Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has made good progress in addressing the requirements and recommendations made. The registered manager has a clear system in place to monitor and review the quality of care on a monthly basis. This enables him to identify the strengths and weaknesses in the home and any themes and trends. Therefore, any shortfalls are addressed at the earliest opportunity. Although there have been no complaints made, the registered manager and the staff clearly understand the need to ensure that any complaints are recorded appropriately and that they need to include the relevant information relating to the complaint, response and outcome.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person’s healthcare plan has been updated and includes information relating to the emotional health and support for the young person. Furthermore, the plan includes both current and historical information relating to the young person’s health needs and how these are being met. The young person’s placement plan now includes up-to-date factual information. The records viewed during the inspection were detailed and signed and dated by the author.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

However, there has been little progress made in relation to the young person’s education, despite the home continually challenging the young person’s placing local authority and liaising with the host local authority. There has been a significant delay in the young person being provided with appropriate education provision. Correspondence between the home, placing and host authority indicates that the delay has been due to the placing local authority not sourcing the appropriate funding. There have also been a number of changes to the social worker for the young person, which has contributed to the delay. The home continues to challenge the placing local authority in relation to this issue and correspondence indicates that appropriate education provision for the young person will be in place soon. The home has an education timetable in place for the young person, but he has not been engaging with this fully. Consequently, the young person’s education needs are not

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s location risk assessment has been updated and includes the main risks in the area where the home is located and evaluates the information and statistics obtained from other agencies. However, the location risk assessment could be strengthened to include other potential risks in the area, including other children’s homes, public houses and shops and off licences. This would assist the home in identifying the impact these risks may have on young people living in the home as well as when they are considering new placements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young person living in the home had moved in just before the last inspection. Since that time, he has made good progress in most areas of his life except with his education. He said, ‘I am well reformed now, the staff have really helped me get on the straight and narrow.’ He proudly spoke about the progress he has made, such as no longer using cannabis, no longer going missing from home and improvements in his behaviour. The young person has been encouraged and supported by the registered manager and the staff to make positive changes to his life. The staff have completed direct work sessions with him to address negative behaviours and risks. This has raised the young person’s awareness and understanding of the risks he had placed himself at and the consequences of negative behaviour. Therefore, the encouragement and support provided to the young person has clearly had a positive effect on him.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff value the importance of developing constructive relationships with young people’s families. They have developed a clear contact plan for the young person to have regular contact with his family and friends. The young person is provided with transport to and from his home town, almost daily, to facilitate this contact. This enables the young person to build and maintain relationships with people who are important to him. The registered manager and staff have developed good relationships with the young person’s family and they work together to support the young person in all areas of his life. For example, an incentive programme has been agreed with the young person and his family to enable the young person to earn financial rewards. This is proving to be extremely successful and has contributed to the positive changes in the young person’s behaviour and attitude. A family member said, ‘The home is excellent and it is good

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

to see how the staff deal with [Young person’s] behaviour. There is nothing the home could improve on.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding practice in the home is robust. This is due to the training and development opportunities the registered manager and staff undertake and the strong emphasis on partnership working with safeguarding professionals, including missing from home coordinators, substance misuse workers, and the designated officers and the police. The staffs’ professional practice has contributed to the young person significantly reducing the number of times he is missing from home. Since moving into the home, he has had three missing from home episodes compared to 48 in his previous placement. This has been achieved as a result of the registered manager and staff listening to the young person and establishing appropriate contact arrangements. Furthermore, the young person’s substance misuse has stopped, even though this was previously a significant issue when he first moved into the home. When the young person moved into the home there were 11 risk management plans

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

in place due to the significant safeguarding issues for him. However, these have significantly reduced, to three risk management plans where the levels of risk are low to medium. This reflects the work that has been undertaken by both staff and the young person and they are rightly very proud of the progress made in relation to safeguarding.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Monitoring and review systems in the home have improved following the last inspection. The registered manager continually collates information, which he reviews at least monthly. This information contributes to the home’s six monthly quality of care review. The quality of care review now includes consultation with young people, families and professionals. In addition to the registered manager’s internal monitoring and review, he welcomes feedback from the independent visitor who undertakes monthly monitoring visits. The registered manager completes any recommended actions from visits in a timely manner. The home also benefits from compliance visits from placing local authorities, which also support the home to maintain good standards. The effective monitoring and review systems in place help to ensure that the quality of care provided and professional practice in the home is good.

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home can accommodate one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 20/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 09/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 26/08/2015 Full Good 16/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Statutory requirement

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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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must: (2)(ii) support each child’s learning and development. This is specifically in relation to having an education timetable in place for young people who are refusing to engage in education. 31/03/2017

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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

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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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