Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home may accommodate up to four children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private provider and specialises in caring for young people who have been subject to, or are at risk of, child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 31 July to 1 August 2017

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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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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s emotional well-being and self-esteem improve as they develop attachments with staff.  Young people learn self-protection skills which enhance their life opportunities.  Young people rekindle an interest in learning and have ambition as a result of the encouragement that they receive to attend school.  Staff members receive appropriate induction and training to meet the needs of young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 High staff turnover is inhibiting team formation.  Not all supervision sessions provide staff with the opportunity to fully reflect on practice.  Information recorded on young people’s files is not of a consistently high standard.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/10/2016 Full Good 24/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff work as a team. (Regulation 13(2)(b)) 19/09/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  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 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)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three young people have left the home and three more have been admitted. This rapid turnaround has been achieved well, with young people quickly settling in to the routines and developing good relationships with some staff members. The current group of young people are at different stages in their care experience, with one having been admitted to residential care for the first time and another preparing to move on to semi-independence. The young people have been well matched, which has allowed them to develop warm and trusting relationships with each other. As a result, young people have a sense of belonging and security in the home. The independent visitor stated, ‘The apparent stability of an unusually high number of recent admissions is a testimony to the manager’s judgement.’ Detailed care planning allows for young people’s needs to be identified and addressed. The majority of young people’s plans are comprehensive, allowing for progress to be

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 4 recognised and built on. Consequently, young people are learning the self-protection skills and awareness that they will need to equip them for adulthood. However, inconsistent quality in recording means that not all records have sufficient information about young people’s ethnic heritage or legal status. Young people live in a spacious, detached home in its own grounds in a rural location, but in close proximity to a number of towns. This setting provides them with protection, but also the opportunity to participate in inclusive activities within the community helping young people to engage in new and positive life experiences. A staff member said, ‘The location is perfect. It’s a positive place, a caring home, a clean home and a bright home with caring staff.’ Young people are able to identify staff members with whom they have good and trusting relationships. This empowers them to engage with the care in the home and start to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

make sense of past experiences. As a result, young people rebuild safe relationships with family members, where appropriate, as well as other professionals involved in their care. A social worker said, ‘She seems to have settled really quickly. There have been no issues since she’s been placed. She’s very happy there.’ Young people’s emotional and psychological health and well-being significantly improve as a result of the tailored support that they receive from the staff and in-house clinical psychological team. The subsequent growth in their belief in their abilities allows them to embrace healthy lifestyle changes, including giving up smoking and developing appropriate personal hygiene skills. Young people grow in self-esteem and self-respect as a result. The deputy manager said, ‘I think we really do make a difference in young people’s lives. We show them alternatives and ways of staying safe.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have very good attendance in the on-site school, allowing them to rekindle an interest in learning. One young person will be transferring to a mainstream school in the community from September. This good progress enhances young people’s future life and employment opportunities. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘When she went to the placement, it did seem as though the placement had got a grip of her presenting needs. Education is good and she had missed education before.’ Young people grow in confidence in expressing their views and asking for things that they want, due to the emphasis the management and staff place on encouraging their input. Not all of their wishes can be acceded to because of the nature of the home, but staff sensitively explain this, thus allowing young people to develop a deeper understanding of their rights and responsibilities. These interactions help prepare young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people for moving on to a further placement, return home, or move in to semi- independence. A young person said, ‘I’m sad to be leaving here. I’ve been here 18 months and it’s been my home, but it’s time for me to go and I can’t wait.’ Young people are learning self-protection skills as part of their care plans, and so have to earn free time in the community. While they are still in this process, staff accompany them on all activities and outings. Nevertheless, the new experiences that young people enjoy while with staff and each other broaden their horizons. A parent said, ‘Since she’s been there she’s been doing all sorts. She’s really growing up.’ Good collaborative work with partner agencies supports carefully planned transitions into Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 5 and from the home. The management team visits young people prior to placement to ensure that they know about the home and what the expectations are. This allows

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

young people to start to form important bonds. This support continues as staff take young people to introductory visits at their new placements prior to them leaving. This cements young people’s feelings of being valued. A young person said, ‘I am happy here, but I didn’t think I would be because this is my first time in care and I hadn’t known what it would be like.’ All of the young people live a considerable distance from their home area as part of their care plans. The management and staff team work closely with their placing authorities and family members to ensure that important, safe bonds are maintained. This continuity ensures that, when young people are able to return to their home locality, they can do so with established links available to them.

