Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 1 SC457132 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private, national provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who has emotional and behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 26 January 2017

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff, on one occasion, restrained the young person by using an unauthorised technique. The young person was attempting to obtain tools from the office, where they were stored in an unlocked box. The staff failed to record this incident in the record of physical intervention. It is not possible to see how long the young person was held for, as this important safeguarding information is not documented in the incident report.  The young person’s care plan is not up to date. Contact details for their family are not current. The plan states that no contact is taking place, but the young person is now having contact with some family members.  The manager and staff were unaware of which examination courses the young person is taking at school. This important information is not documented in the young person’s education plan. The staff are not able to offer effective support with homework if they do not know what examinations the young person is

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

working towards.  The staff fail to support the young person to establish a daily routine in which they have enough sleep and get out of bed before late morning on a school day. On many occasions the young person is allowed by the staff to roam around the house at night, and then refuses to get out of bed until late morning the next day.  The record of sanctions is not being regularly monitored by the manager. Sanctions for the previous month have not been monitored for effectiveness and appropriateness. In the last month, the young person has not signed the sanctions log or given their views.  Areas of the home are not well maintained. No blind or curtains are fitted to the landing window to ensure the privacy of the young person. The grouting around the bath is black with mould in places, and the kitchen floor is damaged and worn.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The staff succeed in building trusting relationships with the young person, who has complex care needs. The number of incidents of the young person being missing from home have reduced. The young person has only been restrained once in this home, which is a significant reduction from the number of restraints required where the young person lived previously.  The manager has been proactive in obtaining an educational placement for the young person. She is liaising with the headteacher to incrementally increase the number of hours the young person spends at school. Based on their current education schedule, the young person has achieved an excellent record of attendance. Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 3  The young person has learned how to have a better personal hygiene routine, and has cut down on their smoking. The young person said that they feel safe living at the home, although they are placed a long way from home and would

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

prefer to live in their home area.  The young person is supported to take part in a variety of activities, and has joined the army cadets group in the community. The staff support the young person to use their free time responsibly, and as a consequence the young person has made friends.  Any safeguarding incidents are managed effectively by the staff. The manager and staff have effective working relationships with the local police and safeguarding authorities.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 03/05/2016 Full Good 01/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes details of the child’s behaviour leading to the measure, a description of the measure and its duration, details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the measure and any medical treatment administered as a result of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)(vi)(viii)) 31/10/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in each child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (2)(a)(i)) 31/10/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop and to benefit from relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, that staff help each child to develop socially aware behaviour, by supporting the young person to develop a healthy routine with sufficient sleep and to develop the understanding that it is not acceptable to stay in bed on a school day. (Regulation 11 (1)(2)(ii)) 31/10/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who provide personalised care that meets the children’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that care plans are kept up to date and promptly amended if there is a change in the plan. (Regulation 6 (1)(2)(iv)) 31/10/2017 Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 5

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that the home provides a well-maintained and homely environment for the young person to live in. In particular, that the grouting around the bath is renewed, a blind or curtains are provided at the landing window and the kitchen floor is repaired or replaced. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff have built positive and trusting relationships with the young person in the six months the young person has lived at the home. The young person has made progress with their personal hygiene and their behaviour. They are now engaging in less risk- taking behaviour, and are no longer going missing on a regular basis. However, there are times when the staff fail to prevent the young person taking control of the home’s routine. The staff are not always consistent in implementing documented routines and boundaries. Frequently, the young person does not get out of bed until the late morning on a school day, as their education programme at school does not begin until late morning. They regularly refuse to go to sleep at night, and are awake and roaming around the house until the early hours of the morning.

p.5

improvement to be good

The manager and staff have failed to negotiate with the headteacher for the young person to start school earlier, or put in place a programme of educational activity so that the young person has something to get up for. On the one day they attend an outdoor education programme that begins at 9am, the young person does get out of bed on time. There is a bedtime routine displayed on the office wall, but staff are not implementing this. The routine states that the young person’s television and PlayStation should be turned off by 10pm, but this is not always enforced by the staff.

p.5

improvement to be good

The young person’s education plan does not document which examination courses they are taking at school. When asked by the inspector, the manager was not aware and had to contact the school to find out. Without this information, the manager and the staff are unable to support the young person with their homework. The young person is making progress with their education. When they first came to the home they were home tutored. They are now attending school for four hours a day as part of an incremental plan to return to full-time education.

p.5

improvement to be good

The young person is refusing to take medication for an assessed medical condition. This information is not documented in their care plan, which continues to state that they are taking their medication. The staff report that not taking this medication has not had a negative impact on the health of the young person, and the young person’s doctor is aware that they are no longer taking the medication. The young person is smoking less, regularly attends therapeutic sessions and is making progress with their emotional health. The staff promote healthy eating and regular physical exercise through a Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 6 nutritious diet that the young person is involved in planning, and physical activities such as surfing and walking.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff supportthe young person to take part in activities in the community, such as joining the army cadets. The young person recently enjoyed a holiday away from the home. The young person said: ‘Staff are brilliant. They are efficient and have a sense of humour.’

