reflect, and see what could of being done differently, these lessons are incorporated into practice guidance when required. Judgement grade

p.7

outstanding

This is an extremely well-managed children’s home. The manager is suitably experience and qualified to do so. Her nurturing yet challenging approach helps to ensure that children and young people make progress across all areas of their lives.

p.8

outstanding

The manager is aspirational and creative; she ensures her staff team are well supported through supervision and appraisal. She is also keen to help staff develop new skills and encourages them to take part in leadership and management tasks to help them in developing career pathways.

p.8

outstanding

The manager has a very thorough and robust monitoring and scrutiny process. Her management footprint can be seen throughout files and action plans, ensuring she is confident that the home is being effective in safeguarding children and young people.

p.8

outstanding

The manager and staff team have an excellent reputation amongst other local agencies. One educational professional remarked at the ‘excellent communication’ and a social care professional said ‘the manager works so hard to ensure these children get the very best. I am so impressed with the outcomes for the child I am supporting.’

p.8

outstanding

The manager is also very clear of the homes strengths and weaknesses. There is a clear understanding of what is expected of everyone. Well-developed action plans ensure that tasks are completed. The manager and staff team have clear understanding of any changes in regulations and standards. They have ensured that requirements and recommendations from previous inspections have been met. The manager also embraces external and internal audits seeing them as an opportunity to develop and learn.

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

p.9

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

p.10

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 .

p.10

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,

p.11

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

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

p.11