Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 The shortfalls identified at this inspection relate to previous poor management oversight.  Bullying is not robustly addressed within the home.  Not all staff are trained in specialised areas that meet the needs of children and young people that they care for.  Incidents of going missing from the home, criminal damage and assaults to staff have increased for some young people.  There are significant omissions in logs and case files, demonstrating that children’s and young people’s care has not been properly recorded.  Aspects of the home contribute to an institutional feel.  Staff supervisions are sporadic and annual appraisals have not taken place. Staff morale is low.

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The children's home strengths

 The staff team has provided children and young people with consistency during a period of ‘crisis’ and staff shortages.  Young people have direct access to psychological support.  Young people attend and engage in education because of support that they receive from staff.  Young people enjoy reading and attend the library regularly.  Several shortfalls identified at this inspection relate to record keeping, children’s and young people’s feedback and some aspects of management oversight.  The home’s new manager has quickly identified the areas of weakness and is implementing plans to swiftly address the shortfalls identified.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard (1) The children's views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who— (c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children's care and welfare and their lives. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) ensure that staff— (i) ascertain and consider each child's views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child's best interests when making decisions about the child's care and welfare; (iv) regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home's care; (d) ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child's arrival about— (iii) what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services

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Requirement Due date

and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. 29 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

11: The positive relationships standard (1) The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— 29 June 2016 (i) meet each child's behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child's relevant plans; (iii) encourage each child to take responsibility for the child's behaviour, in accordance with the child's age and understanding; (v) communicate to each child expectations about the child's behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child's age and understanding; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and (b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard (1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (ii) help each child to understand how to keep safe; (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; (b) that the home's day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child's health. 29 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard (1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 29 June 2016 (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including

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Requirement Due date

14: The care planning standard (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (f) that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. 29 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety. The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2 (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)). 29 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. 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 (1)(b) (4)(a)(b)(c)). 29 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records (3) The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of 29 June 2016 the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person") has spoken to the user about the measure, has signed the record to confirm it is accurate and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)).

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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 children or 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

23 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

9 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

7 October 2014 Full Requires improvement

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Requires improvement

Children and young people are not always involved in the running of their home. They do not have regular opportunities to input their views or express their wishes, key worker sessions are sporadic and they do not contribute to their care plans. As a result, they are unable to discuss issues that are important to them. All children and young people benefit directly from the services of a clinical team that provides them with the necessary psychological support to help them with their complex emotional health needs, including life story work. The majority of young people attend regular health appointments that ensure that their general health is promoted. As a result, children and young people receive well-coordinated healthcare that meets their individual needs. There is a positive ethos about the importance of attending school, as children and young people attend regularly. Staff support them in a variety of ways, including

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Requires improvement

during periods of exclusion. Children and young people engage in educational activities in the home. Staff support children and young people in the classroom when this additional support is required. This shared approach ensures that young people know that adults are concerned about them and are working together to ensure that they are happy and engaging in their school environment. Overall, children and young people have positive relationships with staff. Children and young people engage in and enjoy a range of activities individualised to their needs and preferences, for example, horse riding, skate clubs and going to the park. This helps children and young people to make new friends, develop confidence and a sense of independence. Contact with family members and significant others is advocated and fully supported where appropriate. As a result, young people are not isolated from their families and maintain their family identity.

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Requires improvement

The maintenance and furnishing of the home is not of a good standard, and in parts contributes to an institutional feel. For example, children and young people do not have access to a downstairs toilet that is for the use of adults only. While the maintenance of the property and the locked doors of the downstairs toilet does not have an impact on the safety and well-being of children and young people, it does mean that their access within their home is restricted. Areas of the home, although clean and tidy, lack care. For example, a curtain in the toilet is a shower curtain, a young person’s bedroom has broken cupboards and damp/mould in the corner of the window. This means that children and young people are not living in a comfortable home that is regularly maintained and furnished to meet their needs. Children and young people have experienced a difficult time recently that has had a negative impact on their progress and well-being in their home. Children and

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Requires improvement

young people do not have the opportunity to have an advocate. This has resulted in children’s and young people’s views and feelings not being heard, which has had an impact on their self-esteem. The feedback from placing authority social workers is positive, one comments, ’Young person has progressed significantly, there have been major breakthroughs and it has been a challenge at times. Young person now attends education and is in a position where they are now looking at alternative long-term care, which is extremely positive.’