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

The home’s comprehensive locality assessment provides a clear picture of any potential risks within the community and how young people are to be protected. A good range of risk assessments identify young people’s individual vulnerabilities, particularly in relation to child sexual exploitation, and complement this. Young people learn coping mechanisms and self-protection skills as a result of the carful implementation of safeguarding strategies. An independent advocate said, ‘They [the staff team] have been amazing. She’s making brilliant progress considering what she’s been through.’ The young people in the home have been at risk of, or subject to, child sexual exploitation prior to their admission. Careful planning with young people and their social workers, as part of their care, identifies when they can leave the home. As they grow in self-protection skills and confidence, young people’s free time choices are expanded.

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

Some young people have taken a considerable amount of time to develop these skills, which inhibits their options. Good partnership working between the manager and local specialist police officers, including involvement in the vulnerable, exploited, missing and trafficked group, provide safeguards for young people. Comprehensive missing person protocols are effectively applied, and such is the growth in young people‘s maturity that there have not been any missing episodes since the last inspection. For some young people, this is significant progress. A parent said, ‘She is 100% safe here because the carers always make sure they are with her, there are locks on the doors and it’s too far for her to run away.’ Young people learn appropriate ways of expressing any frustrations or anger. Sanctions are restorative in nature and young people are rewarded for positive ways of behaving. Young people are happier as a result and empowered to develop more acceptable coping

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

mechanisms. Consequently, although staff are appropriately trained in physical interventions, restraint has not been necessary to safeguard these young people. A parent said, ‘From the second week of being there, I thought she’s a completely changed young girl. I can talk to her and she understands boundaries. She understands risks and she’s becoming my little girl again.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The appropriately qualified manager is passionate about his role and in ensuring that young people receive the best possible care. He is now spending more quality time in the home, which is benefiting both young people and staff. A skilled and nurturing deputy ably supports the manager. Their consistent leadership enhances young people’s sense of security, allowing them to thrive. The three requirements raised at the last inspection have been met. The successful recruitment of a number of new members of staff ensures that the home has the capacity to meet the needs of young people. Those new staff members have benefited from the addition of awareness training on child sexual exploitation as part of their induction programme. The implementation of a new system ensures that all staff receive supervision within appropriate timescales. However, at times these sessions are not of suitable length or quality to allow staff members to reflect on their practice as they

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

should. There has been a significant change in staff members since the last inspection. The manager has worked hard to employ people with the correct skills and abilities. This will benefit young people once all new staff have commenced in post and completed their probationary periods. However, at present some staff members are practising very much as individuals, and young people and staff report about the division in the team. This needs to be addressed in order to ensure that consistent care is provided. Staff members regularly participate in core training sessions as well as developing an understanding of specialist subjects. The company’s clinical team provides staff with in- depth training on the impact of attachment and trauma, as well as child sexual exploitation and sexually harmful behaviours. This means that only those people that are trained to meet their needs care for young people. Detailed and thorough external monitoring reports contribute towards improving safety

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and outcomes for young people. The manager’s very good internal auditing processes identify areas for development, as well as evaluating progress and how that has been achieved. This demonstrates the manager’s critical overview of care in the home. The home’s statement of purpose states, ‘Continuity of relationships is important and attachments will be respected, sustained where possible, and developed. Partnerships with parents and relatives are crucial to ensuring that children and young people retain and build their identity.’ The successful return of a young person to live with her family after her stay in the home, and the rebuilding of another young person’s relationship with her family, demonstrate that this goal is being achieved. A parent said, ‘I think it’s brilliant. I get on with every single one of the staff. They keep in good contact with me.’ Good, collaborative working between the management and staff team and partner

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

agencies means that young people’s holistic needs are met. The management team knows the young people in its care extremely well. This enables the team to recognise when progress is being made and to put plans in place to address any shortfalls or areas of development. For example, the team will contact managers in placing authorities if requisite documentation for young people has not been received in a timely manner. This ensures that young people’s achievements are celebrated and that partner agencies Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 7 also accept their responsibilities. The designated officer said, ‘I think we’ve worked well together over time and we’ve established good processes.’ The management recognises the importance of allowing young people to identify with their cultural heritage. Consequently, young people are supported, both financially and emotionally, to actively pursue the elements of their culture that they wish to, such as

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

travelling with young people to specialist hairdressers in a nearby city, or ensuring that Halal customs are implemented. An independent advocate said, ‘If you wish it, they’ll make it happen.’

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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 children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 8

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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

Ann-Marie Born, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159272 9 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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