Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

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:

 The staff team is warm, enthusiastic, responsive and respectful of children in their care.  Children are included, busy and active in the home and local community.  Children experience a wealth of wide experiences, especially during school holidays.  Staff make sure that each day starts on a positive note by reminding and rewarding children for their successes the previous day.  Children enjoy good routines and a family home atmosphere every day. As a result, they are doing well in education and their emotional and physical health are good.  Children feel secure because they experience consistent nurture and support from committed and insightful staff who praise them for every success.  Staff are well trained in therapeutic care and work closely with clinical advice to ensure that their practice effectively meets each child‟s needs.  Children feel safe here: they know what is happening and what is expected

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The children’s home provision is good because:

of them because staff are well organised, helpful and reassuring.  Children understand the consequences of their behaviour on others and are increasingly able to channel their feelings in acceptable, safe and positive ways.  The manager is a warm, respected, well organised, very competent leader. However, the manager gets insufficient support from the organisation and staff cannot currently access diploma training.  Some of the organisation‟s prescribed recording formats do not help staff to make the fullest contribution to care planning.  Staff do not maintain high standards of food hygiene during the school holidays.

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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 the registered person undertakes reviews under regulation 45 that focus on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact that the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  Ensure that the children‟s home complies with relevant health and safety legislation in regard to food hygiene. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that children‟s home staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child‟s needs and developmental stage about when to allow a child to take a particular risk or

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Recommendations

follow a particular course of action. Staff should discuss the decision with the child‟s placing authority where appropriate. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 42, paragraph 9.7)  Ensure that the responsible individual is able to demonstrate that they can effectively supervise the management of each home individually, as well as all of the homes overall. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 60, paragraph 12.4)  Ensure that the registered person has systems in place so that the manager receives supervision of her practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows her to reflect on her practice and the needs of the children assigned to her care. A record of supervision should be kept for the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b). („Guide to the children‟s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraphs 13.2 and 13.3)  Improve and extend the quality of proactive engagement with the placing authority to contribute fully to the relevant plans for the child‟s care on an ongoing basis. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.3)  Ensure that the registered person provides for staff to access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. The registered person should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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Information about this children’s home

This children‟s home is run by a private organisation and offers care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved into this refurbished home. Each of them has a plan for future long-term foster care. Each child enjoyed a well-planned and gradual move. The manager and staff visit children and tell them what the home is like. Children come for tea and have single overnight visits to meet the other children and staff. Before introductions start, the manager ensures good matching is completed. This helps to ensure that children can make progress without any adverse impact on the other children. Existing children are well prepared each time a new child is coming. These practices work well, thanks to the skills and sensitivity of all staff. As a result, each child wants to be here and is happy and settled. Children receive a high standard of individualised care because staff are dedicated, enthusiastic and skilled. The home‟s monthly visitor said in April: „The staff team

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Good

impressed me with their enthusiasm and the levels of responsive care being given to the children. Staff were displaying care and nurture as well as providing clear boundaries appropriate to each child.‟ All three children are making good progress thanks to the impact of this good quality care. For example, one child has gone from wanting to get up and play at 4.00am to getting up now between 6.00am and 7.00am. Her speech is much improved and she has gone up two levels at school. Another child is achieving well in school and is managing his behaviour and emotions much better. His diet is improved, as is his ability to talk about how he is feeling. Children know what is happening and are gaining confidence because staff are particularly skilled in providing well-organised, respectful care. They tell children what they are doing, where they are going and when they will be back in the room or back in the home. For example, they make sure that children know if they are

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Good

going up to their bedroom to put on fresh bed sheets. Staff use photos on doors and boards to make sure that children know which member of staff is working with each child and which member of staff is sleeping in each of the sleep-in rooms. Staff tell children how long they will be away on annual leave. They also swap teddies with children and leave reassuring notes for them to open each day. These strategies help children to adapt to living in residential care and they quickly become more relaxed and secure. One child‟s social worker said: „Being here has allowed my child to experience more stability and security. She is now in a position to accept therapeutic support, which will hopefully lead to lasting change.‟ Staff provide an active, creative, purposeful lifestyle for children. There is a happy atmosphere during term times and in school holidays. Each child gets up to praise and often a certificate celebrating the successes of the previous day. Staff talk

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Good

enthusiastically to them about their plans for the day and how they are going to prepare. For example, one child goes shopping for a second-hand chair and materials to „upcycle‟ it for her room. Another child goes swimming after helping to clean the cars. A third child enjoys his favourite games on the computer before going out to a park. Staff take children on numerous trips to the beach, safari parks and places of interest, as well as short holidays. Picnics and bike rides are regular. In term times, children all enjoy many clubs and activities in the local community, such as cycling, football, swimming clubs and Brownies. Staff also put on special interest days to help children learn about other countries and elements of diverse British cultural celebrations. Staff and children recently took part in a local fun run for a cancer charity. Staff got children involved in making T-shirts and learning how charities and fundraising work, as well as taking part in the run itself.

