Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children's home: SC457327 1 SC457327 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

This children’s home is registered to provide accommodation for a maximum of three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a private provider that also operates other children’s homes in the local area.

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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

Date of last inspection: 25 January 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because: Inspection report children's home: SC457327 2  Leaders and managers admitted a young person into the home without having the required information, for the second time in the last year. Leaders and managers conclude that in hindsight this decision impacted on young people negatively.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Concerning incidents of bullying and aggression occurred for over a month, until recently.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staffing changes, poor performance and sickness have resulted in an unsettling period for young people. However, managers have taken action to resolve these issues.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has not ensured that all of the relevant information and documents that are important for young people’s care are held in the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 While incidents and other systems are reviewed, the manager does not have good oversight of planning and risk assessments that are used to keep young people safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home environment is restrictive in some places. The reasons are not clear, and when circumstances have changed the need for restrictions has not been reviewed.

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Key findings from this inspection

 One young person lived with broken furniture in their bedroom for too long and did not have enough help to keep their bedroom clean.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Diversity and identity are not recognised or explored sufficiently with young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are not clear about how they are expected to behave, or what their daily routine is. The manager has recognised that changes need to be made and has started work on this.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff want young people to enjoy activities and find new interests, but have had limited success in helping them to do so. It is an area of development identified by the manager.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people do not have wi-fi in this home and therefore feel different to most other young people who can access wi-fi.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people do know how to complain. The manager investigates complaints and advises young people of outcomes. A system is not in place for the manager to know whether young people are satisfied with complaint outcomes. Concerns that are raised which are not viewed as complaints are not recorded collectively.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s strengths: Inspection report children's home: SC457327 3  Leaders and managers have made sure that plans are in place to cover for the registered manager’s absence, to ensure the smooth running of the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers and staff respond proactively if young people go missing, and are clear about what they need to do to protect young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager advocates for young people and resolves situations for them.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people in this home have made progress from their starting points and feel settled in their home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Trusting and positive relationships with staff enhance the progress young people make. Staff support young people to become as independent as possible.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and her team seek young people’s views and wishes. They meet with young people regularly and spend time with them on their own to discuss what is important to them, and to give guidance.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and staff enjoy caring for young people, and the atmosphere in the home is positive. Staff feel supported by their manager and are supervised regularly.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2017 Full Requires improvement 29/11/2016 Full Inadequate 10/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC457327 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) 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(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered persons must, and must ensure that staff -

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs. (Regulation 5(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that young people receive help from mental health services when a referral has been made. 31/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to –

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff - provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(a,b)(2)(iv)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and staff must understand issues of identity and diversity for young people and ensure they receive the appropriate support. 30/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The education standard 31/07/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC457327 5 In order to meet the education standard, the registered persons must ensure that staff -

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8(2)(a)(i)(x)) The enjoyment and achievement standard The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(b) In particular, install wi-fi in the home for young people to access. 31/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that— helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to- 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; 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 of care provided in the home use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 12(1)(a,b)(2)(a)(f)(h)) In particular: 31/07/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC457327 6

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Requirement Due date

Review the admissions procedure so that leaders and managers are clear about what necessary information and documents are needed to properly consider compatibility and ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of all young people.

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Requirement Due date

Have good oversight of and review placement plans and risk assessments to ensure they are accurate and inform staff practice to best meet the needs of the child.

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Requirement Due date

Ensure the home holds all necessary documents for young people such as EHC plans (Education, Health and Care).

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that staff and young people are clear about expectations and how young people are supported to achieve expectations.

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Requirement Due date

Collectively collate all concerns raised by young people so that the manager has good oversight of the running of the home.

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Requirement Due date

When complaints have been investigated, ascertain if young people are satisfied with the outcome.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a–c)(i–iv)) 30/06/2017

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improvement to be good

Two young people live in this home. For over a month incidents increased, including concerning episodes of bullying and aggression, making the home an unsettling place to live in during that period. However, of late incidents have decreased and senior leaders now plan not to admit any other young people until the environment is more stable, and new staffing arrangements are in place. Inspection report children's home: SC457327 7 Performance concerns, staffing changes and sickness have also had an impact on the running of the home. This unsettles young people. They have not been able to say goodbye to some staff who have left. Leaders and managers are dealing with performance concerns and are appointing new staff. Despite these problems, young people have made good relationships with members of staff and feel safe enough to confide in them. A discrete folder in the lounge holds visual images of staff on the

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improvement to be good

weekly rota so that young people can easily see who will care for them.

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improvement to be good

One young person’s bedroom was not a conducive environment to help them sleep well and feel relaxed. Their broken bed and wardrobe had not been replaced and were left unrepaired for too long, walls remained damaged and conditions were unhygienic. Staff had not done enough to ensure that the young person had a clean enough bedroom. This situation is now resolved and the young person has chosen their own bedding and moved into a bedroom they feel comfortable in.

