Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Birmingham

Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 1 SC396463 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for two young people aged between 11 and 18 years (11 to 17 upon admission). Young people referred to the home have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people have excellent relationships with staff who have a strong understanding of their individual needs.  Skilled staff provide consistent care that helps to keep young people safe.  Young people’s views, wishes and feelings are central to their care planning.  Staff work well together and receive good support and guidance from the management team.  Young people feel safe, comfortable and happy in the home.  Staff are very positive about the importance of education and its value for young people’s futures.  Young people are given every encouragement to keep in contact with family and to maintain friendships.  Young people have clear risk assessments in place to help minimise and address the risk of harm.  The registered manager is innovative in his approach and understands the home’s strengths well, and is equally receptive to new ideas and different ways of working.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 11/05/2016 Full Good 17/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 12/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are provided with a good quality of care delivered by a committed staff team. As a result, young people develop excellent relationships with staff and appreciate the support that they receive. A consultant clinical psychologist told the inspector, ‘The staff seem very young-person focused and have been proactive in following up on actions agreed and keeping the young person’s needs central.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have personalised care and risk management plans that staff keep under review. These plans take account of the full range of young people’s needs and identify their daily support requirements.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people understand the importance of good health and are supported by staff to attend physical and psychological health appointments. The arrangements for the controlled storage and administration of young people’s medication are safe and effective.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager ensures that young people attend educational settings according to their needs and abilities. All young people are fully engaged in education and have made significant educational progress since the last inspection. One young person recently attended his first six-night trip away with school. Staff work in partnership with education departments and other relevant professionals to ensure that young people have every opportunity to increase their academic ability and to reach their full potential.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people are able to maintain contact with their family and friends. Staff will facilitate contact, regularly providing transport, so that important connections are maintained. Staff also support young people’s friendships in the local community. The staff recently organised for one young person to have his first ever birthday party with friends at a local bowling alley. This was a fantastic experience for all involved.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take part in a range of activities inside the home and in the local community. This provides them with opportunities to have fun and enjoyment and to build confidence and self-esteem. For example, one young person recently joined a local gym. This enables young people to socialise with others of a similar age, have new experiences and develop hobbies, skills and interests.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from making a positive contribution to their home. Staff consult with young people through regular residents’ meetings. Each young person has a key worker, and meetings between key workers and young people take place at regular intervals. These opportunities allow young people to have their views heard and to have an input on their own care.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager ensures that the home is generally kept to a good standard. Young people take pride in their bedrooms and have personalised them. One young Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 4 person recently had large spiderman artwork put up on his wall at his direct request. This practice provides young people with a sense of ownership and belonging.

p.3

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

Young people say that they are safe and feel safe. Similarly, stakeholders express confidence that young people are safely cared for. Young people are enabled to lead fulfilling lives. Their complex needs do not inhibit their opportunities to enjoy a wide range of activities and events. Comprehensive risk assessments outline measures needed to support the young people in their environment, community and during activities.

p.4

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

Staff formulate and update effective behaviour management plans in consultation with parents and other professionals. This enables staff to implement strategies which are consistent to support young people to manage their challenging behaviour. Staff offer encouragement and reassurance to help reduce young people’s anxieties. This has resulted in staff not having to use any form of physical intervention.

p.4

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

The registered manager ensures that young people live in a home that provides physical safety and security. Health and safety checks are regularly undertaken. Records show that young people and staff regularly practise evacuating the building so that they know how to respond in an emergency.

p.4

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

The registered manager ensures that staff receive safeguarding training and that they have a good understanding of their duties in promoting young people’s welfare. Staff are familiar with the particular vulnerabilities associated with each young person and use this knowledge to develop behaviour management plans and risk assessments. Staff are insightful of risks that young people can face including self-harm, child sexual exploitation and radicalisation, and monitor young people’s behaviour for any emerging concerns. This level of surveillance helps to keep young people safe.

p.4

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

The excellent relationship between staff and young people means that young people feel safe and secure in their home. Staff know what action to take to promote young people’s safety if they go missing. There are effective procedures and protocols to promote young people’s safe return. Despite being identified as a previous risk for some young people, there have been no incidents of going missing from the home since the last inspection.

p.4

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

Staff notice the different aspects of a young person’s development and enthusiastically celebrate all achievements. Young people respond positively to praise. As a result, their confidence and self-esteem have grown.

p.4

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

The registered manager makes sure that the vetting of new staff is comprehensive. This thorough approach to recruitment means that only the right people get to work with young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since March 2017 and holds a level 5 national vocational qualification in leadership. He is innovative in his approach and understands the home’s strengths well. He is equally receptive to new ideas and different ways of working. This ensures that the staff always meet the needs of young people to a high standard.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Managers ensure that all staff receive regular supervision that provides the opportunity to review young people’s care as well as considering staff’s professional developmental needs. Staff retention is good and morale is high. Staff are aspirational and keen to learn. In response to this, the registered manager has developed an impressive checklist to support the professional development of staff. This provides clear guidance regarding role responsibilities and a pathway for progression based on competence and confidence in staff members existing roles.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

A well-organised training matrix ensures that all staff stay up to date with current practice and gain the skills that they require to support young people. Staff complete training in particular areas such as understanding the risks of radicalisation. This means that staff are well trained to meet the individual needs of young people. Most staff are qualified. Those who are unqualified are within the regulatory period to obtain their qualification.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has ensured that the home meets the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. This document is available to placing authorities, families and other stakeholders and accurately reflects the current staffing arrangements and the services provided by the home.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The aims and objectives of the statement of purpose are met. Staff understand the ethos and values of the home and deliver them in practice. They have a true sense of care and go above and beyond expectations. Staff practice is nurturing and solution focused. These approaches help young people to build up the confidence, self-esteem and resilience that they need to overcome difficult past experiences.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

An independent visitor visits monthly and reviews the home’s performance and young people’s progress. In addition, the registered manager ensures that regular consultations with young people and other professionals take place. This level of consultation enables the registered manager to make sure that the quality of care provided by staff is making a positive difference to young people’s lives.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Strong partnership working between the staff, police and other safeguarding professionals helps to promote young people’s safety and welfare. Communication between staff, young people and their families, social workers and other professionals is excellent. Because of this collaborative approach, there is clear, coordinated support to meet young people’s needs. A social worker commented, ‘Reports are received regularly and are to a good standard and staff at the home provide updates on progress and make her aware of any incidents or concerning behaviour.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 6 The registered manager is confident and assertive in challenging partner agencies when they do not fulfil their responsibilities. This challenge helps to protect young people from risk and supports them to make meaningful progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has ensured that the home’s location risk assessment is reviewed on an annual basis. This means that staff are aware of local intelligence regarding risks in the community. This promotes the opportunity for staff to protect young people from known areas of risk.

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There were no requirements or recommendations arising from the last inspection.

p.6

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.

p.6

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: SC396463 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian Group, 4th Floor Waterfront Building, Chancellors Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

p.7

Inspector

Lisa Walsh: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC396463 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8