Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 1 SC430239 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people live in a warm, friendly home, where they are all well supported by their staff to achieve positive outcomes.  Young people are supported to engage in independent living skills to ensure that they are well prepared for adulthood. Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 2  Staff provide consistency, clear routines and expectations. Incentives and rewards are tailored to young people’s individual likes and interests.  Staff have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of young people’s risks and vulnerabilities, and ensure that the right action is taken to keep young people safe from harm.  The home is well managed by a competent and highly experienced registered manager, who is child-focused and provides strong leadership for her staff team.

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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 manager needs to ensure that the outcome of review meetings in relation to young people’s care plans are kept up to date.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Outstanding 23/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 3

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Recommendations

 All children’s case records (regulation 36) must be kept up to date. This relates to the result of review meetings regarding the placing authorities’ plans for the care of young people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, Page 62, Paragraph 14.3)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has had a number of recent changes in managers and staff. Staff are supporting young people to form positive relationships by spending time with them and getting to know their likes and dislikes. This is proving successful and the inspector observed young people to be comfortable with their staff, seeking their advice on various topics, such as cooking and future careers. Since the last inspection, there have been notable improvements in young people’s progress and development. A social worker said, ‘I am kept up to date with young people’s behaviours and difficulties, along with their positive behaviours. The staff have built positive relationships with the young people and this is reflected by the young people and the respect shown to their staff.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and staff have implemented structure and consistent rules and boundaries. Initially, young people tried to resist these strategies. Staff remained consistent and their determination is proving successful. This is having a positive impact on young people and there are notable improvements in young people’s progress and development. Young people are developing positive attitudes towards education and they have chosen not to go missing from their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly consult young people on their care and support them to engage and make joint decisions on the running of the home. The manager has ensured that young people’s views are taken into consideration as to how best the home’s layout can be used. She has implemented young people’s ideas, converting the dining room into a games room and transforming the conservatory into a bright spacious dining room. These changes have motivated young people to engage with each other, strengthening the relationships between them. A young person said, ‘We all play pool together now. It is much better and I like the manager and staff, they’re okay. We’ve had a lot of new staff, which has been hard, but it’s okay now.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use praise to increase young people’s confidence and encourage them to learn new skills. This has resulted in young people volunteering to take on new roles and responsibilities with minimal support from staff; for example, taking charge of writing the weekly shopping list and buying the food from the supermarket. Young people are enjoying learning to cook and are now able to cook a full meal for all of the people in the home, devising recipes to use in the slow cooker. These skills have resulted in increasing self-confidence and self-esteem, and will enhance their transition to independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are exploring what young people’s individual barriers are to learning. They are gradually changing young people’s attitude to education by talking to them about their interests and hopes Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 4 for future jobs. Young people are developing more positive attitudes and now show minimal resistance to attending their education provision. Their attendance and achievements have improved. Some young people have successfully sat exams and some are planning future careers. Staff take an interest in their education and collaborate with teachers and virtual heads to ensure that young people are afforded the right level of education for their needs. They encourage and support them to gain information about their preferred jobs, such as joining the army. They praise young people for their achievements and drive them to achieve their educational goals. A young person said, ‘We went to an open day to find out about the army.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

That’s what I want to do. I am making plans to get fit and have read all the information so that I’m prepared for it. Staff are going to help me and I’m looking forward to it.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote and facilitate contact between young people and their families, where appropriate. They recognise the importance of contact in relation to young people’s culture and identity, enabling and supporting this. Individual contact plans ensure that young people’s communication with their families is safe and a positive experience for all involved. This proactive approach affords young people consistent care.

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

Staff give young people’s safety top priority. They teach them how to keep safe when they are out in the community and have provided them with a happy family environment. They ensure that young people engage in their chosen activities, which has proved successful in distracting them from going missing from the home. On the occasions when young people have been absent from the home, staff keep in regular contact with them and visit them at their known location, to ensure that they are safe. Young people are now enjoying the time they spend in their home. They have taken up new interests and hobbies, for example, developing a vegetable patch in the garden and researching the best products for the type of soil. This proactive and creative approach has afforded young people a sense of belonging and they enjoy interacting with staff and each other. A social worker said, ‘If [name] goes missing, the staff always inform

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

me and I am confident they do all they can to keep her safe.’

