Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Birmingham

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 experience genuine, warm and skilled care from well-trained and nurturing staff.  Staff have a good knowledge of young people’s risks and vulnerabilities, and use safeguarding systems and procedures well to keep young people safe.  Staff provide highly individualised care that enables each young person to thrive emotionally, physically and psychologically.  Young people enjoy healthy, diverse and challenging new experiences, thanks to the creativity of staff.  The staff team’s excellent role modelling equips young people to live safe lifestyles.  The registered manager ensures that matching of young people is carefully considered before decisions are made.  Young people are carefully prepared, emotionally and practically, for moving into and out of the home.  Young people make good progress educationally, thanks to well-coordinated support provided by the on-site school and the home’s care staff.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 The registered manager and staff ensure that young people’s views and opinions are central to the running of the home and are carefully considered in all decision making.  The registered manager is a warm, well-organised, respected and effective leader who ensures that children are well matched to live together.  The registered manager ensures that staff members work collaboratively with social workers and police to safeguard young people, resulting in young people receiving good-quality and integrated care.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to six children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and complex needs. The home is owned by a private provider.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/10/2015 Full Good 13/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/11/2014 Full Adequate

p.4

Good

Young people enjoy warm and nurturing relationships with staff who care deeply about them. Each young person understands what is expected of them and strive to make the personal progress that is required for their future plans. Staff communicate clearly with young people and talk regularly to them about their plans. For example, one young person recently made sufficient progress to move back to her home area. She learned to take more responsibility for her health and well-being and staying safe when using social networking.

p.5

Good

Young people are making good progress educationally, based on their starting points. They attend all their lessons at their educational settings, thanks to careful support from staff that helps each young person to keep to the routines. Staff give young people regular help with core skills in reading and writing. A social worker told the inspector, ‘This is the first time in (young person’s) life that she has had the stability, warmth and care that she requires to progress. She has never engaged in anything meaningful before. Staff have been persistent and proactive in sourcing a suitable educational setting and convincing (young person) to attend. It has been great.’

p.5

Good

Young people are supported to manage their own health needs, when appropriate. Nevertheless, staff still ensure that young people are registered with primary healthcare and specialist services. This means that young people can access services and receive treatment without undue delay. This, in turn, helps to enhance their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. For example, when young people have anxieties about attending appointments, they are sensitively supported to engage through preparation completed in key-work sessions.

p.5

Good

Where appropriate to do so, young people are encouraged to develop their level of responsibility in preparation for their transition to adulthood. This is reflected in the key skills that young people have developed. For example, some young people are supported to plan, shop for and cook their own meals. Young people are also encouraged and supported to manage a budget. This enables young people to improve their own resilience and life skills. Staff support young people’s transitions out of the home well. For example, one young person recently moved to live independently. Staff and the manager worked well with the social worker to make sure that the timing of the move suited the young person. Staff and the manager have kept in touch, in a planned way, through phone conversations and visits.

p.5

Good

Staff work extremely effectively with young people’s relatives and with professionals. Staff facilitate young people’s contact with family members with sensitivity and care, so that it is safe and enjoyable, and is able to increase safely and/or become unsupervised. Staff are also very much in tune with family circumstances and use their knowledge to help to plan for potential difficulties for the young people.

p.5

Good

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 made.

p.6

Good

Young people have important opportunities to mix with friends who they have made locally. Consequently, young people are all making good progress with their relationships with friends and the public. Staff fully recognise the importance of these opportunities as a stepping stone towards future positive relationships for each young person.

p.6

Good

Inspectors were aware during the inspection that a serious incident had occurred at the setting. This is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

p.6

Good

Young people are safe and protected from harm. Safeguarding policies include strategies to ensure that safeguarding is responsive to the needs of young people with complex needs. The emphasis on safeguarding practice and strategy is comprehensively embedded in the functioning of the home. Staff understand each young person’s needs and quickly recognise changes in their presentation and behaviour. Collaborative working is a particular strength of the home. A police officer told the inspector, ‘I am extremely happy with the working relationship of the police and the care home at this time. The care home is proactive in its approach and asks the opinion and expertise of the police in relation to safeguarding the children in their care. The care home is forward looking and work in the best interest of the children.’

