Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bedford

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In order to meet the requirement made at the last inspection the manager has identified the need to provide training for staff in supervising contact. The training is booked but has yet to take place.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no change to the mix of children within the home since the last inspection. The children have been generally settled and continue to make progress. They are positive about the improvements that they are making in their lives. One child spoke positively about how her behaviour has improved since being at the home. She has identified strategies that she uses when she gets annoyed or angry and now feels able to walk away from situations, ‘I breathe out and calm down.’ The children report that they get on well with the staff. Throughout the inspection the children and the staff were interacting with warmth and good humour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Each of the children is making progress in education. The children are attending and engaging with education and are on target to achieve relevant qualifications. Education professionals are positive about the support that the staff offer. A social worker reported an increase of 33% in one child’s attendance at school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff adopt a positive approach to behaviour management. There is a culture of rewarding good behaviour. The children enjoy the opportunity to earn rewards. These offer positive reinforcement and contribute to generally good behaviour in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use physical intervention infrequently when needed to keep the children safe. When the staff do so, these interventions are appropriate and reflect the least restrictive approach. They are ‘guides’ rather than restraints. However, the records need to improve to comply with regulation. They are not always completely clear about the duration of incidents and they do not consistently capture debriefs with the staff involved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No children have gone missing since the last inspection. This is significant given the starting points of the children who all arrived with a history of going missing. External professionals report that risks are reducing and the children are becoming increasingly safe. One social worker said, ‘The staff have settled her and contained her well and she is starting to build rapport.’ Another referred to the commitment of staff, ‘They had a really tough time and managed to stick with it. They actually keep her safe.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a positive approach to risk management. The staff work with external professionals and the children to establish a phased approach to increasing independence and managing the associated risks. This supportive approach helps the children to better prepare for life after the home when many of the constraints that they currently experience will dissolve.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

External professionals speak very positively about the quality of care provided. They consider the home to be a safe and contained environment. They report that staff are responsive and that the children are settled. They say that the staff keep them informed and updated. A parent was also positive about the service stating that he has confidence because the staff are both supportive and responsive.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a good general awareness of the home’s strengths. She undertakes unannounced visits when the staff least expect them. This provides her with a degree of insight into the quality of practice. She is alert to the potential weaknesses arising from the current staffing situation. The staff generally report that the management team supports them. The manager is able outline a range of mechanisms through which she achieves this. However, there has been a high turnover of staff over recent months. As a result there are a number of new and inexperienced staff in post. This creates difficulties in achieving a balance between staff who are experienced and staff who are not. Sometimes the manager has not achieved this balance. There have been occasions when all the staff on shift overnight are either inexperienced and have either not received training in physical interventions or are unable to use physical interventions for other reasons. This

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

does not safeguard the children or the staff. In addition, on one occasion the manager left a new member of staff alone for a short period with a child. This was despite the member of staff being in post for less than a fortnight and being new to residential child care.

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care and accommodation for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and who are at risk of or subject to child sexual exploitation. A large organisation owns and operates this provision.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 05/10/2016 Full (aligned) Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/09/2015 Full Good 24/02/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered provider must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. This is with regard to making sure that shifts include staff with sufficient experience and staff who are able to physically intervene to keep children safe. In addition, the staff should receive the planned training in supervising contact. 31/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes all matters set out in regulation 35 (3)(a) and (b). (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(b)) 31/12/2016

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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