Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warwickshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 1 SC457488 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 home is registered for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural problems. A large private company owns the service.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 9 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people develop positive relationships with staff.  Staff are nurturing, sensitive and caring. Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 2  Staff help young people to develop self-care and independence skills.  Young people engage well in education and make good progress in their overall learning.  Staff recognise risks and consistently make appropriate safeguarding referrals.  The interim manager leads by example, promoting a culture in which young people‟s needs are at the heart of everything that staff do.  Staff understand the complex experiences and emotional needs of young people and take their time to help each young person to make safe decisions.

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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

 Staff do not ensure that risk assessments sufficiently consider the impact of risk.  Managers do not always challenge the responses of other services.  Staff do not ensure that young people‟s files hold all the required documentation about their care.  One recent admission was not in line with the home‟s statement of purpose and caused destabilisation for young people until the new admission‟s placement was ended.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Good 16/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 3

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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. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must ensure that staff seek to involve each child‟s placing authority effectively in the child‟s care. In accordance with the child‟s relevant plans seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child‟s needs. If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(a)(b) and (c)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

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. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(a)) 23/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 23/08/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a caring and supportive environment that enables them to make good progress in many aspects of their lives. There have been notable improvements in outcomes for young people, relating to their health, school attendance and independence skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‟s placement plans take account of their assessed and individual needs. Plans are prepared with the involvement of the young person and their social worker. Young people have clear health plans and are registered with the relevant primary healthcare services. Appropriate arrangements are in place for the safe administration and recording of medication.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school and college regularly. When issues do arise at school, staff are proactive in helping young people address the issues, so that any disruption in young people‟s education is minimal.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff notice the different aspects of a young person‟s development and enthusiastically celebrate all achievements. For example, one young person recently completed her GCSEs and attended her end of school prom. Young people respond positively to praise, and as a consequence, their confidence and self-esteem have increased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with placing authorities and families to promote contact with family and friends that is positive and safe. This ensures that young people continue to build relationships and attachments with those significant to them. Staff work hard to build trusting relationships, where possible. A family member recently sent a letter to staff acknowledging this support: „I appreciate all you do for (young person) and hopefully putting (young person) on the right path for a successful future.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are fully involved in day-to-day decisions in the home. They contribute their views through regular meetings and regular communication with staff. This helps to ensure that young people have ownership of decisions made in the home. Young people confirm that they know how to make a complaint if they are unhappy or have any concerns about their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in developing basic life skills, which are appropriate to their age and understanding. Young people are provided with opportunities to develop new skills, such as shopping and cooking, and holding down a part time job, with good support and encouragement from staff. This helps young people develop the practical skills they need in readiness for adulthood. One social worker commented, „(name of home) have implemented independent living plans, at my request, to assist my young person to prepare for her next step from residential care. All members of the care team are consistent in their approach.‟ Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 5 Young people are involved in a range of activities, such as attending youth groups, swimming, trips to the cinema, and enjoying holidays and visits away from the home. This helps them to make new friendships in the community and gives them a chance to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

try different experiences and develop new skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the home is well maintained, comfortable and homely. Young people have personalised their bedrooms to reflect their own tastes and identity. This helps young people develop a sense of belonging and ownership.

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practice. They have a good understanding of young people‟s needs and particular vulnerabilities that help to keep young people safe. However, risk assessments do not sufficiently consider the impact of risk or make clear strategies that minimise these risks. This has meant that practice has on occasion become crisis-led in its approach and opportunities for reflection are missed.

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

Staff understand the risks young people face from social media and child sexual exploitation. There is professional curiosity from managers and staff to help ensure that young people receive the help and support young people need. Key-work opportunities are used to support young people to make safe decisions and to be protected from becoming involved in negative and potentially exploitative relationships. Staff are knowledgeable about the risks of radicalisation and extremism and use their insight to help to keep young people safe.

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

On occasions when staff need to use restraint to prevent serious harm, there is a careful debrief and analysis of each incident. Records made by staff when a physical restraint has occurred receive management oversight, and young people have the opportunity to talk about the restraint. This is helping to ensure that the use of restraint is proportionate and that staff and young people all receive an opportunity to reflect on incidents.

