Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

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 make good progress from their respective starting points.  Staff understand the emotional and behavioural needs of children and young people. Therapeutic support provided via the organisation’s therapists helps them address individual needs and provide supportive and informed care.  The manager and staff ensure effective working relationships are in place with other professionals and partner agencies. This means young people receive support to enable them to make progress.  Staff access the organisation’s training and development programme and complete all mandatory training within agreed timescales.  Robust recruitment practices are in place for prospective members of staff to contribute to overall safeguarding practice.  Young people have access to and take part in activities within the local community and the home, including cinemas, leisure centres, games and arts and crafts.  Staff say they feel supported by the manager and receive regular

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The children's home provision is good because:

supervision on both a formal and informal basis.  Relationships with family and friends is promoted well; through agreed arrangements with parents who say they feel involved with the care of their child.  The manager must ensure repairs to windows, doors, flooring and patio bricks are completed to enable young people live in a homely and safe environment.  Staff training relating to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) would further enhance their knowledge and contribute to their practice.

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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

8: The education standard In order to meet the education standard the registered person to ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

(2) (a) (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans

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Requirement Due date

(x) help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans 19/02/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure

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Requirement Due date

(2) (d) that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. This is in particular reference to the replacement of broken windows as identified to the front of the property, rear and side, damage to the front door, the replacement of cracked tiles in the bathroom flooring in the kitchen and, externally the resetting of patio bricks securely to avoid trip hazards. 19/02/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. This is in particular reference to training with regards Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately run children’s home, registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 2 children 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

03/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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good

Young people are making good progress from when they originally moved into the home, with some significant progress in relation to their emotional and behavioural progress. The staff provide good levels of care to enable young people to feel valued and build on their strengths and abilities.

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good

Attendance at education has fluctuated, although overall there has been an increase in attendance over recent months. However, actual attendance falls below 25 hours per week. Some young people with previous high non-attendance have struggled to engage in mainstream education. Support through home education with tutors is beginning to have a positive impact. The sourcing of additional specialist school placements has identified a potential placement within the next two weeks for one young person. This will support their educational outcomes.

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good

Young people’s health needs are well supported. Where they are reluctant to attend routine health care appointments, staff provide on-going encouragement and reassurance to do so. Staff understand the impact of past traumatic experiences and events on emotions and behaviour. They receive support from the organisation’s psychologist and therapist to work with young people to help them understand their experiences and develop strategies to manage them. This has contributed to the reduction in previous behaviour where young people have expressed themselves through damage to property and bullying of peers. Staff have worked on an individual basis with young people to recognise and address their behaviour towards each other. They have developed respect for others opinions and interests and this has enabled them to sustain improved relationships within the home.

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good

A range of activities is available for young people to take part in the local community. This includes use of leisure facilities, including cinemas and leisure centres. In addition, there is a range of games, craft, and books within the home which the young people enjoy. One young person has pets and staff encourage and support his ability to care for them.

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good

Staff recognise and understand the importance of family relationships and support the young people and their families to see each other at the home or at their own homes. Where restrictions are in place, staff are aware and adhere to these. One parent said: ‘I always feel welcome to visit the home and I am happy with the care and support my child receives.’ Judgement grade

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good

Young people have developed positive relationships with staff. Staff work proactively to address bullying behaviour which means young people are supported to develop positive relationships and have mutual respect for each other.

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good

Risk management plans reflect identified potential risks and, through regular monitoring and review, ensure these plans are current and updated with any pertinent changes to protect young people.

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good

Safeguarding training forms part of mandatory training. All staff undertake this and complete updates on a regular basis. This enables staff to fully understand their roles and responsibilities to safeguard the young people; ensuring their knowledge and practice remains current, taking into account any changes to legislation or guidance.

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good

Strategies are in place to manage young people’s behaviour. The organisation’s therapy team have provided additional input and training to support staff in managing the complex needs of the young people. This has helped to reduce challenging behaviour previously displayed. One social worker commented: ‘the staff have worked very positively with the young person and, although there are still some occasions when behaviours have been difficult, they are managed well. This has resulted in the young person engaging and responding positively to the care provided and making significant progress.’ Positive praise and encouragement both distract and engage the young people. When staff implement consequences for negative behaviour, these are recorded and young people invited to contribute their views to records. Individual key worker sessions provide further opportunities to review the reasons why young people acted in the way they did and to look at

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good

Physical intervention is rarely used and only to prevent young people hurting themselves or others. Staff receive training and guidance, with refresher training on an annual basis. Recording of events enables the manager to have good oversight and understanding of the events prior to and during the event and, where necessary, amend and update individual behaviour plans.

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good

Staff work in partnership with other agencies to help protect young people. This includes local authority partners and police. On some previous occasions, when police have been involved with the young people due their behaviour, staff and police have worked with the young people, providing them with additional strategies and understanding of potential consequences of their actions and avoiding the potential for criminalisation of behaviours. The home is a large, detached property. Internally, there has been some damage to the home by the young people. Although there is a maintenance programme in place, repairs remain outstanding. This includes the replacement of broken windows, damage to the external door, broken patio stones and cracked tiling in the bathroom. While there has been some refurbishment to the living room, bedrooms and some windows replaced the delay in repairs impacts on the safety of the young people and does not encourage them to have pride and respect for

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good

The manager of the home has been in post for four months and has submitted an application and been interviewed to be the Registered Manager at this home, along with two other homes. He has the necessary experience and is undertaking the Level five Diploma in Leadership and Management. First line managers based at each home, who hold relevant qualifications and experience, assist with the overall management of each home. There have been some changes of staff within the home, but the manager has ensured the stability of the staff team to provide consistency of support to the young people. This has resulted in them building relationships with the staff, improvement in behaviour, and overall engagement.

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good

Staff say they feel well supported and confirm they have regular supervision on both a formal and informal basis. This enables them to discuss, reflect, and, with formal training, further develop their practice to continue to improve outcomes for young people. However, further training relating to Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) will enable them to have a greater understanding of children who have this diagnosis. Daily handovers provide effective communication to make sure the young people receive consistent support.

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good

The home recruits staff in accordance with the organisation’s recruitment policy. This includes thorough scrutiny of application forms, references, and interview. This reduces the possibility of young people being harmed by those in a position of trust to provide their care and support.

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good

New staff receive good induction, including undertaking mandatory training and working as an additional member of staff alongside qualified, experienced staff prior to commencing on the team rota. They also receive increased supervision and support. This means young people receive care from well-supported staff. The Statement of Purpose sets out the aims and objectives of the home. It is available to placing social workers and other interested parties, including Ofsted. Through regular review, it is up to date. This enables placing authorities to make informed placements and contributes to the monitoring of the home by the regulator.

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good

Young people say they can talk to the manager about any concerns or complaints they have. They also confirm they receive a response and explanation. They are aware of who else they can complain or raise concerns with and have relevant contact numbers within their children’s guide and also within the home.

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good

The manager reviews young people’s care plans and monitors relevant paperwork to ensure they reflect individual outcomes. Social workers and parents receive regular information on progress young people make. One social worker said: ‘I feel the information provided is a true reflection of the progress and ongoing needs of the young person I support. I can see the progress made and whilst there have been some challenges, staff have provided good support to support positive changes for the young person.’

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good

Independent monitoring of the service takes place on a monthly basis. The manager follows up on recommendations made within the report. However, some of the actions in relation to the damage within the home remain outstanding. Following this inspection, requirements and recommendations in relation to property repair and maintenance have been made.

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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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