Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

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 and their families express high levels of satisfaction with the care provided at the home.  Young people enjoy secure and trusting relationships with staff who know them well and understand their needs.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are supported to make good and, in some cases, outstanding progress in many aspects of their lives. Staff support them to achieve and engage positively in education.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have the opportunity to enjoy fulfilling and valuable experiences on a day-to-day basis. Staff encourage their interests and recognise and support their talents.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff encourage young people to share their feelings and wishes about their care. They act upon young people’s wishes and ensure that their views are considered.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The registered manager ensures that all staff are fully aware of their responsibilities to safeguard young people from harm. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and are confident to report any concerns.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff provide positive behaviour support and work within clear, consistent boundaries, which helps young people to develop positive coping strategies and results in low numbers of incidents.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are provided with safe accommodation and cared for by staff who have been carefully recruited.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The registered manager has created a positive culture within which people can express their opinions and views.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are cared for by well-trained and well-supported staff.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Community professionals report high levels of satisfaction with the home. They feel that the registered manager and staff work in a cooperative and positive manner.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 There are effective arrangements in place to enable the registered manager to monitor safety and quality across the service on an ongoing basis.

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to one young person who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 23/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/11/2015 Full Good 06/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/10/2014 Full Adequate

p.5

Good

Young people who live at this home receive a good standard of care, which is tailored to their individual needs. Examples of excellent care have led to some young people making outstanding progress across many aspects of their lives. Young people themselves speak highly of the home and the care that they receive. A young person commented, ‘This is the best place I have been.’

p.6

Good

Due to the consistency of staff achieved through a small core team, young people receive their care from staff who know them well and understand their needs. Young people have the opportunity to develop trusted and secure relationships with staff. These positive relationships are evident when observing the current young person interacting with care workers. The young person said, ‘They [the staff] are all lovely. I wouldn’t change them. They have really helped me.’ A social worker commented, ‘Staff are wonderful with the young person currently in their care. There is evidence of a really good relationship between all staff and the young person.’

p.6

Good

Staff also develop positive relationships with young people’s families. Two family members of the young person who currently lives at the home commented on the approachability and helpful nature of the registered manager and staff. One said, ‘I don’t ever feel uncomfortable. They are easy to talk to and be yourself around.’

p.6

Good

The needs of young people who live away from home are carefully considered. Where appropriate, contact with family and friends from the home area is strongly supported. For example, staff at the home travel a considerable distance at weekends to support the young person to maintain contact with their significant others. A family member commented, ‘They are even bringing X for Christmas Day. I think that is more than anyone can expect.’ Supporting young people to have contact with their families helps them to maintain relationships that are important to them and, as such, promotes their emotional well-being.

p.6

Good

Young people are encouraged to express their thoughts and feelings about their care through direct work and key-worker sessions. Records of these sessions show that staff ensure that the discussions are relevant to the young person and that they take place on a regular basis. When young people make comments or requests, these are acted upon. For example, a young person recently expressed anxiety about engaging in meetings with external professionals. Their key worker addressed this and made arrangements for the meetings to be adapted to meet the young person’s needs. Responding to young people’s concerns in a positive manner helps to build their confidence about sharing their worries and shows them that their opinions are valued.

p.6

Good

Staff support young people to access healthcare and maintain healthy lifestyles. Records demonstrate that staff recognise when young people require specific healthcare support and ensure that it is provided. For example, staff noted that a young person appeared generally under the weather and promptly made arrangements for them to be seen by a healthcare professional. For the same young person, there has been a very proactive approach by staff in ensuring that changes to their prescribed medication are managed carefully and are regularly reviewed by health professionals.

p.7

Good

The registered manager and staff support young people’s educational attainment. The young person currently living in the home is achieving regular school attendance and is thinking positively about options for further education. Staff support this on a daily basis and liaise closely with school workers and external professionals to ensure that the young person receives the appropriate support. Supporting young people to achieve in education helps to increase their confidence, skills and life chances.

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Good

Staff support young people to engage in activities that they enjoy and to try new experiences. The young person who currently lives in the home enjoys a good range of activities, such as walking and climbing, as well as regular shopping trips and pampering sessions. They recently enjoyed a holiday with staff in which they were able to indulge their love of theme parks. The young person has developed an interest in art and photography and this is being encouraged and supported by staff. Activities such as these support young people’s enjoymentand achievement and give them the opportunity to engage in new experiences.

p.7

Good

Staff provide positive support to assist young people towards independence. Where appropriate, young people have independence plans in place, which reflect their individual needs. Support to gain skills in areas such as budgeting, shopping and meal preparation is provided. The current young person recently made a decision to follow a vegetarian diet. Staff supported this choice in a positive way, ensuring that the young person was provided with information about maintaining a healthy, well-balanced, diet. The young person was pleased with this support and commented that staff had helped them to learn about cooking vegetarian meals. This demonstrated that the young person’s wishes are supported. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

Ensuring that young people are safe and well is recognised as a priority for the registered manager and staff. Young people feel safe, and their families and community professionals have confidence in the service. A family member commented, ‘I feel very reassured that X is safe and well looked after.’

