Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

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 declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager left in September 2016. Many staff have also left for a variety of reasons. Children are no longer experiencing consistent care. Almost all staff are new. Staff have not yet developed the depth of relationships that children need in order to make good progress. A new manager was appointed about six months ago and is currently going through Ofsted’s registration process.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager believes that a fifth child matches well with the existing group and he is likely to move in soon.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have experienced changes of key worker and therapist. Children are unsettled by this and are more anxious to know what is happening and who is where. For example, some children’s sleep patterns, eating habits and behaviour have deteriorated. Staff are not writing child-friendly records, reports and plans or using such creative approaches with children. Children are therefore less clear about their plans and what help they need. In addition, staff are not helping children add to their memory folders to celebrate their achievements and experiences. Nevertheless, staff still ensure that children are in good routines and that they have interesting experiences. Staff make sure that children know who is with them today, who is sleeping in, and who is coming on shift next. Staff work hard to help children understand why members of staff leave and they organise positive send-offs together. Staff also celebrate children’s one-year anniversary of

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are safe. Staff are vigilant and careful to follow each child’s behaviour support plan. Children do not run away and staff spend good quality time with them. Staff use rewards and they promote positive behaviour well. The consequences that they use are usually relevant, achievable and restorative. Staff follow the organisation’s training and procedures when they use physical intervention and other measures of control. However, they do not work as creatively and insightfully with their behaviour management strategies as before. Staff and the manager do not critically review their behaviour management practice enough. This means that children do not get the best help with their emotional and behavioural difficulties. Incidents of self-harm, damage, sexualised and harmful behaviour are not reducing. Children are therefore making slower progress towards their plans to live safely in a family.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children have not experienced good continuity of care and meaningful relationships with staff. This is because staff from other homes, agency staff, and bank staff have covered staffing shortages. In addition, the new manager and many members of staff are not qualified or experienced in residential childcare. The deputy manager is the longest serving staff member. She has been working excessive hours directly with children and in the office to ensure that the home is adequately managed. The organisation has not ensured that the recruitment of new staff includes full and satisfactory reference information in every case. In addition, the organisation is slow to get professional training in residential childcare organised for the manager and staff. Members of staff therefore do not feel valued; do not all have confidence in one another; and are not learning necessary skills for their work quickly enough.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children continue to disclose and complain when they are unhappy about something or know that something is not, or was not, right. They have confidence in the staff members that they go to and are satisfied with how their concerns are resolved.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of leadership and organisation in the home has declined. The staff team is relying heavily on the deputy manager for support and guidance. The new manager is struggling to establish good oversight of staff’s work. For example, he is too slow to review records of measures of control, such as negative consequences and physical interventions. He does not ensure that prompt debriefs of members of staff occur following incidents. Supervision and staff meetings have not been regular at times of staff shortage and crisis. The manager is not able to find records of complaints or reports for children’s ‘looked-after child’ reviews without help from the deputy manager. He has not acted on messages from children and stakeholders’ feedback. He does not analyse the practice of staff or identify trends and patterns in children’s behaviour or staff members’ responses. He is unsure how to influence care planning.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager demonstrates an ability to empathise with children and he has relevant targets to improve the home. For example, he has recently prioritised more regular and effective staff meetings and staff supervision sessions. The manager is receiving good support from the registered individual and managers from other local homes in the organisation. This meets recommendations about manager support that were made at the last inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private organisation and offers care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 16/08/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Not judged 22/12/2015 Full Requires improvement 18/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person recruits staff using recruitment procedures that include full and satisfactory information in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (3)(d)) 18/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31(1)) 18/04/2017

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard. In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must— (2)(c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. 18/04/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children are supported to understand the nature of records kept by the home and how to access them. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on and understand their history, according to their age and understanding. Staff should keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  Ensure that records of restraint enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure that it meets the

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Recommendations

needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all managers working in a children’s home have the qualification in Regulation 28(2) within the relevant timescales listed in Regulation 28(3). All staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in Regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescales listed in Regulation 32(5). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person actively seeks independent scrutiny of the home and makes best use of information from independent and internal monitoring (including under Regulations 44 and 45) to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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 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 whom 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 0300 123 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

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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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