Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

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 benefit from being well cared for by a strong manager and a highly motivated and resilient staff team.  Staff are highly skilled at providing a warm, nurturing environment and building strong, trusting relationships with young people.  Young people are always at the centre of this home’s practice, irrespective of the significant challenges they present.  Staff have the proven ability to quickly re-establish constructive family contact for young people and to ensure that it remains a positive experience for all concerned.  Staff ensure that timely specialist services are in place to meet effectively young people’s specific and more complex needs.  Good collaborative working is firmly established with relevant agencies to safeguard and promote young people’s welfare.  This competent staff team calmly and safely manages some extreme behaviours without resorting to police involvement and further

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The children’s home provision is good because:

criminalisation, which would impact on young people’s future career opportunities.  There are particularly good internal auditing systems in place to identify patterns and trends, key strengths and areas requiring further development.  There are four areas for improvement. These are to ensure that: effective escalation processes are in place to ensure that all required documentation is on children’s files; that independent visitors consult with young people and other relevant parties about the quality of care provided in the home; there is a consistent promotion of healthy eating within the home and a robust system to be in place for the timely and relevant sharing of information on independent return interviews.

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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 within the given timescales.

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Children’s case records standard

The registered person must maintain records for each child which- (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; with particular reference to minutes of statutory reviews and personal education plans. (Regulation 36, Schedule 3, (17) and (20)) 30/09/2016

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Independent person: visits and reports standard

Ensure that reports of independent monitoring visits to the home consistently demonstrate consultations with children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 30/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 To meet the health and well-being standard, the home must demonstrate that it actively encourages young people to lead healthy lifestyles and in particular, to make good dietary choices. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)

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Recommendations

 To meet the protection of children standard, the children’s home must demonstrate that the information from independent return interviews is used to assess new risks and to put arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home was registered in November 2015 to provide care and accommodation for up to six children and young people at any given time who are experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties. This is the first inspection since registration.

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Good

Staff place the well-being of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the significant and sustained challenges they present. They are extremely attentive to young people’s individual needs and show them dignity and respect at all times. Furthermore, they actively listen and respond positively to their wishes and concerns if it is in young people’s best interests, or sensitively explain why something is not possible. Consequently, all the young people currently living at this home are making good progress from their individual starting points.

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Good

Comments from young people included: ‘I like the computers best. I choose my meals and have done up my room. Staff keep me safe and encourage me to do my best’; ‘I have got my own hamster for being better behaved and I look after it well’; and ‘I got my favourite magazine for taking part in my [personal education plan] meeting, and £3, which I am saving for a new game, for helping to write my placement plan.’

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Good

A relative wrote: ‘The standard of the home and the care my grandson receives is excellent. He gets on really well with the staff. He is safe here and is going to school after refusing for a long time before he moved there.’ One young person recently disclosed that he had never been in residential care before and was really struggling with communal living and being a significant distance from family. That said, he has made excellent progress, in that his risk- taking behaviours within the community before moving to the home have ceased altogether. His understanding was that he would be leaving at the end of the school term, and so initially had little investment in the placement. Despite a history of frequent missing from home incidents, he is now enjoying and then returning from contact with his family, and is beginning to settle and gain a sense of belonging. This is significant progress. There have been three unplanned end of placements since this home became

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Good

operational in January, but the home positively influenced the future placements for all three young people to help promote their safety and happiness. For example, one young person was purposely placed away from local negative influences and went to live with his brother. This was as a direct result of the home re-establishing this positive family contact. All the young people benefit from constructive contact with family and friends in line with any legal restrictions and personal preferences. This positively promotes a better understanding of their unique backgrounds and heritage. The staff have secured an arrangement for one young person to spend quality time with his aunt most days after school. This has effectively improved his school attendance, stopped him going missing and is positively promoting his identity. Young people receive good support from staff to attend school, and effective liaison is firmly established with their teaching staff. Consequently, educational

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Good

attendance and engagement have improved for all the young people in this placement. One young person who was previously disengaged from education was thrilled to be bought a kitten for successfully completing all her GCSEs. One young person is transported a significant distance to school each day. Consequently, since his admission in January, his attendance has improved from 50% to 80.6%. This has successfully maintained his place in a mainstream school and enabled him to complete his end-of-year examinations. His marks show that he is now back on target in English and is exceeding expectations in mathematics. The school is highly appreciative of this effective partnership working and wrote: ‘We totally understand the reasons why he doesn’t always attend and the battles you have with him, but his attendance and punctuality have certainly improved and he is generally doing well. Many thanks for your useful updates and ongoing

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Good

support; together we can achieve positive outcomes for him.’ Another young person had not been in school for six months before admission, yet to his credit he attended this company’s school on day one. The care staff initially supported him in school to ensure a consistent approach to his unique learning, emotional and behavioural needs. His report reads: ‘This pupil has made a positive start. The great relationship between school and the children’s home has allowed for his education to be flexible and now he is able to make use of a full timetable. He also demonstrates a high level of competence due to encouragement within the home and ensuring that his homework is completed on time.’ One young person has responded positively to the introduction of a star chart to improve his school attendance, punctuality and behaviour. He said: ‘I am saving them up to get a bigger prize.’ Young people have the opportunity to engage in a

