Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Good

How well children and young people are helped and protected Good

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Good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Good

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Good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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Good

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2016

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Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement

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Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff consistently place the safety and well-being of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents. Young people are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people experience good relationships with staff and benefit from stability and consistency in their lives. Staff promote contact for young people so they can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to change and improvement in their lives. The home ensures that they have access to the services that they need to promote their good health and emotional and physical well-being.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home supports young people‟s learning and actively promotes their education. The manager challenges professional decisions when they believe that those decisions are not in the best interests of young people. This ensures that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff consistently have high aspirations for young people and work closely with the providers of their education to promote their educational achievement. Most young people are supported to recognise and achieve their career aspirations, training and educational goals.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. Young people become increasingly safe as a result of the actions that staff take to support and protect them. The use of clear risk assessment and safe working practice ensures the safety of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home provides young people with a physically safe, warm, comfortable and homely environment. However, there are parts of the home that are in need of minor repair and redecoration to ensure that the home is consistently maintained to a high-quality standard for young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people know how to make a complaint. However, they do not routinely have access to professional advocates to support them and make representations on their behalf.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Every effort is made to support and promote young people‟s education. However, there are some young people living at the home who are currently without appropriate access to full-time education or alternative educational Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 3 provision.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff benefit from regular professional supervision. However, appraisals of staff practice have yet to take place with the involvement and contribution of the young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 4

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Recommendations

 For children‟s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. This relates specifically to completing all outstanding repairs and redecoration of the home, where needed. („Guide to children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, paragraph 3.9, page 15)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are in full-time education while they are of compulsory school age, unless their personal education plans contained within the care plan or other relevant plan states otherwise. The home must aim to support full-time attendance at school unless the child‟s relevant plan indicates this is not in their best interests. („Guide to children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, paragraph 5.14, page 28)

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Recommendations

 All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and, where possible, this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, paragraph 4.16, page 23)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home‟s care specifically. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has now been operational for almost a year following its registration with Ofsted in May 2016. Since the last inspection on 12 October 2016, there have been three new admissions to the home. A number of young people have also left the home since the last inspection. Two young people were only admitted last month. Both young people have settled in quickly and have been made welcome by staff. One of the home‟s newest admissions reported, „It‟s all right. Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 5 It‟s nice and it‟s a big house and the area‟s really quiet. It‟s nice and the staff are sweet with me. Staff treat us like an adult and that‟s the way it should be.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Overall, young people are making good progress, taking into account their individual starting points across most aspects of their physical, social, emotional and behavioural development. Young people are building and developing good relationships with staff and with each other. Staff provide young people with continuity of care so they have stability and consistency in their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes their needs effectively, and contributes to change and improvement in their lives. Young people benefit from effective, high-quality support from staff. A social worker reported, „It‟s been brilliant. He was really welcomed by staff and they do listen to him. He‟s generally a nice lad, and they respect his privacy and have taken into account his education. He can relate to the staff, and his mum has said she‟s never heard him be so happy. I think it‟s a fantastic placement and I want them to renew his placement, as I think he can make a success of his life and he likes it here.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people with a broad range of positive and enjoyable activities. They actively provide young people with activities of their choice and encourage them to develop their interests and hobbies. As a result of their experiences, young people build and improve their relationships, develop social skills and improve their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff involve young people in one-to-one work and group meetings to ensure that they can contribute to and influence the running of their home. Young people are listened to and they are able to express their views and opinions constructively. A social worker reported, „He is happy here and he‟s intelligent enough to express and articulate his own views. If he stays here, he can achieve what he wants to achieve in his life. The staff have got that knack of talking to him in a compassionate way.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff actively encourage a positive learning environment for young people. Young people are actively encouraged to attend school or alternative education provision. They receive the support that they need to pursue their career aspirations, training and education goals. There is some evidence of young people‟s improved attendance and engagement in education. However, there are also some young people who are not currently accessing any formal education in order to secure their educational achievement. However, the manager has escalated his concerns with one young person‟s placing authority when their progress in education has been slow or lacking. One young person reported, „I‟ve applied for the army and am looking at going to college.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to have contact with their friends and families. This ensures that young people can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff supervise and facilitate contact and Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 6 maintain positive relationships with the families of young people. Young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians and have access to these services, when they need them, to promote their physical and emotional well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medical consent is obtained and staff are familiar with the types of health decisions and responsibilities that are delegated to them. There are effective arrangements made to promote young people‟s good health. Staff encourage young people to lead and maintain healthy lifestyles. Consequently, young people learn to take responsibility for their own health.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are protected from abuse, child sexual exploitation and bullying. Staff are suitably trained in safeguarding, so they know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Allegations of abuse are reported quickly, and these are managed professionally to ensure that young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff employed at the home are selected and vetted carefully to ensure that young people are protected from unsuitable people. Visitors to the home are closely chaperoned, and there is suitable monitoring of such people. The home maintains effective partnerships with the police, social workers, schools and other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are kept safe and develop a strong sense of personal safety. Staff consistently place the safety of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents. They have a good understanding of their specific needs and vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to address them. Risks associated with young people using drugs, self-harming, offending and going missing from care are well known and understood by staff. Staff ensure that risk assessments are regularly reviewed, updated to take account of young people‟s specific needs and followed in practice to mitigate risk-taking behaviours.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The frequency with which young people go missing is decreasing, taking into account their starting points. Staff actively look for young people if they go missing and are familiar with, and know how to follow, the home‟s procedures to secure their safe return. Significant incidents that involve the safety of young people are reported to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect them. This ensures that young people benefit from effective support, help and protection.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The use of clear risk assessment and proactive safe working practice promote the safety of young people, who become increasingly safe, as a result of the actions that staff take to support and protect them. There has been a decrease in incidents of challenging and disruptive behaviour, and staff are helping young people to resolve their conflicts positively. They encourage young people to self- Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 7 regulate their own behaviour and manage their feelings and behaviours safely. A social worker reported, „The staff are very friendly people, and my initial feelings are positive. My young person can be highly challenging, and the staff are excellent, and he likes it here. The home is excellent and they know what they are doing. There‟s proper communication with all of the proper channels.‟

