Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home only had one child in residence and a new manager at the time of the last full inspection in July 2015. During the past seven months, five children have moved in and three of these children have moved on.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff maintain a well-run home, where children make good progress. One child said, ‘staff help me go to school and help me be better in myself with worries and problems. I get to go out for a drink or an activity out as a positive consequence. They feed me well, ensure we are clean and talk to us when we have worries.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, staff and the manager have improved practice by securing the views of children when they leave. For example, the manager sends feedback forms to children after they have left. One child who was in the home some years fed back: ‘the adults will keep you safe and just enjoy yourself while you have the chance.’ However, it is not clear if children’s feedback is acted on. For example, one child said, ‘I would have liked to spend time with different adults and have more free time.’ Another child said, ‘I felt safe but not when two males were sleeping in. My therapy was ‘poor’ and did not help me.’ These messages have not translated into action following any reviews of care or development planning for the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and the manager are also making efforts to keep in touch with children who have moved on. Children make phone calls asking to speak to staff, the manager and other children. However, there are no clear rationales or individualised plans about the purpose and effectiveness of this keeping in touch. Staff seem to be discouraging contact from some children who have left. Records of their conversations with these children and families are not available. One child left the home after a period of time in a crisis house and was not able to say goodbye to the other children. Messages and learning about best practice are not arising from these scenarios because records are not being made, reviewed or used to inform the quality of care review report or the home’s development plan. The manager admitted three new children to the home during 2015. He played a key role in the matching decisions and saw children before they came. The

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

manager and staff prepared the children in placement and helped them welcome each new arrival. Nevertheless, one child proved not to be an appropriate match and his placement ended following a series of safeguarding allegations and behaviour issues. Staff and managers say that important assessment information, indicating that the child needed to be in a sole child placement, was not given until after the child was admitted. This shows that working relationships with local authorities are still underdeveloped. Shortfalls remain in gaining all relevant placement information from the local authority prior to making a matching decision. There are also shortfalls in working together to make clear, well-reasoned plans about children’s contact with their families.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are cared for by well-motivated and caring staff. Staff work closely together. Staff ensure that children are active, have good food and appropriate routines. They provide well organised holiday trips to castles and safari parks. They help children enjoy a variety of hobbies and activities like skating, swimming, horse-riding and trampolining. They play card games with children, help them get their homework done and spend time helping them to settle and calm when necessary. They challenge unwanted behaviour and keep reminding children of appropriate boundaries. However, their use of positive strategies and rewards remain underdeveloped. Recording of what consequences, techniques and strategies work well and less well is spasmodic and unclear. This makes it hard for new staff to develop their positive behaviour management practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff make good use of a communication book and of handovers. This means that they are up to date with every child when they come on shift. However, there are shortfalls in staff supervision, training and skills development. The home’s monthly independent visitor said recently, 'clearer leadership needs to be sustained to effectively continue to safeguard children.' The organisation recently put an additional manager and administrator into the home to assist the registered manager to address these shortfalls.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s review of the quality of care does little to help the home continuously improve. They are conducted long after the period being reviewed. They do not identify shortfalls and bring forward messages for improvement. There is little or no meaningful consultation with parents or placing authorities. Messages from consultation with children are not acted on. The manager has not identified weaknesses in the recording of behaviour management, complaints and allegations.

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Information about this children's home

This home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people 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

09/03/2015 CH - Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19/02/2014 CH – Re-registration Not applicable

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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 that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 24/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person is required to:-

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 24/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular regard to obtaining and using feedback for improving the home, the registered person is required to—

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Requirement Due date

(2)(g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on

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Requirement Due date

(ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. 24/03/2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the system for review of the quality of care provides for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (5)) 24/03/2016 Ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 24/03/2016

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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 a record of supervision is kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4) (b). (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Recommendations

 Support staff to be ambitious for every child in the home and to gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential. To ensure that staff understand and can meet each child's needs, in line with their responsibilities, the registered person themselves will need to have a high level of understanding of the needs of the children in their care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 52, paragraph 10.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person 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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Recommendations

 Ensure that as well as longer-term support for children to move on from the home effectively (regulation 6(2) (b) (vi)), the home plays an important role in supporting each child leaving the home in the period immediately before their departure. The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child's transition is planned and help each child to prepare for leaving both practically and emotionally. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person challenges (under regulation 5(c)) any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan, as the expectation that a placement of a child without the necessary information would go ahead (in circumstances other than an emergency) is inadequate in relation to their role. It is essential that homes understand what will be required of them before they accept responsibility for a child's placement, to avoid disruption and instability for the child in future and for other children in the home. For non-looked-after children, the home should ensure they have sufficient information from the child's 'placing authority' (usually their parents/carers) and other relevant agencies to effectively assess whether they can meet the child's needs before agreeing to the placement. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, pages 56 and 57, paragraph 11.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand factors that affect children's motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child's relevant plans. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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

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Information about this inspection

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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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