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improvement to be good

One young person wants to play online games with friends but the home does not have wi-fi. Therefore, the young person says they ‘feel different’, as they are not able to join in with activities that other young people enjoy. Diversity, identity and ‘feeling different’ are neither recognised nor explored sufficiently with young people, when this is important to them.

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improvement to be good

Staff offer young people activities, and on occasion young people enjoy outings such as laser tag and go-karting. However, young people do not have regular interests or attend clubs. The manager has raised this issue in the most recent team meetings to ensure that staff are more creative in helping young people to develop interests.

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improvement to be good

Staff have not managed to achieve consistent routines for one young person who has difficulties sleeping and does not get up for usual school hours. The home’s policy is to check on the young person every 30 minutes until they get up, but when staff do this it is not consistently recorded, as expected by the manager. Expectations of young people’s behaviour, and how to help young people achieve these expectations, is an area for improvement. The manager has started work with the team to have clearer boundaries and expectations, but new plans are not embedded.

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improvement to be good

Young people who live or have lived in the home have complex needs, and social workers are pleased with the progress young people make. For example, they have started to open up to staff and to trust them. A social worker said that staff have helped a young person to make progress in ‘recognising their feelings and sometimes being able to take action to help themselves’. This is a significant area of improvement for the young person.

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improvement to be good

Staff hold regular meetings with young people to listen to their wishes and get their views on the running of the home. Young people enjoy the company of their staff and engage in key-worker sessions which explore issues that arise for the young people, as well as planned topics. If a young person makes a complaint, the manager investigates and responds to the young person. The manager does not check whether the young person is satisfied with the outcome of a complaint investigation. Young people are Inspection report children's home: SC457327 8 encouraged to raise concerns as well as complaints. However, this information is recorded in files but not in a central record. Consequently, the manager does not have an overview of matters raised when considering improvements to the home.

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improvement to be good

One young person has lived in the home for some time and is due to leave as he becomes a young adult. Staff have worked, over time, to help prepare the young person for their next move.

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improvement to be good

Staff lock an internal door, and risk assessments for this and the use of door alarms are outdated. Staff have different understandings as to why alarms are in place. Risk assessments have not been reviewed when circumstances change, so the manager is unsure if surveillance is still needed.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is used only as a last resort. It has occurred on one occasion since the last inspection. While excessive force was not used, the manager’s review of the intervention is that the situation should have been defused before it reached the point of physical intervention being necessary. Risk assessments do not guide staff on what type of physical intervention they should use, if it is necessary to use it.

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improvement to be good

The young people living in the home have not absconded. When young people have absconded previously, staff have taken appropriate action, such as actively searching for them. The manager has arranged independent return home interviews to understand why young people have run away.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers deal with allegations in accordance with safeguarding policies, and ensure young people’s safety. The manager encourages transparency, and staff understand how to use whistle-blowing procedures.

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

Leaders and managers admitted a young person into this home without realising that they did not have full referral information. This has happened before, and is identified in the previous inspection report. Problems in the home followed which resulted in concerning incidents: on one occasion a young person felt frightened enough to call the police for help. Managers recognise this failing and have learned to ensure that all necessary checks for information are made, and to request full documentation. Leaders and managers have confirmed that they will not admit another young person until the young people in the home feel settled, and new staffing arrangements are in place.

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

The manager has some understanding of young people’s progress but is not up to date with all relevant information for young people. For example, the manager did not know recent exam results. The manager is not aware of how long a delay is likely to be with regards to waiting for the outcome of a referral from the child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The manager does not have documents which hold important Inspection report children's home: SC457327 9 information for the care of children, such as education Health and care plans. Consequently, the information held in these documents is not being used to help young people with care and learning at home in the best way possible.

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

Placement plans and risk assessments are not accurate or detailed enough. They do not fully assist staff to think about the issues that are important for young people, or how to manage difficult situations. The manager has not scrutinised these plans, or found out whether they are being used. However, the manager has reviewed incidents, sanctions and rewards, raising action points and reflections on practice.

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

Educational provision for one young person is not working, and the manager has attended a number of meetings to try and resolve this, including raising her own and the young person’s concerns. Consequently, the manager’s challenge provides good advocacy for the young person.

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

The current manager has been in post since January 2017, and is submitting an application to Ofsted for registration. She has a development plan for the home and is committed to making improvements, which include streamlining paperwork to enable staff to spend more time with young people. The registered manager is due to return to the home shortly, following a period of sickness. Leaders and managers have made plans to promote consistency and stability, and to cover all eventualities.

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

The manager supervises staff regularly. Records show that the manager explores issues and evaluates performance. Purposeful team meetings occur monthly. They are well attended and recorded. Staff enjoy caring for young people and are not fazed by difficult situations. They are positive about their team and the support they receive. The atmosphere in the home is warm and welcoming.

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

The home has an independent visitor who provides a monthly report. Leaders and managers consider the recommendations and act on them where appropriate.

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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 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 Inspection report children's home: SC457327 10 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: SC457327 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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Inspector(s)

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC457327 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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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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