Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 1 SC460063 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

A large private company registered to provide care for up to five children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties operates the home. There is also a school on-site.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are staying awake most of the night and therefore they are not attending school daily.  Young people are constantly causing damage within the home rather than expressing their views in a positive manner.  There have been a number of incidents of violence between young people.  Young people do not always feel safe within the home as a result of the conflict between them.  Risk assessments are not always updated in a timely manner to reflect change.  Young people do not all receive consistent sanctions, which enable them to reflect upon the consequences of their actions.  The inappropriate matching of some young people does not allow them to gain the most from their placement in this home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 A resilient and nurturing staff team is committed to providing young people with the best possible care.  A comprehensive safety plan has been introduced to address the current conflicts between young people.  Good individual missing-from-care plans are effectively applied, which protects young people from being subject to child sexual exploitation.  Physical intervention is only used as a last resort, and all involved are given the opportunity to learn from the experience.  The acting manager, with support from the provider, is taking appropriate steps to address the current issues.  Good collaborative work with partner agencies and family members ensures consistent messages for young people.  Staff are well trained to meet young people’s individual needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 3 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/06/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person must take to meet 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) which requires the registered person to ensure– that staff: encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; and help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone. (Regulation 11(2)(a)(iii)(iv)) 21/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) which requires the registered person to ensure– that staff: manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iv)) 21/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the care planning standard, in particular, the standard in paragraph (1) which requires the registered person to ensure–

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14(2)(a)) 21/06/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)  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 Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 5 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)  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

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Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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improvement to be good

Young people live in a spacious home set in its own grounds. They each have their own bedroom, which they can decorate to their taste. This allows them to explore choice and invest in their home. They are encouraged to eat together in the welcoming kitchen, as they would in a family home. However, at present, there is a great deal of damage in the home caused primarily by one young person, but all of the young people have been involved. A robust maintenance programme ensures that repairs are taking place as swiftly as possible, but this is an ongoing process.

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improvement to be good

Young people are not settling well or sleeping through the night at present. This is having an impact on their engagement with activities, as they are tired and wishing to sleep during the day. The management team has responded by putting on extra staff, including one member who stays awake, in order to address this. A social worker said, ‘They are supporting him the best they can but he’s not sleeping at night. I’m concerned they are not getting him to school and he’s missing his youth offending meetings.’

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improvement to be good

All of the young people are on roll at the company’s school where they have individual education programmes to meet their needs. Those who are able are registered for nationally recognised qualifications. Others are participating in independence programmes that not only teach them necessary life skills, but also provide them with academic certificates. However, at present none of the young people attend school as they should. This inhibits their academic progress and future job opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Due to the conflict between them at present, young people are not meeting in formal residents’ meetings. Nevertheless, young people have a range of opportunities in which to share their wishes and feelings. These include day-to-day conversations with staff, attendance at their children looked after review meetings and in their key-work sessions. It is evident that young people are extremely confident in airing their views, although this is not always in a positive manner. Staff are working strenuously with young people to enable them to develop more appropriate ways of expressing themselves, which will benefit them in their future adult lives.

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improvement to be good

Young people, their family members and other interested parties, know the home’s complaints process. There have not been any complaints from outside of the home. The manager acts upon the majority of concerns raised by young people swiftly and to the young person’s satisfaction. However, the manager was not aware of some complaints, Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 6 which staff had filed incorrectly. These lapses could lead to young people expressing their dissatisfaction in a less appropriate way as they had not felt heard.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s care plans are detailed and comprehensive. They evidence that collaborative working takes place with all partner agencies to meet young people’s needs. Young people are encouraged to read and comment upon their files. This builds confidence in the home while ensuring that young people are aware of the plans for their futures. An independent reviewing officer (IRO) said, ‘What I’ve observed in the review is that there are warm relationships and they [the staff team] are clear about expectations.’

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improvement to be good

Young person’s plans are individualised to their stage of independence. Young people know what their plans are and what is expected of them. One young person is in the process of starting his independence plan, in partnership with his school, which will prepare him for moving on to his adult life. A parent said, ‘He’s come on leaps and bounds. His attitude’s changed and he’s growing up. I think it’s an absolutely lovely place.’

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improvement to be good

A resilient staff team maintains a warm and caring approach for young people, even when being faced with aggression and verbal abuse. Although there have been a number of violent incidents between young people in the home, they young people still report that they are happy to be living there. They can identify staff members who they trust and can go to if they have any concerns. Most young people have a sense of belonging, which enhances their emotional well-being. A young person said, ‘I’ve got favourites that I feel safe when I’m with and happy when they are around. Especially [Staff Name], he makes me feel like I can do and be anything.’

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improvement to be good

Ensuring that young people maintain regular contact with family members is a strength of this home. The staff team transports young people to contact sessions within their family homes or local communities. This ensures that cultural and community links are maintained, as well as familial bonds. A parent stated, ‘The staff are helpful and I’m impressed at how they manage [Name] when he is having a bad day. The staff always keep me informed. I am very happy with the placement.’

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improvement to be good

Young people’s physical health needs are met well. The staff work hard to ensure that they young people eat a healthy diet and understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Young people are all registered with appropriate generic health providers.

