Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has recently left the home to go into semi-independence. The home successfully challenged his local authority on having regard to his views, wishes, and feelings to stay within the home‟s community. He continues to visit the home to talk with staff and occasionally stays for tea and he is doing well. At the last inspection, the home was asked to ensure that a transition plan was in place to assist him and the staff in preparing for the move. However, the manager has archived this information and the inspector could not report on whether this requirement had been met. Therefore, the requirement has been repeated. A young person was admitted to the home in December 2015. She was placed in another multi-bedded home within the company and had been assessed as needing a solo placement. The manager discussed the referral with the staff team and completed an impact risk assessment prior to her being placed to ensure that they could meet her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

individual needs. He agreed to the placement but he informed all the relevant parties that they could not take her until the other young person had moved on. The home‟s Statement of Purpose says, “Wherever possible the home tries to organise visits to the home prior to the move for all referrals”. She was placed as a planned placement four days after the other young person left. However, the manager and staff did not visit her or ensure that she visited the home before being placed. This does not ensure that there is an effective introduction to the home. The young person said that this was a good home and that she had settled well. She said, „Staff are great and I have not been reported missing from home, taken drugs or been in trouble. I am happy. I must be happy because this is the longest placement I have had.‟ She continued to say, „this is because there is no-one to get in trouble with but more

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

importantly staff have made me realise that I need to improve to return home.‟ She said staff listen to her well and continually talk to her and give her good information on keeping herself safe and taking responsibility for her own actions and the impact they have on others. For example, staff said she use to behave poorly when on contact with her family because she said she wanted more attention. Staff discussed with her all the responsibilities her mother had and that she should be mature and help rather than hinder. The young person said, „I took this on board and my Christmas and New Year contact went extremely well.‟ This shows that young people are given good advice and are able to reflect on this to improve. The young person is living a good distance away from home. There is an adequate contact plan in place that details the arrangements for her to see her family. This includes staff taking her by car or train to an agreed location and staying overnight at a hotel to pick her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

up and return her safely to the home. The young person asked if her contact could be increased and she is now going home more frequently. This shows that young people‟s views, wishes, and feelings are listened to. Staff have received training in supervising contact so this can be done safely. In addition to this, contingency plans are in place in case anything goes wrong or there is an emergency. This means that staff have a clear plan to address any incident. Prior, to coming to the home the young person had a poor record of attending mainstream school in her home area. At her last placement, she attended the company‟s school and was assessed as being above average academically but she quickly refused to attend. Her history of non-attendance, the results of the assessment and any work completed with her have not been included within her education plan at the home. The home quickly identified an educational placement within another of the company‟s schools. She attended

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

briefly but has refused to attend since early January 2016. At her Statutory Review in January 2016 the home was asked to liaise with several educational professionals including the Virtual Head to ensure that consideration was given to educational funding; the available educational options; to request an update of educational status in regards to special needs and consider an appeal if required and to set up an urgent review of the personal education plan. The manager sent off several e-mails in January 2016 to the relevant parties but has not been proactive in chasing responses or challenging educational professionals to secure an identified placement. These actions have not been taken through to the young person‟s education plan, so the home cannot demonstrate what they have done. In addition to this, the young person is still on role at the company school and the manager has not requested school work from them for her to complete at

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the home. The manager said that she is completing some work they have found on the internet and that she enjoys baking and sewing. However, there is no education timetable within the home that shows what she is doing on a daily basis. The young person said, „I do not like school because of there being too many people. I get up each day and decide what I am going to do. I like baking, making things and sewing.‟ This does not ensure that the home is taking effective action to promote her education and the young person does not have structure to her day. The young person is in good health and has attended all routine appointments. Staff are encouraging her to eat a healthy balanced diet and to take more exercise. For example, she takes a staff‟s dog out for walks and has recently joined the gym. Her health plan has not been updated with the progress of actions set out within her Statutory Review. The home was asked to follow up, with the looked after nurse her progress in investigating her

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

medical records for historical referrals for specific conditions; to consider any need to reassess and to chase immunisation records. The manager sent an e-mail to the looked after children‟s nurse in January 2016 and she replied that she would chase this. But, the manager had not pursued this any further until the day of inspection. This does not ensure that the home has proactively responded to these requests and does not ensure that her health needs are fully met. There have been no safeguarding concerns to report. Staff are fully trained in responding, reporting, and following procedures in order to keep young people safe. The young person was a prolific absconder prior to coming to this home. The manager ensured that he liaised with the missing from home co-ordinator from the police and they agreed reporting times and responses. Staff have completed several consultation sessions around being safe and the young person said she had not been missing because of these and that she

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

was happy here. Her behaviour has been very good and she has not been held for her or others safety and has not received a consequence for poor behaviour. The home has several risk assessments in place that address identified areas of concern. The young person has been actively involved in them and has given her views on what strategies would work to stop her behaviour declining further. However, the documents do not give staff advice on what action to take if an incident occurred. This means that staff do not have clear information to work consistently with the young person. In contrast to this, the young person has benefited from having a reward chart in place to ensure she completes daily tasks and improves her behaviour in general. She has also received additional rewards for helping out within the home such as receiving additional monies. The good oversight by the manager has identified that staff need to look at other ways of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

celebrating good behaviour, rather than monetary rewards, as she spends this at the shop on treats and they are trying encourage her to eat healthy. This shows that the manager effectively reviews the quality of care in the home and that young people see the benefits of their improving behaviour. There is a stable staff team in place that knows the young person well. The young person described staff as “brill”, “great” and approachable. She said that the relationships that she has formed are really good and have helped her to settle and improve her behaviour. All staff now receive regular supervision and their annual appraisals have been completed. This means that their practice and development is regularly reviewed. Another manager from the company‟s leaving care team assesses the quality of care at this home. The manager recognises this is not a fully independent person but the company has taken action to secure an independent company to complete these visits from March

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

2016. At the moment, the manager said, „If any actions are raised I complete them but they do not help me improve the records or service because when incidents have not occurred, he just puts none rather than checking with the young person or staff that they understand the procedure or protocol.‟ In addition to this, he has failed to address or recognise the shortfalls raised in this report.

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Information about this children's home

This privately run children‟s home can accommodate one young person with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/02/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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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. In order to meet the education standard the registered person must ensure that: (1) children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so; (2) (a) that staff; (i) help each child to achieve the child‟s education and training targets, as recorded in the child‟s relevant plans; (iii) understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; (iv) help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; (vi) maintain regular contact with each child‟s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child‟s education and training and to maximise the child‟s achievement; (viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory age but not attending school, to access educational

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Requirement Due date

and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non- attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; (x) help the child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child‟s relevant plans. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

10. In order to meet the health and well-being standard the 29/04/2016 registered person must ensure that: (2) (a) (i) that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child‟s relevant plans. This is specifically in relation to meeting the actions raised with the Statutory Review around the child‟s looked after medical.

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Requirement Due date

12. In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that: (2) (a) (vi) that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare. This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the agreed actions to take are included with the child‟s risk assessments. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that: (2) (b) (i) arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that: (2) (b) (iii) that arrangements are in place to plan for, help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child‟s placing authority. This is specifically in relation to having a transition plan in place. 29/04/2016

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Requirement Due date

14. In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that: (1) (a) children receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s home. This is specifically in relation to ensuring that all actions raised within the Statutory Review record are completed. 29/04/2016 44: Independent person: visits and reports

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Requirement Due date

The independent person‟s must produce a report about a visit which sets out; in particular, the independent person‟s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4) (a) (b)) 29/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Young people who are not participating in education should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. This is specifically in relation to having an educational timetable within the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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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