p.7

Good

Children‟s lifestyle here provides them with improved health, knowledge, social skills and community engagement. Children get good help to understand their emotions and the impact of their behaviour upon others. This is because staff welcome and use regular advice and direct input from the organisation‟s assistant psychologist. Staff know how to talk helpfully to children throughout the day. They use simple and positive explanations to help children learn how to manage difficulties in relationships. They encourage children to feel proud of their achievements, to make amends to others they have hurt and to accept the norms of respectfulness and kindness. For example, staff and children talk as a whole group twice a week about what they are proud of and what they are not proud of. Staff also provide a chalkboard in the playroom where children can write anything. Children use these opportunities well because staff

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Good

consistently prompt and help them. Children therefore understand and accept routines better: they go to bed without a fuss, stick to time limits on their use of electronic games and write a „sorry note‟ to a member of staff that they have been rude to. Overall, children are making good progress towards being able to live successfully in a foster family. Staff work well as a team to help children progress. They all work intensively with each child from a base of caring, good quality relationships. Staff record children‟s activities and behaviour in detail. They conduct and record all significant conversations with children and ensure that all members of staff read them. Staff reflect during and after each shift about what has gone well and less well. This means that staff all know what each child‟s learning and understanding is and how staff will extend it over the coming days and weeks. However, staff‟s reflective

p.7

Good

diaries and shift handover debrief records contain very little comment about their practice. Similarly, staff‟s monthly reports to social workers and reports for children‟s review meetings do not say what practice techniques and care styles are being used. Staff do not write reports and records that draw links between the detail of their care practices and the reasons for children‟s progress. This makes it hard to see which care practices have the most impact on children‟s outcomes. Staff do not record their views and ideas about what works well and less well in their practice and they do not give professional opinions about the speed and content of children‟s care plans. This means that staff do not contribute as much to children‟s care plans as they are able to. It also means that staff lack firm evidence to show when a child is ready to move on to foster care. These weaknesses have no impact on the good quality of care that staff provide, but they undersell the

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Good

skills of staff and do not maximise staff‟s contribution to care planning. Staff organise their shifts well and ensure that each child gets as much as possible out of the day. For some children, this involves a clear focus on moderating food intake and healthier eating patterns. Staff cook meals and involve children in helping with this. They devise healthy snacks, such as frozen melon in hot weather instead of ice creams. However, they had not checked the large fruit bowl until old fruit at the bottom had gone off. They are not making sure that opened food is all labelled with dates by which it must be used or disposed of. Staff are leaving cooked food in the oven to cool. They are not changing tea towels often enough to ensure that clean and dry ones are always used. These shortfalls increase the risk of illness.

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Good

Children who have experienced in their past sexual abuse, neglect and trauma feel safe here. Male and female staff are skilled and sensitive in their provision of care. They constantly explain to children what safe, good adults do and help children to resolve their confused, inappropriate responses. For example, staff consistently help children understand that their bedrooms are safe places to retreat to and that elsewhere in the house they must wear clothes or dressing gowns. Staff also create a sensitive and safe environment in which children can speak up. Staff refer all disclosures about past abuse and allegations to local authority safeguarding teams. Staff, including therapy staff, teach children about safe touch and how to manage sexual feelings. Staff give children clear and consistent messages about acceptable and unacceptable words and behaviour. For example, children are taught about what words are used for body parts and which body parts are OK to

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Good

touch with peers and caring adults. Staff are consistently warm, loving, appropriate role models. They equip children for making safe and happy friendships and associations at school and in the community. Staff have a thorough understanding of the risks that children‟s behaviour difficulties pose. Staff plan daily routines and assess likely risks in order to minimise dangers to children through education, rather than limiting activities. For example, children who were over-familiar with strangers and scared of all males and police have had many talks about stranger danger and the service that police provide. Staff arranged a visit from a local female police officer who showed children the siren controls in the patrol car. Staff reinforce messages each time that they prepare to go out and during any outings. As a result, children are becoming increasingly confident, safe and their behaviour is more acceptable.