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Good

wide range of constructive activities. Individual interests and talents are actively encouraged and supported, which strengthens confidence and competencies. Since moving to this home, none of the young people smoke cigarettes. Two young people had a significant history of substance misuse before admission, and one young person regularly consumed alcohol. These habits have ceased completely in this placement. This has had a very positive impact on their physical health and emotional well-being. One young person has attended all health appointments since moving to this home, which is excellent progress. A social worker highlighted that, ‘my young person is particularly well supported in this home with her health needs.’ Young people benefit from plenty of fresh air and regular physical exercise. Current favourites include football, tennis, trampolining, gym and martial arts. The home provides homemade, nutritious meals with meat and vegetarian options

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Good

or a healthy snack. Young people choose the menus, so they all enjoy at least one of their favourite meals every week. However, one young person is not always making wise choices and this is not being stringently monitored by staff.

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Good

The staff are strong and effective advocates for young people in ensuring that they receive the assessments and specialist services that they require to best meet their specific and more complex needs. This home also benefits from access to qualified therapists to support young people’s emotional and mental health needs. A psychologist confirmed good partnership working. She said: ‘The manager and her team are passionate about the young people and provide me with daily updates to inform my sessions.’

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Good

The staff have successfully helped one young person to overcome a genuine fear of taking his prescribed medication to help him sleep. This means he is less tired the following day and so is better able to concentrate in school.

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Good

There are good opportunities for all the young people to gain age- and ability- appropriate life skills needed for future independent living. This includes positively contributing and influencing their daily lives and learning effective negotiation skills. They all know how to raise a complaint, and some have exercised that right. Records show that these complaints were taken seriously and fully investigated, and outcomes reached in a timely manner. This reinforces to young people that their views genuinely matter, which increases their self-esteem and confidence. Practical skills developed in this home include: money management; cooking; household chores; independent travel; and producing a curriculum vitae and gaining the confidence to actively seek paid employment. Judgement grade

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Good

This home places great emphasis on providing a particularly warm and nurturing environment. This means that young people with significant attachment disorders are building trusting relationships with the staff. In turn, this is enabling them to express their feelings openly about previous traumatic events and discuss more appropriate ways of managing their anger and frustrations. One parent said: ‘The staff are nice. I am impressed with the home. I know my son is in a safe place when I leave.’ A social worker wrote: ‘This is an excellent service who keep me well informed. My young person is noticeably more relaxed here.’ An independent reviewing officer concluded: ‘All the young people are treated and respected as individuals. My young person is kept safe. He has significant difficulties forming relationships, yet he has formed positive relationships with some staff here and his hobbies and interests are supported.’

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Good

All the staff are trained to ensure an appropriate response to any disclosures of abuse. Records demonstrate that correct procedures are followed and that there is ongoing, effective liaison with the local authority designated officer, appropriate record keeping and good support to young people. Staff have a particularly good understanding of child sexual exploitation and actively challenge placing authorities if there is not an efficient response to any safeguarding concerns. This team also demonstrates the confidence and competence to enable young people to take age- and ability-appropriate risks as part of their development into adulthood. One young person, for example, with a significant history of offending and going missing from home, now enjoys free time with friends. On admission, she immediately got involved in criminal damage within the home, but all these behaviours have ceased. In fact, she has since helped to improve the ambience in

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Good

the home with wall art. Placing authorities confirm good partnership working and are highly satisfied with the arrangements in place at this home to keep young people safe and promote their welfare. Comments include: ‘My young person is safer here due to the high level of supervision they provide. They have managed him incredibly well’; ‘The staff are incredibly committed and so vigilant in keeping my young person safe. He has caused massive levels of criminal damage, but they have not criminalised him’; and, ‘The staff have a very calm approach even when intimidated.’ This staff team demonstrates resilience, patience and calmness in daily managing significant and sustained verbal and physical aggression. One member of staff said: ‘I have worked in residential care for 15 years and I have never known these sorts of challenges before.’ One social worker is extremely impressed with the staff’s ability to calmly and safely manage some extreme behaviours. She said: ‘I

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Good

trust the staff here. They keep me safe when I visit. They are in control and can manage his extreme behaviours. On many occasions they could have legitimately called the police, but they haven’t. They are a strong staff team.’ On occasions, staff have had to appropriately seek police assistance, but this has not necessarily culminated in arrests. In fact, good working relationships with the police and the appropriate use of restorative justice have successfully avoided further criminalisation of young people. This is because staff are acutely aware of the impact this has on young people’s future career opportunities. Rules and boundaries are frequently reinforced and consistently applied in spite of some extreme challenges, one example being denying access to electronic games during school hours. The staff also support young people to re-establish routines including meal and sleep patterns. Highly individualised financial incentives are

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Good

gradually having the desired effect on behaviours, resulting in a marked reduction in the use of physical restraint. Moreover, young people are now starting to positively influence their peers. For example, one young person was rewarded for successfully persuading another young person not to go missing. Another young person is now making better choices and was treated to a meal and a trip to the cinema for purposely not getting embroiled in the negative behaviours of peers.