p.6

Good

Staff work effectively with specialist health services to protect young people during risk-taking behaviours such as self-harm. Staff work tirelessly to ensure that appropriate support is available for young people. This integrated approach to protecting young people means that they become increasingly safe. There have been two unauthorised absences since the last inspection. These incidents were well managed. Staff give young people skilled and sensitive help, protection and support to recover from their experiences and learn how to live safely in the future.

p.6

Good

Staff and the registered manager have a thorough understanding of the risks that each young person might experience from exploitation. The staff base all their work with young people on helping them to understand what has happened in their past and to learn new skills to make safer decisions for their future. Staff offer young people a purposeful, fulfilling, healthy and more self-aware lifestyle. Relationships between them are safe, nurturing and helpful. Staff enable young people to succeed in education and independence. Young people are taught how to make friendships that are based on equality and mutual respect. Staff make sure that there are good daily routines, and plenty of praise and encouragement.

p.7

Good

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. The use of negative sanctions is low, because staff deploy a strength- based approach to support young people to take responsibility for their behaviour. Interaction between staff and young people is observed to be caring and supportive. The emphasis is always on verbal de-escalation. Physical interventions are only used when they are necessary, and staff ensure that records are rigorously completed. Restraints are well recorded, and all involved with the young person’s care are informed. Staff work tremendously well as a team in managing young people’s behaviour. They provide consistency and safety for young people,

p.7

Good

enabling them to express their views and supporting them if they are upset or struggling to express their emotions effectively.

p.7

Good

The registered manager ensures that location risk assessments include local statistical data regarding crime and community resources. This ensures that local areas of risk in the vicinity are known. This information assists staff in supporting young people to keep safe during free time in the community.

p.7

Good

Staff undertake regular health and safety checks, routine servicing of equipment and robust risk assessments to ensure that the home is safe for young people. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so that they understand how to leave the home safely in an emergency.

p.7

Good

Young people are protected by the organisation’s robust recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These procedures promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

The registered manager has been in post for six years. She has many years of experience of work and management of children’s homes, and has the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She enjoys her work and is very confident in the practice of her staff team. In addition to the registered manager, five members of staff hold the level 3 diploma in residential childcare. All other members of staff are either enrolled or waiting to start their level 3 diploma in residential childcare. All staff completing their reward are within the regulatory timeframe for completion.

p.8

Good

The registered manager prioritises the needs of young people well. She spends time with young people, but also very effectively delegates work and decisions to her staff. Staff therefore develop and use their skills very fruitfully, both in their direct work with each young person, and in their consultation and advocacy with other professionals involved in each young person’s life.

p.8

Good

The registered manager’s clear understanding of young people’s progress means that she can contribute well to their plans and drive continuing progress. Effective team meetings ensure good communication and consistency of practice across the staff group. There are mutually supportive and respectful relationships across the staff group. These demonstrate positive role models and consistency to the young people. Staff talk positively about the support that they receive, especially in relation to the registered manager. Staff supervisions routinely take place. Supervision sessions are consistently recorded, as required by the company policy. This allows opportunity for managerial oversight and staff development.

p.8

Good

The registered manager takes on board the recommendations and advice provided by the home’s independent visitors. These visits, together with other systems, enable the registered manager to monitor the quality of care. As a result, young people benefit from a consistency of care that achieves better outcomes than previously. The registered manager has well-organised recording and monitoring systems. This means that all staff can make and find records with ease. Good systems mean that staff do not waste unnecessary time in the office. Staff therefore meet the needs of young people well, and in accordance with individual care plans and the home’s statement of purpose.

p.8

Good

The registered manager conducts regular audits and reviews of the quality of care, and clearly identifies all errors and reflects openly on areas of weakness. Young people make good progress across all aspects of their development and staff continue to work very effectively.

p.8

Good

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. This will help to ensure that a suitably qualified staff team delivers high-quality care to young people.

p.8

Good

There were no recommendations or requirements made at the last inspection, yet the registered manager remains well motivated to develop and improve the quality of care and leadership continuously. She is keen to improve the standard of recording within the home and focus more on celebrating the achievement of young people by having a ‘wall of fame’.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 0300 123 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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