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improvement to be good

Young people are making significant progress in engaging with the in-house psychology team to address their emotional and mental health issues. They are learning to recognise when they are feeling particularly vulnerable to self-harm. The constructive use of a traffic light system enables young people to share how they are feeling with the staff team and therapists. As a result, young people are starting to gain an understanding of their past experiences and behaviours. This enables them to develop some maturity and coping skills. A parent said, ‘Overall, in general, I’m really impressed. He was in foster care before but he just wasn’t doing well there, not like he is now.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 7 Young people are encouraged to participate in a number of inclusive activities in the community, in line with their individual care plans. These include attending the gym and music events as well as fun educational visits. Some young people are currently

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improvement to be good

receiving one-to-one care. They always have a staff member with them when they go out, while others are able to have free time in the community. These experiences provide young people with the opportunity to develop necessary social and life skills. A young person said, ‘I’m happy here, considering, and there’s lots of things I can do when I want to.’

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improvement to be good

The current blend of young people in the home is not conducive to them all being safeguarded at all times. A breakdown of relationships between young people has led to a deterioration in behaviours and an increase in aggression towards each other. The manager has worked collaboratively with all placing authorities to implement a safety plan to address the situation. These have included ensuring that extra staff, including waking night staff, are on duty until a more permanent solution is achieved. These actions have increased young people’s safety and ensure that all parties are appropriately involved. However, the level of violence and conflict requires improvement.

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improvement to be good

The calm and nurturing staff team role models positive behaviours for young people. The team works hard to reward young people for their positive actions. This is effective for some young people. However, the impact of other young people’s negativity has meant that, at this time, aggressive behaviours and damage within the home have become the norm.

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improvement to be good

Not all young people have received consequences for their actions, and the majority of sanctions are of a financial nature. Some young people now owe more money than they can pay back. Although managers comment upon these sanctions, the use of restorative practice is not being implemented consistently. As a result, young people are not learning how to behave appropriately. An IRO said, ‘One of the issues is that staff don’t have enough boundaries in place and don’t challenge him enough and properly.’

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improvement to be good

Young people’s individual risk assessments identify their vulnerabilities and any threats they pose to others. However, these are not consistently updated to reflect the changes in young people’s circumstances. This could lead to staff not taking appropriate actions to ensure that all known risks are planned for.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s safety is enhanced as a result of the very good planning to prevent missing from care episodes. Clear assessments identify whether young people are at risk of becoming involved in child sexual exploitation, and the steps taken to protect them. Robust actions to locate young people if they do absent themselves from the home, together with good partnership working with local and specialist police officers, provide further safeguards. Young people feel cared about and valued as a result. However, recording following such events is inconsistent and not always accurate. This is potentially stigmatising and not helpful to young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 8 Physical interventions are only used as a last resort and in order to protect young people from harm. The well-trained staff team manages and records all restraints appropriately. Young people have the opportunity to comment upon any incidents, which enables them

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The acting manager’s promotion from deputy manager on 1 April to cover the registered manager’s planned absence provides the young people and staff with consistency. This support is being provided by a skilled and experienced manager, and, between the two of them, positive steps are being implemented to improve young people’s protection and well-being, for example by implementing a safety plan and working on developing a new staff rota.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Two out of the three recommendations raised at the last inspection have been fully met, demonstrating the home’s capacity to improve. The home is clean and the garden areas are free from litter. In addition, the manager’s internal monitoring processes have improved, ensuring that any actions for the next six months can be carefully planned. However, sanctions are still not restorative in nature and do not ensure that young people fully understand the consequences of their actions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is using information gathered from good internal and external monitoring processes effectively to inform a comprehensive and clear development plan. There are realistic identified goals, in line with the home’s statement of purpose, to improve outcomes for young people. These are not being achieved at present due to the behavioural issues within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Matching processes were applied before each of the young people were admitted to the home. However, some of the registered manager concerns do not appear to have been acted upon, leading to some inappropriate placements. A staff member said, ‘I think we need to ensure that we’ve got the right mix of kids to make it right.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The management and staff teams are ambitious for all of the young people in their care to grow in well-being and confidence. They fully understand the potential for young people to be subject to, or perpetrators of, child sexual exploitation and take active steps to address those risks. Until recently, young people could be seen to be making clear progress in all aspects of their lives, not just within their therapy sessions. However, the current dynamics between the young people are inhibiting them from continuing with that progress. The manager has taken action to address this with a placing authority, but action is yet to be taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The proactive management team ensures that all professionals involved with young people are kept fully informed. They appropriately challenge placing authorities if the necessary documentation is not received. In addition, they call for strategy and planning meetings to address specific areas of concern. This collaborative working ensures that young people’s needs can be met safely, even if that means that notice has to be given Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 9 on a placement. It also ensures that progress can be identified and celebrated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been a number of changes in the staff team since the last inspection. The new and enthusiastic staff members complement a core team of experienced and nurturing workers who are committed to providing safe care for young people. Some of the staff team’s practice and dedication could be described as outstanding. However, some staff report that they are tired as a result of the night-time disruption and long hours they are working. Although staff members ensure that they are available to young people, this lack of sleep is affecting their ability to consistently challenge young people and complete all administration tasks effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff report positively about the level of training they receive to fulfil their role. A newly improved induction programme ensures that new staff members receive specific training on understanding and working with sexually harmful behaviours. This ensures that staff feel confident to meet the needs and care of young people. A staff member said that the training was ‘excellent and expanded my knowledge’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive regular supervision in which to share their concerns and identify any areas of development. They also use the ‘team around the child’ meetings with the in-house psychologist productively to understand young people’s experiences and learn consistent ways of working with them. This sensitive and skilled practice empowers staff to meet young people’s needs with empathy and tailored support. One new staff member said, ‘I want to make a difference, and come somewhere where what I do every day has value and so I applied here. I am making that difference,’ and an experienced worker said, ‘I love working here, yeah alright we are not getting any sleep, but I love my job.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 10

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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 differences 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 who 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: SC460063 11

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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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Inspectors

Ann-Marie Born, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC460063 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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