Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Rochdale

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:

 Staff work closely and proactively with education professionals to meet the complex needs of the young people. Most young people have made good progress from their starting point in placement.  Young people are encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities to improve their social skills.  Young people have good access to a range of health professionals to meet their physical and emotional needs. This includes specialist services such as a drug and alcohol worker, sexual health advice and a clinical psychologist.  Staff have developed positive working relationships with the local police to support the safety of young people.  Contact between young people and their families is well supported in line with their agreed plans.  Key professionals say that this is a good home and that young people receive high-quality care. Despite this, some young people have not settled in the home, which has resulted in several admissions.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Staff say that they have not always felt fully supported by the manager and senior management.  Other areas for improvement include ensuring that: – supervision enables staff to reflect on their practice and the needs of the young people they are caring for; – young people are provided with the opportunity to have an independent return home interview when they have been missing from the home; – local authority plans are relevant to the current placement; – staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording.

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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, the 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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13: The leadership and management standard

13.(1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that – (a) helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to – (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13) 28/05/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Staff supervision must enable staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.15)  When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person must challenge (under regulation 5) any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is owned by a private company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/11/2015 Full Good 25/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Some young people have struggled to settle in the home. This has resulted in three admissions and two discharges since the last inspection. The manager took timely action by serving notice on one placement due to concerns around the young person’s safety. The young person currently living in the home has only been living here for one week and his placement is still very much in its infancy. Staff recognise and value the importance of education and do their utmost to promote this. They work in partnership with education professionals to support young people’s educational attendance. A programme of home tuition was in place for one young person. However, he showed limited engagement with this. Those young people who attend school make reasonable progress from their starting points. A headteacher commented that the staff from the home ‘work together with education staff’ and that ‘staff support is brilliant’.

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Good

Young people are encouraged to spend time engaging in positive activities, both in the home and in the local community. One young person preferred to spend time away from the home with his friends. During the inspection, the young person and staff were observed interacting positively with each other; they enjoyed going for a walk and playing pool. Young people’s health is generally good. The staff support specialised interventions, including the drug and alcohol service and the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), according to the young person’s needs. An in- house clinician attends consultations with the manager and staff, and provides advice and guidance on young people’s presenting behaviours. The clinician commented that the staff would benefit from some training to enhance their skills and knowledge in caring for young people who have attachment difficulties. Young people’s views are sought through regular key-working sessions and house

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Good

meetings. This supports young people to be involved in decisions about their day- to-day care and contribute to the running of the home. The weekly house meetings enable the young person to decide on menu choices and activities. Individual key- work sessions provide the young person with the opportunity to talk about any issues that may be affecting them. Staff understand the importance of family relationships to individual young people, particularly when a young person has been placed some distance away from their home. They work proactively with family members to promote meaningful and safe contact. This promotes their sense of belonging and self-worth. Staff support and encourage the young person to learn new skills, which will assist them into adult life. This includes helping staff with the food shopping, food preparation and other tasks around the home. The home is well maintained and the young person is encouraged to personalise their bedroom with their own choice

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Good

of decor. This goes some way in helping the young person to settle and invest in the placement.

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Good

Staff work hard to provide a safe and supportive environment for young people. Comprehensive risk management plans provide staff with agreed strategies to manage and support young people’s risk-taking behaviours, and the plans are followed in practice. The local police community support officers (PCSOs) commented on the ‘fantastic’ relationship between themselves and the home. They confirmed that the staff are good at liaising with them and share information when concerns arise in relation to a young person’s welfare and safety. Since the last inspection, one young person demonstrated high levels of going missing from the home behaviour. The manager took appropriate action by escalating her concerns to the placing authority and identified that they could not keep him safe. When a young person does go missing, staff search the local area, try to maintain contact via telephone and communicate with family members to

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Good

ensure that the young person returns to the home as quickly as possible. On their return, the police undertake a ‘safe and well’ check with the young person. However, clarification is needed from placing authorities as to who should complete the return interviews. Young people who come to live at the home have highly complex and challenging behaviours. Staff are trained in proactive behaviour management and use praise and rewards to promote positive choices. Staff spend time with young people talking to them to help them understand the consequences of their behaviour. However, a young person who was new to the home struggled to settle and there were a high number of challenging incidents, including anger and aggression towards the staff. Notice was served on the placement following an assault on a member of staff. Staff are well trained in the use of physical intervention. Records show that there has only been one physical intervention since the last inspection. The manager

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Good

effectively monitors the physical intervention and sanction records to identify any patterns or trends. The home is well maintained and any damage is repaired quickly. Staff have a clear understanding of their duty to promote the welfare and safety of young people. They undertake regular safeguarding training so that they are able to recognise and respond to any concerns about a young person’s welfare. Allegations are handled quickly and effectively. The manager has established effective links with safeguarding agencies to ensure that young people are effectively safeguarded.

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Requires improvement

At the time of the last inspection, a new manager had very recently taken up post. She is registered with Ofsted to manage this and another two solo occupancy homes. The manager has a number of years’ experience in a management role within this organisation and is currently undertaking a relevant Level 5 management qualification. There is a suitably qualified and experienced deputy manager who supports the team and the new manager. The home is suitably staffed with an experienced staff team. However, a difference of opinion between the manager and staff about the team’s ability to meet the needs of a young person has impacted on staff morale. It was the view of the staff team that the needs of a young person were far too complex and that he needed a more specialised placement. This view was not shared by the manager or the in- house clinician. This has caused tension between the manager and staff. Although

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Requires improvement

the young person has since moved on, there has been no discussion between managers, staff and the clinician to resolve tensions. This means that there has been no opportunity for reflection or to identify if lessons can be learned from this situation. Records show that staff do receive regular supervision. However, supervision is not fully effective because the records do not demonstrate that staff reflect on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the young people they care for. The home is adequately resourced and delivers the services and support outlined in the statement of purpose. The manager maintains oversight of young people’s progress and experiences. Most of the staff have a suitable childcare qualification. New staff embark on the Level 3 diploma qualification in childcare on completion of a satisfactory probation period. The manager and staff have established effective working relationships with youth

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Requires improvement

offending teams, health and education professionals and parents. There is regular independent monitoring of the home to ensure that the standards of care are maintained. There were no requirements or recommendations made at the last inspection. Essential information such as the local authority pathway plan refers to the young person’s previous placement and does not highlight the arrangements for this placement. Overall, records are largely clear and up to date. However, some records lack sufficient factual detail, with staff making comments such as ‘behaviours are off the scale’. This does not ensure that information is recorded in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information.

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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 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 the ‘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, 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 ensure that their welfare is 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 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 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 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 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

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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