Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Norfolk

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 declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since March 2016. This is in excess of 26 weeks and has resulted in an automatic declined in effectiveness judgement. The manager is currently in the process of applying to become the registered manager for the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met one of the two requirements raised at the last inspection. The requirement relating to the training of staff in supervised contact is unmet because only one staff member has received this training. The manager has met the requirement relating to the monthly independent visitor reports. These now contain explicit commentary about safeguarding practice in the home. This strengthens the monitoring arrangements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has met the two recommendations made at the last inspection. A workforce plan is now in place and the manager has recruited permanent staff. However, some staffing issues remain. There is regular use of agency workers or staff from other homes to cover the remaining vacancies. When the manager uses agency staff she gathers the information required prior to them working in the home. However, when the agency staff have an issue identified on their police checks there is no approach defined in the home’s policies or procedures stating the action that the manager should take. This increases the likelihood of an inconsistent response and does not safeguard children. In addition, there is only one male member of staff in the permanent team. The manager recognises this as an issue and is attempting to address this through recruitment. However, the current statement of purpose is not clear on how the service will overcome this and

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

promote appropriate role models of both genders.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is aware of a venue in the local area that poses a potential risk to one of the children and she has put measures in place to minimise the risk. However, the child’s risk assessments do not include this information. Consequently, the risk assessments do not fully reflect known risks and reduction measures. This increases the potential for mistakes and does not safeguard children as far as is reasonably practical. The manager completes compatibility assessments prior to children moving in. This lessens the likelihood that the placement of new children will have a negative impact on the existing children. An independent reviewing officer was particularly positive about the proactive child-focused approach to the transition of a child into the service. She said, ‘During the initial stages there was a lot of resistance. They had really nice meetings with him and tried to build the relationships with him. This

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection one child has moved in and one child has moved out of the home. The child who moved out did so in a planned way. He moved into a semi-independent placement in his local area. The staff work with the children to prepare them for independent living. A social worker said, ‘They help him with his independence skills. He is working through a book. He is opening a bank account. This will help him to use a cash machine and put some savings aside for when he leaves care. They are also helping him to find a part time job.’ This preparatory work is essential in helping the children to feel ready and able to manage independently.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Social workers report that the staff know the children well. They say that the staff engage with them and the children effectively and that the staff are active participants in meetings. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘They always come well-prepared with a report. The staff speak with him and make sure that his voice can be very clearly heard within the reports.’ The police commented on the home’s proactive approach to calling meetings when they have concerns. This helps to safeguard children and promotes partnership working with other professionals.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff have regular key work sessions with the children. One child is positive about how her key workers engage her in discussions about her behaviour and how she was placing herself at risk. She described feeling that her behaviours have improved and can see why adults worry about her. She said, ‘I don’t think I’d get drawn back into the same things.’ A professional reported a considerable improvement for one child given the risks that the child had previously been exposed to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Two of the children now attend mainstream school. One is attending regularly and the other is gradually increasing his levels of attendance. This is a significant improvement for both children. Both will sit GCSE examinations over the coming year. One child said, ‘This is the best place for me to be whilst taking my GCSEs.’ Another child has been successful in securing college placements over recent months but has not maintained them. Although he is refusing to engage with the staff, they continue to actively assist him to find a college course that he can commit to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children, with staff support, participate in activities within the community. One child plays rugby for his school and a local club. The children and staff are busily planning for Christmas. The interactions between the children and staff demonstrate that the children live in a nurturing, caring environment. One child has been missing from home on a number of occasions. The staff actively search for the child. They make regular phone calls to him, his family and friends in order to try and locate him. The police were very positive about the home’s response to children who go missing, stating, ‘The staff are thorough and proactive. They go out and look for their missing children.’ A social worker said, ‘When he is missing they are very proactive about trying to contact all known places and people.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback from social workers, independent reviewing officers and the police has been consistently very positive about the service. Comments about the staff include:

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

 ‘They are extra vigilant.’  ‘They know the young people really well.’  ‘They are always liaising with us.’  ‘They listen to him. They gain his views and are helping prepare him for counselling.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been no use of physical intervention since last inspection. The home has a no-restraint policy in place for two of the children. Staff successfully use de- escalation techniques, such as humour, with all of the children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff, in line with the child’s care plan, support children to maintain contact with their families. Staff facilitate, coordinate and, on occasions, supervise the visits. This ensures that children have the opportunity to maintain important, positive relationships. However, only one member of staff has received the planned training in supervising contact. This does not provide the staff with sufficient support to fully understand this aspect of their role.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a good grasp of the strengths and weaknesses of the service. She is realistic about the quality of the service and has plans to address areas of weakness.

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Information about this children's home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/05/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 21/01/2015 Interim Not judged

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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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Requirements Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard the registered provider must ensure:

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Requirements Due date

2 (a)(i) that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 31/01/2017

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Requirements Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirements Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, with particular reference to staff supervising contact between family members and the children, the registered person must:

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Requirements Due date

(2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. 31/03/2017

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Requirements Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 28/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This is in particular regard to having clear policies, procedures and guidance relating to safeguarding checks carried out when agency staff do not have a clear police check. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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