Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Dudley

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Four young people have lived here in the four months since the last inspection. Two of them are progressing well and two have experienced crises that necessitated returns to hospital or secure accommodation. Staff and managers continue to be diligent about matching young people carefully and facilitating smooth introductions to the home. For example, staff visit young people prior to placement and tell them about the home. The manager organise for young people to come to the home for tea and overnight visits wherever possible. This means that young people get to know where they are coming to and can make an informed decision if to accept the placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good educational progress. One young person has progressed from home tutoring to full-time schooling in a local drama school. The virtual school head from her placing authority told staff, ‘She is a totally different young person to the one that I first met. She clearly feels very comfortable in your care and is making excellent progress and for that I thank you.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have good opportunities to explore their individual interests and improve their self-confidence and social skills. This is because staff are attentive and creative in their practice. For example, staff help young people with their interests in paganism and Islamism. Staff and young people learn about these together and celebrate festivals, such as the autumn equinox and Eid. Staff also help young people to get the most out of time with their families, by facilitating trips to the beach or meals out.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s self-confidence grows because staff are sensitive and insightful about the stigma attached to living in a care home. They collect young people from school in discreet ways that does not mark young people out as being different.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are safe here. Since the last inspection no young people have gone missing or required physical intervention. Staff are alert to young people’s emotional state and are vigilant when they are experiencing crises. They make good use of clear behaviour management plans to inform their practice. Staff and the home’s psychologist make positive relationships with young people. Young people can therefore tell staff how they are feeling. Staff involve the emergency services when it is appropriate to do so and they stay with young people in hospital. This practice helps young people feel safe and allows them to make progress.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Sometimes staff have not worked collaboratively with social workers to review risk assessments and plans for young people. For some young people, they have felt restricted because they are not yet allowed to have unsupervised family contact, money or free time.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff keep in touch with young people and visit them after they have moved on. One young person told staff that her placement here was the most positive one that she had experienced. She also said that her attachments to staff continue to be important to her. Another young person is now living locally on a semi- independent basis. The deputy manager keeps in touch with her and continues to offer her some support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staffing issues have persisted throughout the four months since the last inspection, but they have not caused the overall quality of care to decline. Some agency staff have been used and members of staff have worked additional shifts, including waking nightshifts. Some staff have found this stressful and two have left. Staff have sometimes found it difficult to get hold of management advice out of hours, although the deputy manager has made herself available by phone, round the clock. One serious incident occurred when an agency member of staff fell asleep while supporting a young person in hospital. This serious incident was not notified to Ofsted.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have worked hard during recent weeks on the recruitment and training of staff. The staff and management team now consists of nine staff, seven of whom are qualified in residential childcare. Staff vacancies still exist, but agency staff are not needed because of higher staff numbers.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s psychologist has provided staff with workshop sessions on mental health and understanding complex trauma and attachment. She is also teaching staff the principles of care practice that is based playfulness, acceptance, curiosity and empathy. Managers are providing good quality supervision and support to staff, including opportunities to reflect on their practice in stressful situations. The new manager said, ‘De-briefs are so important.’ All these actions upskill staff and help them to practice at a consistently high standard.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The new manager and the deputy have an adequate grasp of all the strengths and weaknesses that exist in the home. They act on the requirements and recommendations of Ofsted inspectors and independent visitors. Managers ensure that young people’s views, wishes and feelings are central to their monitoring activity. However, the manager and deputy are still not focusing carefully enough on areas of known weakness. Their reviews of care skim over the surface of every aspect, leaving too little time for detailed analysis of key problems. Continuing problem areas include staff retention, staff training and effective case planning with local authority colleagues.

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Information about this children's home

The home is part of a large limited company. It provides care for up to five children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home specialises currently in helping young people who have associated mental health difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 14 July 2016 Full Good 11 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 22 July 2015 Full Requires improvement 20 January 2015 Full Requires improvement

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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

Ensure that the registered person notifies HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 06/01/2107

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able understand and where possible, address any negative trends. ('Guide to the quality standards', page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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Recommendations

 Decide what each review should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. Consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the Quality Standards every six months – registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home's care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next 6 months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report

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Recommendations

should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. ('Guide to the quality standards', page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children's home staff have a day to day understanding of young people's capabilities and needs and make a valuable contribution to the pathway planning process. They should actively seek to make the fullest contribution, working with other relevant persons. ('Guide to the quality standards', page 17, paragraph 3.28)

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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

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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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