Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

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

Since the previous inspection, the registered manager has resigned from the home. A new manager has been in post since October 2016 and has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people say that they feel supported by staff members and have trusting relationships with them. Some positive, achievable incentives are in place that have had a positive impact. These are used alongside strategies such as visual timetables, which help young people to know what is expected of them. However, other incentive plans are not realistic. Expectations of what young people can achieve behaviourally and emotionally have not been considered in the context of their individual psychological needs. There has been an increase in the number of incidents for one young person. Many of these incidents have not been managed with sufficient insight and understanding of the young person’s complex needs. This has resulted in a cycle of negative and inappropriate sanctions that have not helped the young person to develop positively. Furthermore, the manager has inappropriately used visits from police officers and police community support

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

officers as a way of managing behaviour. Therefore the behavioural management approach that staff use is not effective for the young person. A team meeting is planned with the home’s clinical psychologist to review staff’s care of the young person. Additionally, there are dates set for staff training on caring for young people who have autistic spectrum disorder.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have used physical intervention on two occasions for one young person since the previous inspection. The manager was supported by the regional manager to recognise that, on at least one of these occasions, staff might have been able to use strategies to de-escalate behaviours, which could have prevented the need for physical intervention. Confusion exists as to who should have conversations with the young person after restraint has occurred and procedures do not clarify this. There is no clear recording to evidence that the manager has spoken with the young person after the physical intervention and considered the incident from the young person’s point of view. Staff are enrolled on refresher courses on de- escalation and physical intervention, and also on using attachment models for caring for young people. Episodes of young people going missing had decreased until recent times. Staff communicated with young people, professionals and family members to reduce

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

these episodes. More recently, two missing-from-home episodes occurred. On one of these episodes, staff did not take robust action to ensure that the young person was safe. The accompanying procedures to guide staff as to what to do when a young person goes missing, and how to keep them safe, are not thorough enough.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some aspects of management systems have improved, such as overviews of training and supervision dates and chronologies of when social workers visit young people. However, the monitoring that is undertaken by managers is ineffective in some areas. Reviews of incidents are generally not reflective; they focus more on the young person’s behaviour and less on possible triggers and how staff have managed incidents. On some occasions, the manager has devised a rota for two members of staff who are on probation to care for young people overnight, which is against company policy and potentially does not safeguard young people. Not all minutes of meetings that are held with external professionals are on file, which does not help the manager to ensure that care plan or educational recommendations are followed through. Previous minutes of educational meetings are held on file, but staff are unable to decipher the information in order to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

understand how young people are progressing educationally.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and staff communicate well with outside agencies and young people’s families. The manager is in regular contact with the school in order to support young people. The manager and staff ensure that young people see their social workers and other relevant professionals regularly, and have planning reviews within appropriate timescales. When the local authority did not respond effectively to the managers enquiries about the arrangements of independent return home interviews, the regional manager escalated this to senior managers in the local authority.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Regular team meetings take place. These involve useful discussions and are recorded well. Staff have regular and reflective supervision. However, this supervision does not always tackle any concerns that have been highlighted with regard to staff members’ practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is nicely furnished and welcoming. Young people feel that they are part of the home and that they have a say in how it runs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The two young people in this home continue to say that they feel happy and safe and that they are compatible with one another. A telephone has been made available for young people, which was a requirement that was made at the previous inspection. However, the telephone is locked away at night and is therefore not accessible to young people if they need to make an emergency call. The manager and the staff plan a variety of activities for young people and encourage their interests and hobbies. Young people eat healthily and are encouraged to be age-appropriately independent. They are supported by staff members in a variety of ways to maintain contact with their family members and friends, who also visit the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private company and is currently registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/06/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/12/2015 Full Requires improvement 19/03/2015 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) meet(s) 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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to achieve the protection of children standard the registered person must ensure that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— (a) that staff— (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and (e) that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 30/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to achieve the leadership and management standard, the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children’s home that— (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; 07/04/2016 (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

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Requirement Due date

of care provided in the home; (g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and (ii) feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, ensure that all relevant documents, such as personal educational plans, are on file and understood so recommendations can be followed through; ensure that oversight and monitoring of incidents is reflective, child centred and contains effective recommendations; ensure that responses to young people are individually tailored and take into account their complex needs; ensure that the staff team has the skills to manage young people’s behaviours without needing to use planned police visits;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that sanctions and consequences for behaviour are effective to help children fulfil their potential; ensure the rota is organised to take into account staff experience; and ensure that supervision specifically addresses practice issues.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home—

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Requirement Due date

a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 22(3)(a)) 30/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the behaviour management policy under review and, where appropriate, revise it. In particular, make clear who should speak to the young person following the restraint, in addition to the manager. The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and 30/03/2017 within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(2)(3)(b)(i)(ii))

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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 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, workbased 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

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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