p.6

improvement to be good

The staff have successfully introduced regular, supervised visits from the family of the young person. This is very important to the young person, as they live a long way from their family. When the young person was first placed at the home they would go missing and try to get back to their home town. These incidents are reducing in frequency as a result of these contact visits, and the building of trusting relationships with the staff.

p.6

improvement to be good

Members of the staff team are all trained in an approved method of restraint. On one occasion, the staff lost control of a situation and attempted to manage the young person’s behaviour by using an unauthorised restraint. The staff did not record this incident in the record of restraint, and important safeguarding information such as the duration of the restraint and the views of the young person are not documented in the incident report. Five days after the incident, the manager had not investigated the incident or ensured that the staff had completed the record of restraint. During this incident, the young person attempted to get some tools that were kept in an unlocked box in the office. The staff were ineffective in managing the behaviour of the young person, who succeeded in getting the tools. The staff then locked themselves in the office, and so were not monitoring the safety of the young person and others.

p.6

improvement to be good

The young person reports that they feel safe living in the home and could identify a trusted adult they could speak with, and with whom they could discuss their concerns. All staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training, and could state what action they would take if they had a safeguarding concern. Any safeguarding incidents are promptly reported to the appropriate safeguarding authorities to ensure that the correct actions are taken to keep the young person safe.

p.6

improvement to be good

The staff largely follow clear and informative risk assessments. These documents contain details of identified risks, and what action the staff should take in order to keep the young person safe.

p.6

improvement to be good

The number of incidents of the young person going missing have reduced. On the few occasions the young person has gone missing, the staff have acted promptly and in line with the home’s missing-from-home procedure, which is to follow the young person and bring them home. The staff support the young person and have built trusting relationships with them. These relationships are a key factor in the young person engaging in less risk-taking behaviour. The records of consequences show that the staff Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 7 reward positive behaviour rather than punish negative behaviour. This is effective in building the self-esteem of the young person and helping them to understand the consequences of their behaviour. The monitoring of negative consequences is not undertaken regularly by the manager. Records show that these have not been monitored for the last month, and the views of the young person are not recorded.

p.6

improvement to be good

The staff and young person know what action to take in the event of a fire. Health and safety requirements such as gas and electrical tests are up to date.

p.7

improvement to be good

The young person is fully involved in any searches of their bedroom. They sign a form to say that they have given consent, or can express their views if they disagree with the search but the search is deemed necessary because of an identified safeguarding risk. The staff are familiar with the procedure for room searches.

p.7

improvement to be good

The staff are employed at the home only following rigorous checks to ensure that they are suitable people to be working with young people. The organisation implements robust disciplinary procedures if it is found that any member of staff is not performing their duties to the highest standards.

p.7

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

The manager has been in post for four months. An application for registration has been received by Ofsted and is being processed. The previous manager left the home six months ago and in the interim, prior to the manager being appointed, the home was overseen by registered managers from other homes in the company. The deputy manager was recently suspended, and their disciplinary procedure ended in dismissal. This means that the home is without a deputy manager to support the manager, who oversees another children’s home nearby. As a result, there are shortfalls in management oversight, such as ensuring that staff keep records of restraint and care plans updated.

p.7

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

The home does offer the young person a homely and generally well-furnished and well- decorated environment to live in. However, some areas of the home require attention and refurbishment. Grouting in the bathroom needs replacing, and the kitchen flooring is worn and has holes. One upstairs window does not have a blind or curtains fitted, and therefore does not ensure the privacy of the young person.

p.7

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

The manager seeks the views of the young person through regular meetings, and feedback forms. The young person has been involved in the redecoration of the house. Their requests are acted on. For example, they asked for a padlock for their bedroom door, which was purchased. A development plan identifies the strengths of the home and areas for development. The plan details when improvements will happen, and who is responsible. This plan is further informed by monthly monitoring visits from an independent person. Requirements from the previous inspection are met.

p.7

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

Leaders and managers challenge other services and professionals in order to obtain the Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 8 services that the young person needs, or when the responses from other services are not effective. The manager recently challenged the headteacher at the school the young person attends to ensure that they are receiving the amount of education they are entitled to.

p.7

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

The young person benefits from being looked after by an experienced and permanent staff team. The manager undertakes regular supervision with the staff and sets performance targets for them. Annual appraisals are carried out to ensure that the staff have the skills necessary to care effectively for the young person. A workforce development plan identifies training needs, and how and when these will be met by the organisation. The staff comment that they believe that they are well trained and supervised. One member of staff said: ‘We have a stable staff team at the moment….we get regular supervision….our training is up to date, lots of training.’

p.8

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

Smart targets are put in place by the staff to monitor the progress of the young person. The manager reviews these on a monthly basis to ensure that they are still relevant, and to determine whether the targets have been achieved. The placing social worker comments positively about the care the young person is receiving at the home. They said: ‘A good level of care is given at the home and I have regular updates about the young person’s behaviour and progress.’

p.8

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.8

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: SC457132 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.9

Children’s home details

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

p.9

Inspector(s)

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457132 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.

p.9

Inspector(s)

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.10

Inspector(s)

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

p.10

Inspector(s)

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

p.10