p.8

Good

Safeguarding practice is strong and there are effective procedures in place to help ensure that any safeguarding concerns are immediately shared with the appropriate agencies. All staff are trained to identify safeguarding concerns and are confident in responding to them. Training is regularly renewed to support staff in maintaining their knowledge and to ensure that they are aware of any changes in procedures.

p.8

Good

The registered manager continually promotes the importance of reporting safeguarding concerns and any poor practice. The area of whistleblowing is discussed at each staff member’s supervision and at all team meetings as a standing item. Staff have access to a whistleblowing helpline which helps ensure that they have an alternative way of raising concerns if they feel unable to raise them within the home for any reason. This provides further protection for young people as it helps to ensure that any concerns are reported.

p.8

Good

The registered manager and staff demonstrate clear understanding of young people’s needs. Risks to young people’s safety and well-being are fully understood and there are clear plans in place to keep them safe. Close working with external agencies helps to ensure that risks to young people’s safety are managed in a well- planned and coordinated way. This helps to ensure that young people are supported in a safe and effective manner.

p.8

Good

Positive joint working with external agencies benefits young people on a day-to-day basis. For example, a young person’s key worker regularly liaises with external agencies to ensure that the work being carried out to support a young person in making safer choices is fully supported within their key-worker sessions at the home. This well-coordinated support has led to a dramatic reduction in the young person’s high-risk behaviours .

p.8

Good

Incidents of young people being missing are rare in this home. There have been no such incidents since the last inspection. However, robust risk assessments are in place and there is clear guidance for staff about the procedures to follow should a young person become missing from home in the future. This helps to ensure that young people are safeguarded if they become missing from home.

p.8

Good

The young person who lives in this home is supported by a small, stable staff team with whom they have developed very positive relationships. The staff team members know and understand the young person well and support them in a caring and nurturing manner. As a result, incidents of negative behaviour rarely occur.

p.8

Good

All staff receive training in physical intervention, which is regularly updated. However, there have been no incidents that have required staff to physically intervene at this home since the last inspection.

p.9

Good

Staff recognise and reward positive behaviour. Clear boundaries assist young people to understand what is expected of them. Staff work in a consistent manner when issuing consequences or sanctions, although these are rarely required for the young person who currently lives in the home. All sanctions are monitored by the registered manager to ensure that they are fair and effective.

p.9

Good

New employees are carefully recruited. Prior to being offered a post, applicants are required to undergo a variety of background checks, which include criminal record checks and the requirement to provide a full employment history. The robust recruitment procedures help to ensure that young people receive their care from workers of suitable character.

p.9

Good

Young people are provided with safe and secure accommodation. A designated health and safety lead carries out regular audits to ensure that all areas of the home are fit for purpose and free from hazards. External contractors, for example fire safety specialists, check and service equipment within recommended timescales. This helps to protect young people from harm.

p.9

Good

The home is managed effectively by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. The registered manager has responsibility for three homes in total. There are suitable arrangements, including the presence of a full-time line manager in the home, to ensure effective oversight and leadership.

p.9

Good

The registered manager and staff work in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose, which is regularly reviewed. Staff are fully aware of the home’s aims and objectives and the policies and procedures that underpin practice. The registered manager ensures that the home’s policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current practice. Effective staffing arrangements are in place. Rotas demonstrate that staffing levels are consistently provided in line with the needs of young people who live at the home. There is a very low turnover of staff, which means that young people receive their care from a stable team of staff who they know well.

p.9

Good

The registered manager ensures that staff receive ongoing support on a day-to-day basis. Formal supervision is regularly provided for all staff and they benefit from an annual appraisal of their performance.

p.10

Good

A detailed mandatory training programme and workforce development plan are in place. The programme includes a range of courses designed to enhance care workers’ knowledge and skills, such as safeguarding and child sexual exploitation. Staff are encouraged to develop their knowledge. For example, some staff members recently attended a seminar about supporting young people who will need to move into adult care services.

p.10

Good

The whole staff team, apart from one care worker, hold nationally recognised qualifications in caring for young people. The remaining staff member is in the process of completing the course. This positive approach to training helps to ensure that young people receive their support from staff who have the appropriate skills and knowledge.

p.10

Good

Community professionals express satisfaction with the management of the service. They report good levels of communication and positive partnership working, which helps to ensure that young people receive the care that they need. A social worker commented, ‘I am able to share only positives for this home. Staff have excellent communication with me and other professionals.’

p.10

Good

There are effective arrangements in place which enable the registered manager to constantly monitor safety and quality across the service. Monthly inspections are conducted by an external professional, which result in recommendations where appropriate. This professional commented that the registered manager was always receptive to feedback and acted on any issues identified. Recommendations made following the last Ofsted inspection of the home had been suitably addressed, no recommendations are made as a result of this inspection.

p.10

Good

Internal audits and quality checks help to identify any areas for development. Weekly reports are completed and include the analysis of any adverse incidents, such as accident or complaints. This helps to support learning within the staff team and helps to ensure that young people benefit from a constantly improving service.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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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