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

Staff demonstrate a strong commitment to overcoming difficult and challenging behaviour. Clear, consistent age-appropriate boundaries afford young people a stability which contributes to their well-being and security. Staff have a good insight into young people’s emotional needs and develop individual behaviour management plans that are fully implemented in practice. This assists young people to learn what safe and acceptable behaviour is, and they are making improved choices in this respect. Consequently, low-level physical restraint has only been used to ensure that young people are safe, and the use of sanctions has not been necessary.

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

The manager and staff are developing effective links with specialist agencies in respect of risk assessment and young people. The manager regularly reviews the home’s area risk assessment and identifies risks within the community and strategies for managing these. The manager has considered the risks associated with sexual exploitation and radicalisation within the home’s locality. This will provide staff with a knowledge and understanding of the potential risks within the area and clear strategies to follow to ensure that young people are safeguarded.

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

Staff employed at the home are subject to organisational vetting procedures and do not start work in the home until all of the appropriate checks are complete. All fire, gas and electrical equipment is routinely serviced to ensure that it is in good working order. These Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 5 measures ensure that young people are protected from persons who may present a risk to them and that the environment is safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is fairly new to this home. She was registered in May 2017. She is suitably qualified and highly experienced in leading and managing the staff team. Prior to this position, she was the registered manager of three homes within this organisation, which she managed effectively. She is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Managers are highly child-focused and are committed to young people’s individual development, safety and care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since her appointment, the manager has made a number of improvements in the home. She has reviewed and simplified young people’s documents, resulting in clear, well-organised files that are easy to follow. She has worked hard in building positive working relationships with other professionals, such as placing social workers and education staff. She immediately arranged meetings with these people to discuss young people’s plans and to ensure that all professionals are working consistently to improve outcomes for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One shortfall noted at this inspection is the length of time that some local authorities are taking to provide the home with the outcome of review meetings in relation to care planning. The manager has escalated this with the placing social worker and independent reviewing officer. She is keen to ensure that the home gains this important information swiftly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a clear understanding of the progress that young people make in respect of their individual plans. She ensures that care plans are detailed and up to date, and that they address young people’s individual needs and reflect their experiences. The manager and staff drive achievements and prepare young people for their future lives. The manager monitors the progress that young people make to help her to identify any developing patterns and trends. This means that she can take swift action to address any areas of concern that are identified. All significant events concerning the welfare of young people are reported to the appropriate authorities quickly to ensure that appropriate action is taken to protect them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed positive relationships with young people in a short period of time. She enjoys spending time with them, talking to them and seeking their views on the care that they receive. She is highly proactive and strives to improve and develop young people’s experiences. These positive relationships provide her with good opportunities to obtain young people’s views on a variety of subjects, to explore how they are feeling and to offer support. Young people value their manager’s input. A young person said of the manager, ‘I like her, she’s okay, and I can talk to her.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are valued and supported by their managers and receive regular supervision and support from them. The members of the management team are getting to know their staff and ensure that staff development is ongoing through training and regular team meetings. Staff have completed all safeguarding training and additional guidance that focuses on the needs of the young people, such as sexual exploitation and substance awareness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The recommendation from the last inspection has been met. The manager has discussed with the independent visitor the shortfalls that were identified in the monthly report. The independent visitor will ensure that she identifies any future concerns about the quality of care provided, in particular, any risks that young people present in the community. Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 6 Managers and staff are forming positive relationships with placing authorities, independent reviewing officers and education staff. They utilise advice and the contribution from these agencies to ensure that young people are afforded the best possible life chances. A member of education staff commented, ‘ I am very pleased with the way in which the home work in partnership with me and all other professionals to ensure [name] is kept safe.’

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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: SC430239 7

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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

Jo Hornby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 8 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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