Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 1 SC456798 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 home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who has emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is part of a large private organisation.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 15 to 16 November 2017

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Transitions are very well managed and young people are supported effectively to move on from the home.  The young person‟s educational outcomes have significantly improved.  Healthcare needs are well planned and prioritised, which has resulted in improved overall health.  Staff promote a wide range of social opportunities, which have enhanced the young person‟s emotional health and social development.  Staff celebrate diversity and actively encourage the young person to retain her own identity and understand her heritage.  The young person has not exhibited challenging behaviour while living at the home. She has become increasingly safe.  The staff team has accessed enhanced levels of training, which has provided them with the skills and knowledge to meet the complex needs of the young person in their care.  The staff team is well supported and managed.  There is an effective plan in place to cover the registered manager‟s extended

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders need to ensure that they offer constructive challenge when other agencies do not fulfil their responsibilities adequately.  The staff team must take adequate precautions to ensure that fire safety measures are taken in a timely manner.  One member of staff has exceeded the relevant date outlined in regulation for completing the level 3 diploma.  Staff must ensure that the physical environment in the home is safe, in particular to address a trailing wire that presents a tripping hazard.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Good 22/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 3 13/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 4

p.2

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

5: Engaging with the wider system to ensure children‟s needs are met In meeting this quality standard, the registered person must ensure that— if the registered person considers 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(c)) 30/12/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

25: Fire precautions After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, with specific regard to ensuring that the extractor fan filter is changed as per the significant finding in the home‟s fire risk assessment. (Regulation 25(1)(a)) 30/11/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

32: Fitness of workers The requirements are that the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); The relevant date is in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32(3)(b)(4)(a)(5)(a)) 31/05/2018

p.4

Recommendations

 Children‟s homes must comply with health and safety legislation, with particular regard to ensuring that the physical environment is safe and trailing wires that Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 5 pose a tripping hazard are secured. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has moved out of the home in a planned and positive way. She was supported to move closer to her educational setting in line with the placing authority‟s plan. The staff team ensured that she was able to visit and stay overnight prior to moving, to help her settle into her new environment. Another young person has moved into the home. This was an emergency move and staff ensured that she was welcomed appropriately and provided with a children‟s guide to the home, which helped her to understand the routines of the home and explained her rights and entitlements. The young person settled in immediately and has developed very close relationships with a dedicated and nurturing staff team. The young person said, „I am being looked after properly here. If I have a bad week, all my staff really help and support me. I am happy and I don‟t need anything else, really‟.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person has made excellent progress in her education. She has a previous history of non-attendance in education, but is now enrolled at a local mainstream school. Both her attendance and attainment have improved considerably since moving into the home. The staff work very closely with the designated teacher at the school who said, „The team have provided excellent physical, emotional and academic support for her across the spectrum, which has contributed to a successful transition. This makes a huge difference in comparison to other children. We have a great relationship with them and e-mail most days. I have to say, having dealt with other residential care facilities they are by far the best I‟ve ever worked with.‟ The young person has positive aspirations for the future, and the staff team provides ongoing encouragement and support. This will help the young person to achieve economic wellbeing in the future.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Healthcare planning is excellent. The young person is registered with local services and has attended check-ups and specialist appointments to address her healthcare needs. Her emotional health has improved significantly, as her previous behaviours that indicate emotional distress have not been evident during the time she has lived at the home. She is encouraged to eat a balanced diet and lead an active lifestyle, all of which contributes to helping her achieve enhanced health outcomes.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide regular opportunities for the young person to experience positive activities. These include attending a music club, a youth group and a local scouts group. The young person is currently working towards a Duke of Edinburgh award. These activities help to build confidence, raise self-esteem and promote good social development. Staff have also been highly pro-active in helping the young person to retain a sense of her own identity. They have discussed historical facts and people of interest who originate from her birth town. The young person proudly explained that all of the staff have tried Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 6 the local delicacies that she has become accustomed to eating during her childhood. This demonstrates that the staff team recognises the importance of celebrating the young person‟s heritage.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek the views of the young person regularly, and these are used to inform the service that they provide. The young person has regular contact with an advocate as she lives a considerable distance from home. This has not prevented her from having regular contact with people who are important to her. The staff have developed a good relationship with the young person‟s family, and promote contact in line with the placing authority‟s plan. Staff and the young person have also created a beautiful memories box, which contains photographs, stories and messages for the young person to take with her in the future. This will help her to remember the positive time she spent at the home. This demonstrates that staff and the young person share genuine affection and positive regard for each other.