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Good

This home emphasises the positive reinforcement of good behaviour and efforts. The relatively few sanctions imposed are evaluated by the manager to ensure that they are effective and proportionate to the particular misdemeanour.

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Good

The use of restraint is also stringently monitored by the manager to ensure safe practice at all times and that the least restrictive hold is applied for the shortest duration possible. Since June, the use of physical restraint has ceased altogether for one young person, which is significant progress and demonstrates his increased sense of security and belonging. The manager has a very good analytical overview of patterns and trends. One young person, for example, had no physical interventions for over three months when he was living at the home on his own. Staff are now helping him to learn to share their attention with other young people. Good analysis also showed an escalation in one young person’s behaviours when additional members of staff came to the home for team meetings. In response, they moved location and the incidents demonstrably declined. Restraint records are in good order. They clearly show that the views of young people are sought to

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Good

constantly reflect and improve upon practice.

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Good

All the required internal and independent health and safety checks are undertaken at the required frequencies and, due to criminal damage, a continual programme of redecoration and refurbishment is in place. This ensures a safe and well- maintained building. The appropriate use of restorative justice, including putting up pictures, mending furniture and letters of apology, helps young people to reflect on their behaviours. The staff have also immediately and positively responded to one young person’s recent request for more specialist help after the young person realised that, ‘I feel angry all the time, even when I am having a good day.’

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Good

Effective working relationships with the local police are firmly established. This has resulted, for example, in the serving of an abduction order. As a result, overall, there is a decrease in both the frequency and duration of missing from home incidents from young people’s starting points. Also, owing to a good analysis of patterns and trends, effective strategies are immediately put in place to prevent a reoccurrence. For example, when there was only one young person living at the home, he said he ran away from school to be with friends. In response, increased positive contact was established with friends and family. This has resulted in no incidents of his going missing since May. One young person with a history of going missing has only had one incident here. Moreover, this was his way of avoiding escalating behaviours in the home. He remained in the local area and returned safely within three hours of his own accord

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Good

after calming down. This is significant progress. Contractual arrangements are in place to ensure timely independent return interviews. These are completed away from the children’s home. However, this information is not shared with the staff to enable them to reflect on their practice, review strategies and revise individual risk assessments to try to prevent a reoccurrence. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and has 16 years’ expertise in this position. She provides clear direction and good support to her team. She is very child focused and passionate about offering a nurturing environment, and leads by example. In particular, she has an extremely calm persona that makes young people and staff feel safe even during the management of extreme, challenging behaviours. In turn, she benefits from an experienced deputy. Together, they ensure good staffing ratios at all times to meet the diverse and highly complex needs and unique personal preferences of all the young people.

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Good

Staff confirm good management support, regular supervision and training. Poor performance is appropriately challenged and actions put in place for improvement. A robust system of probationary reviews is firmly established to monitor progress of all new appointments, including internal promotions. One member of staff said: ‘I think we work well as a team and it’s a nice environment to work in with good communication.’

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Good

The working relationships between the school located on the same site, the therapeutic service and the care team are particularly strong. This means that the home is a sought-after resource, reflected in the receipt of 400 referrals since its registration in November 2015. It can accommodate up to six young people, but the registered manager has been resolute in not admitting more than three young people at any one time to ensure that they all feel settled and safe. Impact risk assessments are completed before any new admission, taking into account the needs, vulnerabilities and views of young people already in placement. For example, it was important to one young person that the next admission was a man of a similar age. The internal monitoring processes in place provide a rigorous, evaluative and analytical assessment of the home and include appropriate actions to improve continuously. Required documentation is maintained to a good standard. Independent visitors

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Good

particularly highlight ‘child-friendly placement plans’ and ‘extremely detailed risk assessments that are regularly updated’. Both of these clearly demonstrate young people’s input. However, despite frequent escalation to placing authorities, review minutes are not on all young people’s files and they are awaiting personal educational plans for two young people who are new to the home. This organisation has sourced another provider to undertake monthly independent monitoring visits to the home from August. This is due to concerns raised by the manager about inaccuracies and the general quality of the reports produced. They also do not consistently include consultations with young people, their parents and relatives. In fact, one visit took place when young people were at school, so their views were not reflected.

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Good

The home’s statement of purpose is frequently updated to ensure that it always accurately reflects the current aims, policies, practices and staffing structures of the home. Detailed notifications of significant incidents are sent to Ofsted in a timely manner and regular updates are provided. These demonstrate that correct procedures are followed and effective collaborative working is well established with all relevant safeguarding agencies. This ensures young people’s continued protection.

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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 the ‘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 children looked after 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 that 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 whom 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, work- based 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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