Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warwickshire

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 make good progress in all areas of their development because staff provide good-quality care.  Staff strive to develop nurturing relationships with each young person.  Staff ensure that young people have individualised care plans and risk assessments that are regularly reviewed.  Staff promote positive behaviour.  Staff are alert to the signs and symptoms that might indicate that a young person is at risk of harm.  Staff ensure that there is an excellent relationship between them and school. This forms a contributing factor that enables young people to have excellent school attendance and to make meaningful progress in their learning.  Staff ensure that young people’s views remain central to their care.  The manager ensures that there are good systems in place to help monitor illness or injuries.  Collaborative working exists between the home and all professionals. Partnership working is strong and remains vital in helping young people to

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The children's home provision is good because:

make good levels of progress educationally, socially and emotionally.  Young people enjoy a good range of activities within the community. Staff recognise the importance of supporting and encouraging young people, which helps to develop young people’s emotional well-being and self- esteem.  Young people experience carefully assessed and supported contact with their families, friends and people who are important to them.  Staff feel valued and supported by the registered manager and each other.  There are a few shortfalls in practice. These include one member of staff has not obtained the level 3 qualification in residential childcare within the required timescale. Recruitment and vetting processes do not always pick up gaps in employment history. The registered person has not sent their last six-month review of care into Ofsted. Outstanding repairs compromise securing a homely environment.

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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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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) 03/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England); or (b) a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the level 3 diploma. The relevant date is— (a) is the case of an individual who starts working in the care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in the home; or (b) in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 03/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) 03/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Ensure that children's homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children's homes must comply with the relevant health and safety legislations. However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather that 'institutional' impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Information about this children's home

This home is registered for up to five young people who have emotional or behavioural problems. A large private company owns the service.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Good 18/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/08/2014 Full Adequate

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Good

Young people receive good individualised care. Staff take time to build solid and trusting relationships with young people. One young person told the inspector, ‘I really like it here. The staff helped me settle in very well. Staff listen to me. I can talk to them about anything.’ Young people make good progress because staff provide good-quality care. Young people and their families are clear about their progress. One parent told the inspector, ‘I am really very happy with the care that my daughter has been provided with. I can see a significant improvement in respect of my daughter’s outlook on life.’ All young people are activity engaged in full-time education. The staff have worked collaboratively with educational providers and placing authorities to create tailor- made educational packages that enable young people to achieve their educational potential. Young people make progress in relation to their emotional and social well-being.

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Good

For example, the company provides clinical support to work with the staff and young people. Skills and relationships are carefully considered when matching staff to a young person. This provides young people with the best opportunity to engage and benefit from therapeutic support. Young people’s meetings capture and celebrate each young person’s achievements. These meetings are used to enable young people to have a voice and to be listened to. Young people feel confident to identify issues and make suggestions about issues that are important to them. The registered manager has a good overview of these meetings and responds to each request being made. Staff recognise the importance of encouraging a range of activities to help develop young people’s emotional well-being and self-esteem. For example, young people enjoy community-based activities such as attending youth groups, gymnastics and going to the cinema. These daily experiences help young people to develop a sense

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Good

of self-worth and to have a positive connection with their community. Young people experience carefully assessed and supported contact with their families, friends and people who are important to them. They are helped to develop these relationships in ways that promote their future relationships. Alongside this, young people are learning the skills that they need to be independent adults. For example, one young person works part time. Young people are able to do their own laundry, prepare meals and travel independently. Staff have a commitment to ensuring that the home is well maintained. However, staff are frustrated that repairs are not routinely completed in a timely manner. Outstanding repairs detract from the overall homely environment.