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

Some young people are at risk of self-harming. Staff respond well to incidents. However, despite the previous requirement made at the last interim inspection, the absence of completed self-harm records continues to hinder the process of monitoring and review. Consequently, the opportunity to provide effective support to young people is not captured in the care plan.

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

Young people told the inspector that they feel safe in the home and are confident that they live in a safe environment. One young person said, „This home is way better than any other home I have lived in, I get on with the staff. They are helping me prepare for moving on; I feel safe.‟

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

Staff ensure that staff comply with locally agreed protocols for young people who go missing from home. When young people go missing, staff liaise with the police and complete detailed records of actions taken and appropriate individuals contacted. Young Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 6 people have access to an independent person to speak to on their return home. This helps staff to consider any information that may help to protect young people from going missing from home again.

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

Staff ensure that young people live in a physically safe environment. Staff complete regular health and safety checks and make sure that equipment is regularly serviced. Staff are trained in fire safety procedures, and they ensure that young people take part in fire evacuation drills so that they understand what to do in the event of a fire or other emergency.

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

Managers ensure that young people are protected by thorough recruitment practices. Staff are vetted and assessed as suitable before any appointment is confirmed. These measures positively promote the safety of the young people by preventing unsuitable adults from working with them.

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

There is a new interim manager in charge of the home. She took up post in June 2017 and is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. The interim manager is experienced and holds a level 4 national vocational qualification in leadership. She is aware of the strengths of the home and the areas for development, including the shortfalls identified during inspection. The interim manager is supported by a dedicated deputy manager.

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

Managers ensure that staff are well supported through regular supervision and annual appraisals, and benefit from a range of training to develop their knowledge and skills. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are in the regulatory period to obtain their qualification. This ensures that staff keep their skills and knowledge up to date and are competent in looking after young people.

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

Effective team meetings ensure good communication and consistency of practice across the staff group. Meetings are well attended. Mutually supportive and respectful relationships exist across the staff group. These demonstrate positive role models and consistency for the young people.

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

Despite a previous requirement, the manager has not ensured that young people‟s records include all key information from their placing authority. For example, some young people are missing pathway plans and statutory care plans. The previous registered manager has made requests for this information to local authorities, without any success. However, there is no evidence of managers escalating their concerns to address the delay in receiving essential plans. The absence of these documents hinders staff from tracking progress and developments from young people‟s starting points.

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

An independent visitor completes monthly visits and writes a detailed report. The manager uses these reports to help develop the service, with the key focus being on young people in their care. Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 7 Staff feel valued and supported by managers. They feel listened to, and that their views are valued. Their needs, both professionally and personally, are being taken into account. This helps the staff to remain highly motivated in their care of young people.

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

Staff have formed positive relationships with a range of agencies, including the police, youth services and the education department. A police officer told the inspector, „The working relationship that both I and the police in general have with the home, I must say, is excellent, with the staff being very accommodating of police and quick to flag any issues affecting the residents that may require police involvement.‟ This means that there is a coordinated approach to meeting young people‟s needs.

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

Managers have ensured that the home‟s location risk assessment reviews the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises. This means that any risks presented by the home‟s location are being identified, along with the strategies for managing them.

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

The previous registered manager had recognised concerns relating to the effectiveness of statutory care planning for one young person. Despite recognising this, she has not sufficiently challenged and escalated these shortfalls with the local authority to bring about the necessary change in the best interests of young people in a timely fashion. This has created a missed opportunity to advocate for one young person to access suitable therapeutic work.

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

Opportunities to make informed decisions regarding the suitability of a new admission were missed with the most recent admission. Managers did not have verbal discussions with the local authority regarding the suitability of one young person prior to their admission. This meant that key information was missed and this resulted in an inappropriate decision being made and an inevitable placement breakdown. This practice is contrary to that set out within the home‟s statement of purpose and is destabilising for young people within the home.

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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 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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 8 children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟. Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 9

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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 Group, 4th Floor Waterfront Building, Chancellors Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Lisa Walsh, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC457488 10 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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