Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in County Durham

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has addressed the two statutory requirements made at the last inspection. The home’s statement of purpose now includes details of the qualifications and experience of the staff. This assists placing authorities and parents to assess the ability of the home to meet children’s needs. The missing from home policy has been revised to give clearer guidance for staff should this extremely unlikely event occur.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff maintain a good working relationship with relevant agencies, such as the local safeguarding children’s board and child and adolescent mental health services. This has proved helpful in providing additional training for staff, for example, in attachment theory. Staff are prepared to challenge other services and advocate for children. For one child who needs orthopaedic boots, staff persisted in obtaining a pair which look more attractive and ‘cool’. As a result, the child is more confident in going out and about, and he is no longer reliant on his wheelchair. He said, ‘I hardly ever use it. With my new boots I can power up the hill to get the bus.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have an excellent awareness of the need for children to understand their identity and heritage. They have done some outstanding work in this area. For example, for one child, staff have constructed a board game based on Monopoly. When the child ‘lands’ on a particular space he is prompted to turn a card with a photo of an event in his life. The game is complete with banknotes carrying a photo of the child. When he plays the game with staff he is therefore able to stimulate memories of his family and things he has done at the home. This strengthens his bonds to both family and his carers, providing reassurance of his place within his social networks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs informed by prior assessments and ongoing observation of behaviour. For example, one child is prone to becoming more distressed at a particular time of year. This is as a result of upsetting events that happened in his life around this time. Being aware of this enables staff to offer extra support to help him through difficult periods. The registered manager and staff are always looking to make improvements to the quality of children’s experiences. For example, they have devised a better method by which children can express their food preferences. They do this by choosing from a range of plastic food items which they can then stick onto a plate with Velcro. This promotes choice and helps children to overcome barriers in communication.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to make excellent progress. They benefit from a range of activities and outings which provide exercise, mental stimulation, and opportunity to be included in wider society. One child went to a pantomime at Christmas and for the first time ever sat through the whole performance. The support provided by staff enables children to excel at school. Children are in good health. Detailed monitoring by staff enables them to understand the progress children make and flag up any concerns with health professionals. One child’s seizures have reduced as a result of the cooperative working between staff, paediatric consultant and epilepsy nurse. Parents are appreciative of the changes they notice in their children. At a recent education review, one parent said, ‘My child has never been happier. He is a completely different child, and is no bother when he comes home.’

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Information about this children's home

The home accommodates up to four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties; sensory impairment; learning disabilities; or mental disorders, excluding learning disability. It is operated by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

03/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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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