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Requires improvement

Children and young people do not always feel safe in the home, as they do not always enjoy positive relationships with each other. Staff do not identify when behaviours constitute bullying and as a result do not effectively address bullying. Consequently, children and young people are not learning essential life skills on how to reconcile differences and this can have a negative impact on their emotional and physical well-being. Children’s and young people’s risk-taking behaviour has increased during a period of ‘crisis’ in the home. There has been an increase since the previous inspection of children and young people going missing from the home, damage to the home, assaults on staff and physical interventions. This has resulted in children and young people not feeling safe in their home. The home is proactive in looking for missing children and young people. Staff report to relevant professionals and detailed recordings evidence that staff are

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Requires improvement

attempting to safeguard young people from going missing. The home has clear procedures in place to notify the relevant bodies in the event of a young person going missing. Staff understand the relevant policies and procedures and implement them when necessary. However, missing from care interviews are not robust, as a result they are missing opportunities to evaluate whether the child or young person is at risk of further harm or exploitation. The use of physical interventions has increased. Some staff do not receive refresher training to undertake physical interventions and when physical interventions have been used they are not always recorded and reviewed appropriately. Consequently, children and young people are not always fully safeguarded by competent trained staff and there is no management oversight as to whether physical interventions are appropriate. Risk assessments do not always reflect incidents. For example, a risk assessment

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Requires improvement

does not reflect a serious assault on a member of staff and the strategies to use to prevent a further occurrence. This inconsistency leaves children and young people vulnerable to further abusive situations. The manager does not ensure that all staff are carefully selected and vetted. One member of staff has not detailed their full employment history. There is no record that this was explored prior to them beginning their role. This means that the recruitment process is not thorough and that children and young people are not fully protected.

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Requires improvement

The home is currently without a registered manager. Previous management arrangements at the home lacked rigour and efficiency. The current manager came into post two weeks ago. He is experienced and currently undertaking the level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. He is in the process of applying to be a registered manager. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within regulatory timescales at present to obtain their qualification within two years of starting work. There are significant omissions in logs and lack of effective monitoring beyond the most recent management arrangements. Case files are in a poor state so that recording cannot demonstrate that the care being offered to children and young people is being monitored or the home’s performance is being suitably evaluated. This negatively affects the home’s ability to assure children’s and young people’s

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Requires improvement

safety and to monitor their progress. Staff do not receive regular supervision or annual appraisals. In some instances, staff have not had a satisfactory completion of their probation period. As a result, staff do not feel supported. This negatively affects the home’s ability to assure children’s and young people’s safety and to monitor their progress. As a result, staff do not receive the support and guidance that they require to meet children’s and young people’s needs. The staffing composition of the home is small and is not adequately resourced to meet the needs of the children and young people. Staff have worked long hours to ensure that the children and young people have some consistency in their lives. The long hours that staff work coupled with a period of ‘crisis’ has left staff with low morale. Not all requirements have been fully met from the previous inspection. These are regarding feedback on the experience of children and ensuring that staff have the

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Requires improvement

skills, experience and qualifications. There is demonstrable progress that the new manager has listened to children and young people and taken immediate action when it has been appropriate. Both requirements have been repeated. The newly appointed manager has quickly recognised the weaknesses and shortfalls in the home and has quickly implemented a development plan. Some positive effects are already being felt including challenging other agencies where appropriate on behalf of the children and young people. However, there is a considerable way to go. The home has not been achieving its aims and objectives as set out in the statement of purpose, but is beginning to do so now.

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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 that 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

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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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