p.6

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

The service provides a high staffing ratio due to the complex needs and high-risk behaviours historically shown by the young person. When the young person moved into the home there were concerns relating to sexual exploitation, internet safety and incidents of aggression. The staff team has devised and successfully implemented detailed risk management plans, which have reduced those risks considerably. Regular direct work is undertaken, which has helped the young person to understand the risks posed to her safety and the potential consequences of her previous behaviour. None of those presenting behaviours has occurred while the young person has lived at this home. This is exceptional progress, and has resulted in the staffing ratio being reduced with consent from the placing authority.

p.6

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

There have been no instances of physical intervention, or the young person being missing from the home. There have been no complaints or allegations since the last inspection. The staff team knows how to report safeguarding concerns effectively and has had mandatory training in this area. Staff have also had additional training on child sexual exploitation and additional input and guidance provided by an outside agency. Staff are working in partnership with the agency to help the young person to understand healthy relationships and to provide her with the skills to protect herself from harm. This demonstrates the commitment from the service to ensure that the young person is safe and well cared for.

p.6

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

Staff and the young person participate in regular fire evacuations. A fire risk assessment has been carried out and identified that filter in an extractor fan in the kitchen of the home needed to be changed in order to prevent a build-up of grease and increased fire risk. This had not been changed at the time of the inspection; therefore, a requirement is made to ensure the service takes adequate precautions against the risk of fire. The physical environment of the home is largely well-maintained. However, a piece of furniture had recently been removed from the young person‟s bedroom, which exposed a trailing wire. A recommendation is made to secure this trip hazard in order to comply with health and safety legislation. Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 7

p.6

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The permanent, suitably qualified and experienced registered manager is currently on a period of planned extended leave. An interim manager who routinely works at a nearby home is in place. She already has a good relationship with both the staff team and the young person who lives at the home. The interim manager benefited from a detailed and thorough handover process prior to starting her role. She is suitably experienced, is currently working towards the required level five leadership qualification and is in the process of applying for her registration with Ofsted.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff report that the home is well managed. Records demonstrate that the team has regular supervision, training and team meetings, which enables their practice to develop continually and assists them in meeting the complex needs of the young person in their care. Most of the team have achieved the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. However, one team member has had some disruption with an external training provider. This has resulted in the timeframe to complete this qualification being exceeded, as required in The Children‟s Homes (England) Regulations 2015. A requirement is made to address this matter.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and staff are effective in ensuring that the service always prioritises the needs of the young person who lives at the home and meets the aims and objectives outlined in the statement of purpose. Leaders have made good use of internal and external monitoring systems and are constantly developing the service in response to the feedback provided by partner agencies and young people. The manager and staff regularly evaluate the progress of the young person. Consequently, the young person is making good progress against her individual goals.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and professionals have provided highly complimentary feedback about the service. One professional said, „Whenever I am there, [name of young person] is so happy. She loves it. Staff genuinely care about her. They go out of their way to meet her needs.‟ While leaders clearly have worked well with other agencies in securing the support that the young person needs, on occasions partner agencies have not always been timely and responsive in fulfilling their obligation to the young person. For example, following a change of social worker some statutory visits have not taken place within the required timescales. The manager had not appropriately challenged the local authority about this failing. The interim manager accepted that this is an area of development for the home. A requirement is made to ensure that this take places in the future. The staff team did ensure that the young person had contact with an

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

independent advocate during this time and was confident that this has not impacted on the quality of care provided by the home.

p.7

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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 8 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.7

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: SC456798 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

Nicola Thomas, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC456798 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

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 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

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10