Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Return from going missing interviews are not consistently held between young people and independent advocates. As a result, young people are not able to share their feelings and worries independently from the staff in their home. Also, senior managers are unable to identify and respond to any patterns or trends emerging that lead to young people going missing.  One young person’s interactions towards a member of staff were not always clearly understood by other staff. Leaders and managers did not respond quickly enough to address these concerns. As a result, this placed the young person at risk of self-harm and emotional upset.  Safeguarding training is provided to a good level. However, when a staff member was questioned they were unable to provide a clear account of the correct safeguarding procedure.  Supporting young people with positive behaviour is not always restorative to meet their emotional needs.

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The children's home strengths

 The home is clean, homely and provides children and young people with a welcoming atmosphere.  The children and young people currently living at the home are both settled and attending school regularly.  Both of their arrivals into the home were very well managed by managers and staff.  Children’s and young people’s interests outside of school are encouraged and facilitated well by staff. For example, horse riding and choir are enjoyed by children and young people.  Children and young people are well supported to have contact with family members where appropriate.  Opportunities to gain the needs, wishes and feelings of young people are frequently taken by staff. This has developed good relationships between children and young people and staff.  Team meetings are regular and focused upon the needs of children and young people. As a result, children’s and young people’s needs are met by good care planning.

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The children's home strengths

 The use of the police to manage challenging behaviour is now seen as a last resort. This is now a clear management expectation within care planning.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand and help children to understand what makes a healthy, nurturing relationship. Staff should be skilled to recognise the signs and provide support to children in danger of or involved in exploitative or damaging relationships with others and where possible prevent these types of relationships. The registered manager must ensure that staff are aware of how to keep children and young people safe. This includes within their own working relationships with young people. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.10)  Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph

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Recommendations

9.38)  Ensure that staff’s skills for safeguarding should include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and the support strategies to manage and reduce risks. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)  Ensure that the local authority provides opportunity for children and young people to have independent return home interviews when they have been missing. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. Children missing from home agreed protocols with local authorities should be reviewed regularly and be scrutinised by the local safeguarding children’s board (LSCB) when the above is not happening. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraphs 9.23–9.30)

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered for up to two young people. It is owned and operated by a national provider of children’s services. The home looks after young people who may display complex emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 29/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/06/2015 Full Good 13/01/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 15/05/2014 Full Adequate

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Requires improvement

The two young people previously living at the home were asked to move on due to the staff being unable to reduce their challenging and risk-taking behaviours. As a result, positive transitions for these young people did not happen because they had to move quickly.

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Requires improvement

The home is clean, well-furnished and provides a welcoming environment. Children and young people seen during the inspection conveyed pride in their home.

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Requires improvement

The children and young people currently living at the home are both settled and happy. They are both positively engaged in school and benefit from numerous activities in addition to their education provision.

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Requires improvement

The children’s and young people’s arrivals to the home have been well managed and their individual needs are met to a good standard. Family members and professionals have also expressed the positive impact which the staff team has already had for these children and young people.

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Requires improvement

Children’s and young people’s time with family members and previous carers is facilitated well and positively promoted by the staff.

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Requires improvement

Children’s and young people’s views are actively sought during both individual sessions with staff and weekly residents’ meetings. Their views are used well to inform child-centred care planning.

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Requires improvement

The children and young people seen during the inspection have good relationships with staff and presented as happy and relaxed in their home. A young person spoken to during the inspection told the inspectors that she was happy. The young person said that she likes the different rules in place because she is older now. She also likes that she is able to bring friends back to her home.

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Requires improvement

When young people have been missing they have not always been given the opportunity to speak to an independent advocate should they have any concerns or worries about their home. As a result, leaders and managers are unable to understand the reasons why a young person went missing or take action to identify any trends and patterns and to reduce incidents from occurring again. Leaders and managers did not escalate this concern to the local children’s safeguarding board as required.

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Requires improvement

One young person, who previously lived in the home, held a distorted attachment to a staff member. This led to an increase in self-harming behaviours and harm towards the member of staff. Although staff members were changed, insufficient action was taken by leaders and managers to address the concerns about this attachment at an early stage. As a result, the concerns continued, resulting in further incidents of self-harm and emotional upset.

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Requires improvement

Behaviour sanctions are not always restorative and nurturing to meet the emotional needs of children and young people. For example, staff spoke with a young person about appropriate interactions. The young person became upset and smashed some crockery. Staff sanctioned the young person. The young person’s emotional needs were not explored further by staff after the incident.

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Requires improvement

The use of physical restraint has been appropriately used by staff to keep young people safe. Staff explore with young people why restraint has been used in a nurturing manner. However, on some occasions, the same member of staff who restrained the young person also completed the debriefing discussion. This approach does not allow for the incident to be discussed independently. In other cases, effective use of reflection upon how to reduce the need for restraint was seen. For example, staff are asked to look at what led to the young person’s distress. In consultation with the young person, plans are then agreed to support the young person and to avoid them becoming upset.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers did not implement appropriate safeguarding strategies to safeguard a young person who held distorted views about her relationship with a member of staff. This left the young person at risk of self-harm and emotional distress.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers have not effectively challenged external providers who are tasked with completing independent interviews with young people after they have returned from going missing. The majority of going missing from home incidents did not have a return home interview. Senior leaders did act on this weakness but did not escalate it effectively to ensure that improvements were made.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager is very aware that the use of the police to manage challenging behaviour must only be used as a last resort. This has now been incorporated clearly into care planning arrangements.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager demonstrates a good ability to reflect upon areas for improvement, and how these areas need to be addressed. For example, planning for children and young people to live together is now approached in a much more robust manner. This will aim to promote safe and stable care for children and young people.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager is no longer also managing another home and is now able to focus her work in this home. This will enable her to ensure that the care that children and young people receive is of a good standard.

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Requires improvement

Children’s and young people’s care plans and records are of a good standard. Staff are able to access care planning information easily and are aware of the changing needs of children and young people and how to meet these needs.

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Requires improvement

Supervision of staff is used effectively and enables an open dialogue between managers and staff. This enables staff members to share concerns which they may have and helps to promote good practice.

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Requires improvement

Team meetings are also used well by staff. They are good forums for sharing concerns and looking at areas for development.

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Requires improvement

A great deal of training has been provided for staff to ensure that they are able to meet the needs of 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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