Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 1 SC456863 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 children’s home is operated by a large private company. It provides care and accommodation for one child or young person.

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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 outstanding

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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: 20 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 The registered manager is highly skilled and competent. She leads by example and has high expectations of her staff team and what, collectively, can be achieved for the young person in their care. The registered manager is dynamic and creative in her thinking and is highly effective in harnessing the support of Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 2 other professionals.  The manager and staff work hard to establish positive relationships with young people. They show young people that they genuinely care for them and will do all that they can to keep them safe and help them make progress. An area of outstanding practice is the way the manager and staff support young people to see their families on a regular basis.  The manager and staff have a very thorough approach to helping young people to be safe and make considered decisions. When serious incidents arise, the manager and staff show a remarkable degree of determination and resilience to

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Key findings from this inspection

help and protect young people and reduce risk-taking behaviours.  Young people speak very positively about their experience of living in this home. A young person who has previously lived at the home within the last year and the current young person both feel that this is the best children’s home they have experienced. One young person told the inspector, ‘It was a brilliant place and helped me so much.’

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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 registered manager has been effective in accessing a bespoke educational package for the young person in her care. This has been achieved by escalating concerns and acting as a good parent would. However, it is important to ensure that the young person’s education opportunities are developed further, and as soon as possible, to enable her to achieve her hopes for a future career in childcare.  Over recent months, there have been several improvements made to the physical environment. These have led to improved standards in the comfort and appearance of the home. There is still some outstanding work that is needed to ensure that good standards are provided throughout. For example, the lounge carpet is stained and worn and the staff office and sleeping-in room do not provide staff with good-quality environments in which to work and relax.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/12/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 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

8: The education standard The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, medium and long-term targets need to be agreed to support the young person to achieve their future career aspirations. (Regulation 8(1)) 31/12/2017

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard The quality and purpose of care standard requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished to meet the needs of each child. In particular, the refurbishment of the home must be completed to ensure standards throughout are consistently good. (Regulation 6(2)(c)) 31/12/2017

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are helped to form trusted and secure relationships. Staff are patient and nurturing in their approach and work hard to establish an emotional connection with young people. Staff promote open and positive communication and this helps young people to lower their barriers and recognise how they can enjoy better experiences and make progress. Young people know that the manager and staff have high expectations of them and that they are happy to invest considerable time and effort to help them. This knowledge, combined with their day-to-day experiences of how they are treated, helps young people to develop their engagement. When difficulties arise, young people benefit from knowing that they will be supported and this enables them to continue to make good progress. Young people who come to live at this home have often lived in several other children’s homes, where things have not worked out for a variety of reasons. The manager and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 4 staff carefully and thoroughly assess what has led to these breakdowns and if this home can make a difference. The manager and staff do not shy away from caring for a young person with complex and diverse needs as they are confident in their skills and previous successes that they have had. The manager and staff also recognise the need to secure specialist help. They understand the importance of young people having access to the help they need, when they need it. The manager and staff are proactive in challenging and escalating concerns, and recognise that young people may not have had access to assessments and services that would have helped them in the past. As well as working positively with a range of professionals, the manager and staff engage well with the families of young people. They listen to young people and advocate well for them, ensuring that they have regular opportunities to meet up with their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

families. One parent advised that she had never experienced feeling as welcome as she did at this home. She described the lovely times she has when she visits each week and how much all her children benefit from this time together. Young people are placed at the centre of practice and decision-making. They are treated with dignity and respect and their achievements are recognised and celebrated. Staff understand the impact that young people’s past experiences have on their emotional well-being and behaviour. Staff provide lots of opportunities to talk and encourage young people to try relaxation techniques, such as massage and healthy bedtime routines. Young people are given guidance about help that is available and, indeed, how they can help themselves to develop healthier coping mechanisms and resilience. Education is valued and young people are supported to learn and achieve both within and outside of a classroom setting. It was identified that the current young person will

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

need additional support to help her to achieve her personal ambitions for the future and the manager is committed to ensuring that this happens. During this inspection, it was apparent that, while there have been some recent improvements to the physical environment, more work is needed to ensure consistently high standards throughout.

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

Young people benefit from being cared for by a manager and staff team that have an excellent knowledge of risks that exist and what they need to do to keep young people safe. The manager and staff explore all avenues, working effectively in partnership and thinking creatively. At times, due to circumstances beyond their control, they recognise that the only safe course of action is for a young person to move to a different area. When this has happened, the manager has advocated well on behalf of the young person to ensure that their needs are fully understood. These experiences also inform decisions that are made about other young people coming to live at the home. Individual care plans and risk assessments are thorough. They are constantly reviewed and amended to reflect changing needs. Behaviour is positively promoted and managed. Good emphasis is placed on providing incentives and working in partnership with the

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

young person, their social worker and families. Physical restraints rarely happen and, when they do, they are at the lowest level possible to keep everyone safe. These occurrences are followed up with good reflection and debriefs. The manager and staff Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 5 work positively with a range of agencies, including the police, and try to ensure that young people are not unnecessarily criminalised. Missing from home incidents are also responded to thoroughly and positively. Staff have detailed records in place that inform their search. Independent return home interviews are in place. Staff will also spend time talking to young people to seek ways to help them become safer. For example, staff may encourage a young person to text a code word so that staff know that they are safe or if they are in need of help. Extensive work is completed with young people to help them

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

develop their own understanding of risks associated with such activities as social media, smoking, drinking and taking illegal substances. The manager and staff share some concerns about the location of the home and the fact that it does not have a garden. When young people are feeling anxious and upset, they do not have a garden to retreat to and, instead, can soon find themselves in the centre of a busy coastal town, with the benefits but also the dangers that this can present to them. Young people and staff have also experienced some difficulties with neighbours. The manager has raised these concerns with the company and will continue to assess the impact of the home’s location on young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is responsible for managing two children’s homes. Both are home to one young person. The manager prides herself on the positive relationship she establishes with young people. She divides her time very effectively between her management responsibilities and spending time directly with young people. This is a particularly positive characteristic. Young people form strong attachments to the manager and they enjoy and benefit from her investment of time and commitment that she demonstrates to them. The manager is confident in her ability and is respected by her team and other professionals. She has a clear sense of how to help a young person and is robust in her actions. She works effectively with other professionals, recognising the importance of harnessing their support to benefit the young person in her care. When necessary, the manager can successfully escalate her participation to achieve the right outcome for a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

young person. For example, she will often facilitate meetings and has recently escalated her concerns to achieve an appropriate bespoke education programme and a mental health assessment for one young person. The manager is also very reflective and learns lessons from challenging situations and difficult decisions that she has had to make. The staff work effectively together as a team. They are experienced and feel well supported through regular and detailed team meetings, supervision and ongoing training. The manager has development plans in place for each member of staff and supports their personal aspirations, such as gaining professional qualifications and promotion. She sets a range of tasks for them to complete, which enhance their skills and confidence as well as benefit young people. For example, the manager will charge individual staff with tasks such as researching and creating information to share with

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

young people on topics such as how to stop smoking and how to use social networking sites safely. There is an excellent understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and the Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 6 manager consistently strives to make improvements that will benefit young people. The recommendation made at the interim inspection in February 2017 has been fully addressed. This means that any internal investigations are completed within defined timescales.

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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: SC456863 7

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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

Norma Welsby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 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 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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