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Good

Staff are very clear and consistent about the house rules and the reasons for them. They remind children of what behaviour is expected and why this is safe and appropriate. Children enjoy playing a game devised by staff called „house rules bingo‟. Staff say that this is a fun way to teach and reinforce good behaviour. Where necessary to safeguard children from one another, staff supervise closely and minimise group activities. If children are seriously harming themselves or others, or are about to do so, staff will physically intervene. Staff only restrain as a very last resort and use the minimal holds that the situation requires. The home‟s visitor commented in April: „Child X was supported well during, and after, a physical intervention incident. She had a “life space interview” and was assisted to role play alternative behaviour and this is good practice.‟ Overall, staff provide a good response to children‟s key risks and therefore they have reduced: children do

p.9

Good

not run off, run into the road, self-harm or approach strangers. Children have a good feeling of well-being and security because staff strike the right balance between consistent boundaries and positive behaviour management. Staff are warm and generous with praise, rewards and nurture. The ping-pong ball rewards system is working well as an incentive to children to earn their chosen reward. When their jar is full of ping-pong balls, they have done enough praiseworthy things to get their treat or present. One child‟s social worker said: „Staff have taken the time to get to know my child‟s likes, interests and preferences. This has helped them to establish rewards and consequences that are meaningful to her, which in turn has supported behaviour management.‟ Staff make sure that children feel reassured that they are not bad or dirty if their behaviour has gone wrong. They offer reassuring hugs and make sure that

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Good

children are concentrating on what is being said by perhaps gently touching their arm and maintaining eye contact. They do not isolate children, but give them options, perhaps to use the well-equipped play area next to the kitchen. Staff use behaviour management plans that they keep up to date, clear and helpful. The plans describe the strategies that staff should use, so that everyone is consistent. The organisation expects staff to use a behaviour risk assessment recording system that grades children daily as red, amber or green. If a child has a behaviour incident, related to one of the behaviours listed in the record system, then their risk rating goes to red. It must then stay at red for seven days. Staff do not find this helpful and neither do children. Staff say that the behaviours listed range from quite minor to serious, yet they all move the child to a red rating. Staff say that if children have had a good day, with no risky behaviour, their traffic light colour has

p.9

Good

to stay at red for high risk if they had an incident the previous day. This makes it appear that children are showing behaviours for much longer than they actually are and sometimes implies a greater degree of seriousness than is actually the case. The system does not help staff and managers to monitor children‟s behaviour accurately or to correctly identify and address any trends and patterns. It also means that misleading information about children‟s behaviour is passed on to their social worker.

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Good

The manager is a warm, respected, well-organised, very competent leader. She has leadership and care qualifications that are appropriate for her role. She leads by example and is respected and liked by children and staff alike. She now has a few years‟ experience managing children‟s homes. She has led staff to re-establish the home following its fresh start in 2015. She has ensured that she knows full information about children‟s needs before making matching decisions and she has led good introductory periods for each child in the home. She has established and maintained very good standards of organisation and care practice. As a result, children continually make good progress from their starting points across all aspects of their development. The manager has established a very effective staff team, which is motivated and feels well supported. There has been little staff turnover as a result. Staff supervision and training is tailored to the specific needs of the children. For

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Good

example, staff did some Makaton training prior to one child‟s admission, in order to help the child speak with the aid of signs that she understood already. This child has caught up significantly with her speech as a result. Similarly, staff completed some self-harm training in order to provide individualised support for another child. The child has had minimal episodes of self-harm since admission and staff feel confident that they are giving her the right help. However, a number of staff have had an interruption to their training for the required diploma in residential childcare. Other staff are experiencing a delay in getting started on their diplomas. The organisation has not got an assessor at present. The issue is not having any adverse impact on children and no staff have gone over their two-year timescale for achieving the professional qualification in residential childcare. The manager makes good use of the advice and recommendations of the monthly

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Good

independent visitor. She also takes action on all the requirements and recommendations given at Ofsted inspections. For example, she has improved the effectiveness of her monitoring. She is also thorough and diligent in only accepting children whose needs can be well met and who are compatible with the existing group of children. She is very clear on the thresholds for the use of physical intervention. She makes sure that she and staff reply to children‟s questions more quickly, especially things that they ask in their twice weekly „children‟s chat‟ meeting. Overall, the manager provides an environment that is continuously improving and is achieving the aims set out in its statement of purpose. Placing authorities are very satisfied with the progress that children are making. Social workers regularly visit the home and enjoy fruitful conversations with the manager and staff as well as seeing their children. The manager is well organised

p.11

Good

and ensures that social workers receive regular reports about how their child is progressing. She also ensures that they are promptly made aware of all significant events and difficulties. She is aware that her communications with placing authorities would contribute more fully to care planning if they contained clearer analysis of the impact of staff practice and if they clearly stated professional opinion about children‟s plans. The manager does not get regular, effective supervision. The current responsible individual has many more homes to oversee than the previous responsible individual. She organises meetings of groups of managers, but is rarely able to visit and/or individually supervise the management of the home. The manager says that the current level of support is „not the same‟. She says that she has not done any training that extends her professional development.

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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 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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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