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Good

Young people receive good-quality help and protection from the registered manager and staff. Each young person’s individual risks and vulnerabilities are well understood. For example, in cases where young people self-harm, staff are aware of the patterns of behaviour for each young person. This aids them in identifying times of potential crises for the young person and the opportunity to put in preventative measures to enhance young people’s safety. Staff are trained in appropriate safe-care practice and refer any safeguarding incidents to the relevant professionals. They know how to keep young people safe and work well with other professionals to manage risks effectively. The registered manager works collaboratively with other professionals to manage young people’s risks, such as the local authority and police. Staff are clear about the use of the internet and monitor this closely. Young people are well supported to learn how to

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Good

keep themselves safe, both in the community and online. Young people’s complex needs mean that they can at times display extremely difficult and challenging behaviour. Staff have a good understanding of these behaviours and know what action to take to address them. This ensures that young people, including the most vulnerable, benefit from effective support and protection. A social worker said, ‘The home has solid boundaries and is straight talking with (young person), which is the approach (young person) needs. Risks have significantly reduced for (young person) due to the care she has received.’ Teaching young people to be accountable for their own behaviour is central to the ethos of the home. The use of negative sanctions is low because staff deploy a strength-based approach to supporting young people to take responsibility for their behaviour. Emphasis is placed on verbal de-escalation. Staff receive training in the

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Good

appropriate use of physical restraint but only ever use this as a last resort. On occasions when restraint is necessary to prevent serious harm, there is careful debrief and analysis of each incident. Records made by staff when a physical intervention has occurred receive management oversight, and young people have the opportunity to talk about the restraint with someone away from the home. This is helping to ensure that the use of restraint is proportionate and that staff and young people are receiving opportunities to reflect on incidents. Episodes of self-harming and of young people going missing have reduced. This is due to the nurture and care that young people receive from staff. Staff work in effective partnership with police, the clinical team and local authorities to protect young people from harm in these circumstances. Staff understand the risks to young people of child sexual exploitation. Those

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Good

young people who were historically highly vulnerable to exploitation are no longer. Staff have engaged with training to raise their individual knowledge base. Staff know the signs and symptoms, and proactively monitor all young people at the home. This means that young people are safer. Young people’s safety is also promoted through staff ensuring that young people have detailed missing from home plans. These specify the actions to be taken by staff and others. Return from care interviews are consistently available to young people. This integrated approach to protecting young people means that young people become increasingly safe. The manager has not consistently followed safer recruitment processes when vetting potential new staff. For example, gaps in the employment history of one member of staff have not been sufficiently explored. This shortfall in practice leaves weaknesses in the recruitment procedure and means that young people are

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Good

not fully protected from potential harm.

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Good

The registered manager has been in post since 2012. She has considerable experience and is qualified to level 5 diploma in leadership and management. An experienced staff team supports young people, with the vast majority of staff members holding their level 3 in residential childcare qualification. However, one member of staff has not managed to complete their qualification within the required timeline. All members of staff take a child-focused approach in their everyday practice to enable young people to thrive educationally, emotionally and physically. A social worker commented, ‘(Young person) has made huge progress since she arrived at (home). Staff have been supportive and are holistic in their approach to her care.’ The registered manager understands young people’s individual needs, and ensures that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet them. Effective team meetings ensure good communication and consistency of practice across the staff group. All

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Good

staff attend these meetings. Mutually supportive and respectful relationships exist across the staff group. These demonstrate positive role models and consistency for the young people. Staff feel valued and supported by the registered manager and each other. They feel listened to, and that their views are valued. This helps the staff to remain highly motivated in their care of young people. The registered manager ensures that staff receive regular training, and have the skills and competencies necessary to meet the diverse needs of the young people. The manager ensures that there are systems in place so that important training is regularly refreshed. This will help to ensure that a suitably qualified staff team delivers high-quality care to young people. Partnership working with other agencies is strong and remains vital in helping young people to make good levels of progress educationally, socially and

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Good

emotionally. A social worker commented, ‘I am regularly updated about the young person’s significant events. I receive regular reports and written evidence of any incidents.’ The registered manager routinely completes a review of the quality of care provided for children at least once every six months. However, the last report was not sent into Ofsted. An independent visitor completes monthly visits and writes a detailed report. The registered manager uses these reports to help her develop the service, with the key focus being on young people in her care. The registered manager is aware of the strengths and areas of development for the service. The registered manager is enthusiastic and committed to ensuring that the service continues to evolve and develop for the benefit of the young people in her care. The manager ensures that the home’s statement of purpose accurately reflects the services offered to young people.

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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

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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