Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 1 SC457318 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 owned by a private organisation. It is registered for the care and accommodation of two children, irrespective of gender, who have emotional and behavioural needs and/or learning disabilities.

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 8 September 2016

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Children have strong and trusting relationships with the manager and staff. They feel safe and secure in this home. They know what their future plans are and are supported by staff to achieve these plans. The manager and staff are proud of children’s achievements.  Children have made excellent progress in significant areas of their lives.  Incidents are few as staff have helped children to learn how to communicate their wishes and feelings, and children know they are listened to.  The manager does all that she can to involve families in the children’s lives and, as a result, family relationships have improved.  Children’s education is prioritised and staff make sure that children have the support that they need to learn.  Communication with professionals is effective and enables children to progress well.  The team is well supported and supervised. The staff receive regular training that is specific to children’s needs.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager and staff know what to do if a safeguarding issue arises and take effective action when necessary.

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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

 The manager has not yet developed a system that easily and systematically reviews the impact the home has on meeting children’s needs.  The wording of children’s plans is negative in part and does not reflect the positive impact that the manager and staff’s care has on the children.  A recommendation from the previous inspection in relation to children being able to communicate with friends through their electronic games is not met yet.  Consequences for both good and bad behaviour focus considerably on electronic games and do not assist children in focusing on other activities.  If they want to use the house telephone, children have to ask staff to retrieve it from the office. Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/09/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 29/10/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person 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; 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(b)(c)) 14/11/2017

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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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 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; 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 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due Date

 Ensure that placement plans and behaviour support plans are worded appropriately and have clear objectives and timescales.  Improve management review systems to capture all the improvements that need to be made in the home so they are not missed.  Review the use of consequences for behaviour and consider lessening the focus on electronic games. 14/12/12017 Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 5  Explore further how to help children increase their enjoyment of activities inside and out of the home.  Continue to improve the home’s décor and review the need for the large door stoppers.  Progress the installation of an internet line for children to use. The registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home—a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. (Regulation 22(1)(3)(a))

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have strong and trusting relationships with the manager and staff. They feel happy and safe in their home and have made significant progress in many areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Incidents are few as staff communicate well and plan effectively. Children and staff meet together to plan their week ahead and talk through any difficulties. Staff put time aside to talk with children about anything that they need help with. This has helped children develop insight and learn how to communicate their wishes and feelings. One parent said, ‘They are a different child to when they left the family home. The manager and staff have put a lot of work in and they are in tune with my child.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff recognise how important it is to support children’s relationships with their families. They do all that they can to involve families in their children’s day-to- day lives. A parent said, ‘We know what’s going on and we don’t feel alienated. They are supportive to us as a whole family and go above and beyond.’ Consequently, children’s relationships with their families are better. The parent said, ‘We didn’t have much hope as everything had gone so wrong. Because of the work the home have done, we are looking at our child coming home to visit.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff communicate well with teachers to make sure that children are supported in the best way possible. They support children to learn and they have made good progress since coming to live at the home. One child who was not attending school before coming to the home is fully integrated into a local mainstream school and is expected to achieve GCSE passes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Social workers and independent reviewing officers speak highly of the home and the manager communicates effectively with social care professionals. A social worker said, ‘They manage safeguarding really well. They are respectful of the child’s needs and work very hard to help them progress. I’m confident about the decisions they make.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 6 Staff offer children a variety of activities, not all of which are taken up. Children now have e-readers to encourage reading. They enjoy spending time in their home doing things like cooking, playing board games, playing football and just enjoying ‘being’ with their staff. They do go out but they also enjoy electronic games and videos. The children are still waiting for a separate internet line to be set up to allow them to play online games. Until this happens, they are prevented from playing with friends online. Children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

can at times spend a considerable part of their leisure time on these games and staff are keen to increase their social opportunities outside of the home where possible. Consequences for both positive and negative behaviour revolve around time the children spend on Xbox games, which the children themselves have asked for. These consequences do not encourage the children to spend time on other activities at home or in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have to ask staff to use the house telephone, which is kept in the office, rather than having the telephone available in their living area. A requirement is made to change this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s plans are written using institutional language in some parts and have unintended negative references. They are not reflective of the good work that takes place in the home. Despite the good progress children make, objectives are not clearly recorded to help staff focus on how best to help children. Plans lack targets to measure success and lack clear review timescales; for example, a formalised plan to help a child get more involved in activities outside of the home is not documented.

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

Children in this home are supported to feel cared for and secure. One child said, ‘I feel safe.’ The manager and staff are attuned to the children’s needs and are skilled in helping children to express their feelings safely. As a result, incidents rarely occur. In the last year staff have only needed to use physical intervention on one occasion, when a child was gently guided by the arm.

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

The manager has successfully challenged a misdiagnosis for a child and, in partnership with doctors, has helped them to gradually reduce controlled medication so that they no longer take it. The positive impact on the child has been significant and has enabled them to develop emotionally at a much faster rate.

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

The manager listens to children and takes protective action whenever a safeguarding issue arises. She consults with the designated officer who said, ‘I am confident in the manager’s ability to inform me of any safeguarding concerns, and we consult regularly.’

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

Children have not gone missing from the home but clear guidelines are in place for any free time they have away from adults. Staff know what to do if any problems occur.

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

The manager personally ensures that all of the necessary checks are carried out when new staff are recruited in order to keep children safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 7

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is very committed to the children in her care. Both she and the team are proud of the children’s achievements and work hard to help them develop their potential. Team meetings and meetings with children are held regularly. The manager spends time with the children to ascertain their views and feelings. She also supervises staff regularly and ensures that they attend training so that they can meet the specific needs that children in their care have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager reviews incidents and all relevant documentation and practice. She has several systems in place for seeking children’s views and any concerns raised. The manager has not yet developed a system that brings together all of the recommendations and learning so she can easily and systematically review the impact the home has on meeting children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has made significant progress in raising concerns to professionals and advocating for children. Complex aspects of their care, health and education still lack further assessment and clarity, particularly to ensure that children have the right support and education in the future when they leave the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has identified that parts of the home need painting and some décor changed; these points are included in her development plan. Bulky door stoppers attached to the downstairs doors give an institutional feel to the home, and the manager is not sure whether they can be removed. The manager has made good use of the outside space so that children can enjoy a trampoline and play football.

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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 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: SC457318 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

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 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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