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff encourage the development of young people‟s positive behaviour. Young people are praised by staff for their good behaviour, and this builds their self- confidence and encourages their positive self-view. Consequences for unacceptable behaviour are fair, and the use of sanctions is kept to a minimum. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from the risk of actual harm.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no internal complaints raised by young people since the last inspection. However, one young person has recently made two complaints to Ofsted. These were in relation to food and the addition of a window restrictor. No breaches in regulation were identified in respect of these issues. The manager and responsible individual were both made aware of the young person‟s complaints. The young person did not wish their complaints to be progressed any further. However, they have since made a further more serious complaint, which has resulted in the local authority‟s designated officer being notified by the registered manager. The investigation into the young person‟s complaint is being addressed and is ongoing. No complaints or concerns have been raised by other young people.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Health and safety matters are addressed effectively by staff to promote a safe environment for young people. The home provides young people with a physically safe, appropriately secure, warm, comfortable and homely environment. However, there are minor repairs that are outstanding, and parts of the home are in need of some redecoration to ensure that a high-quality environment is consistently maintained for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The home employs a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager to oversee the day-to-day operation of the home. The home has also recently appointed a new deputy manager. This will strengthen the home‟s existing leadership arrangements and promote the smooth operation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Sufficient staff are employed to meet the needs and numbers of young people. The number of appropriately qualified staff, however, is low. Those staff members that are not currently qualified are working towards obtaining their qualifications. There are also more experienced staff employed at the home, including shift leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to good-quality training to develop their knowledge and skills in Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 8 caring for vulnerable young people. They have completed their induction and all mandatory training. Staff are well supported, managed and led and professionally supervised. The registered manager leads the staff team by example and is ambitious about sustaining the home‟s continuing development and improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have yet to have an appraisal of their practice with the effective involvement and contribution of the young people. This is a missed opportunity for staff to reflect on their own performance and relationships with the young people. The process of appraisal would also assist with the registered manager‟s evaluation and development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home meets the aims and objectives, as set out in its statement of purpose. The home delivers a good-quality service for young people, which is making a positive difference to their lives. The home maintains effective partnerships with schools, social workers and other professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. The registered manager monitors the progress that young people make in relation to their plans and has a good awareness of their specific needs. Young people confirmed that they have very good relationships with the manager. One young person said, “I would rate the manager 10 out of 10.”

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are effective arrangements to scrutinise the performance of the home. An independent person visits the home on a monthly basis to review the standard and quality of young people‟s care. They make an impartial judgement about the effectiveness of the home‟s arrangements to safeguard young people and promote their well-being. This helps the registered manager to develop a good understanding of the home‟s strengths and weaknesses, so they can take appropriate action to secure the home‟s improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has met and addressed the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. Staff have undertaken appropriate training to enable them to meet the specific needs of the young people. They encourage young people to attend their health appointments and actively promote their good health. Those young people that are not engaged in any formal education are engaged in other constructive activities to promote their learning. However, further improvement is needed in sourcing appropriate education provision for some young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Risk impact assessments are now completed to ensure that young people are appropriately placed and matched. The recording of missing from care records has improved and the manager reviews these records periodically. There are improved arrangements for young people to be interviewed, on their return, if they go missing, in order to review plans and strategies to minimise the risk to young people. Restraint records now provide the opportunity for a young person to be debriefed and report any issues that they may have. The frequency of staff supervision has improved, and the home‟s monitoring activities demonstrate improved attempts to consult with the home‟s stakeholders to form a more accurate opinion about the quality of young people‟s care. Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 9

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the „Social care common inspection framework‟, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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‟. Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children‟s home: 1225136 11 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children‟s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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