Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 1 SC457266 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 registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people. The home is operated by a national company .

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 December 2017

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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 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: 31 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 The staff build trusting and nurturing relationships effectively with the young people that enable them to make progress in all areas of their lives. One young person who refused to come out of their room and make eye contact when they arrived at the home has built their confidence and self-esteem. They no longer hide away in their room and are interacting well with others. Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 2  The young people are making very good progress from their educational starting points. Young people, who prior coming to the home had a very poor attendance record, have achieved 100% attendance at school.  Moves in and out of the home are very well managed by the staff. They fully involve the young people when a new young person is moving into the home, alongside a full impact risk assessment that ensures there is a good match between the young people. Visits are made to the home by the prospective

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Key findings from this inspection

young person and the opinions of the resident young person are fully taken into account.  Risks are well managed. The staff have clear documented strategies to follow in order to manage identified risks. The staff achieve a positive balance of enabling the young people to take risks, while keeping them safe. For example, the young people are allowed to build trust by going on free time, which is gradually extended.  Incidents of the young people going missing are rare. The staff have developed good links with the local police. There is a clear missing from home procedure in place that guides the staff effectively should a young person be missing.  The young people said that they feel safe living in the home and could name a person they would speak to if they felt worried or unsafe. Behaviour is generally well managed. The emphasis is on rewarding positive behaviour rather than punishing negative behaviour.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Leaders and managers provide strong and effective leadership to the staff. Following a promotion, the registered manager recently left the home. Due to effective succession planning, there has been a seamless transition and no negative impact for the young people as the new manager was previously the deputy manager in the home.  The young people are fully involved in the day-to-day running of the home. They help to plan meals, choose activities and assist in the decoration of the home.

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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 progress of the young people from their starting points is evident through the records and is known to the staff. However, placement plans do not clearly evidence progress and what the young person has achieved and what their next target is, and when it is planned that this will be achieved.  Behaviour management plans do not detail when a specific therapeutic intervention, as directed by a psychologist, is to be implemented. This means that staff are not always consistent in their approach. Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/09/2016 Full Good 20/01/2016 Full Good 01/12/2015 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 4

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the staff understand the factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a certain way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies in line with the child’s relevant plans.

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that any behaviour management strategy that is directed by a psychologist is included in the young person’s behaviour management plan so that all of the staff maintain a consistent approach. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, paragraph 8.13, page 39)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The strength of the home lies in the quality of the relationships that the staff build with the young people. Relationships between the young people and the staff are trusting and nurturing. The staff ensure that the young people feel valued and cared for. This is achieved through the staff actively listening to the young people and knowing them so well. Both of the young people are benefiting from the stable and consistent care they receive from the committed and caring staff team, who have high aspirations for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people are making very good progress educationally from their starting points. One young person only achieved a school attendance record of 11% prior to coming to live at the home. They now have a 100% attendance record. The staff encourage the young people to develop their talents and ideas. One young person is able to have their own shed, where they keep tools to make wooden items, such as cupboards. Another young person has a talent for caring for animals, so is able to help look after a member of staff’s dog, and has started horse riding. These activities and achievements are helping to build the self-esteem of the young people and celebrate their talents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The healthcare needs of the young people are fully met. The staff have been proactive in obtaining therapy for both young people. A young person’s need for therapy could not be obtained from the local authority, so the manager has sourced it effectively through other channels. This ensures that the young person receives the service that they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff promote visits between the young people and their families. The parent of one young person spoke very highly of the staff and how well they support the visits between them and their child. One member of staff was curious about why the young person became so anxious before a visit to their parent. This was explored with the young person, who said that they only wanted to see their parent once a fortnight, not Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 5 once a week. Since this change was implemented, the young person is now much happier and less anxious about the visits. One parent was very positive about the progress their child has made at the home. They said: ‘I have seen a lot of improvement; they are going to school more now. They are now considerate, have empathy and are thoughtful.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff carefully plan the moving of the young people in and out of the home. One young person has moved out of the home since the last inspection and one young person has moved in. The young person who has left has successfully moved on to living in a semi-independent flat. The transition was carefully planned and supported by the staff. This young person is now settled and has started an apprenticeship. The young person who moved into the home visited, had a sleepover and met the existing young person prior to moving in. The manager ensures that the young people moving to the home know that it is situated in a very rural location. The current young people really enjoy living rurally. One young person really enjoys helping the farmer in the neighbouring farm with his cows.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Routines run smoothly in the home. The staff implement predictable and consistent boundaries effectively that help the young people, who previously experienced chaotic and neglectful situations, to feel safe and cared for.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well maintained, comfortable and homely. The young people have personalised their bedrooms. One young person enjoys looking after his fish tank in his bedroom. Some minor shortfalls were promptly rectified during the inspection. Blinds were missing from three windows and there was a padlock used to secure a cupboard, which detracted from the otherwise homely appearance of the house. The staff are in the process of reorganising the office so that it does not present an institutional appearance, is not a barrier between the staff and the young people and can be another room used and enjoyed by the young people.

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

The young people say that they feel safe living in the home. One young person said: ‘Staff are nice. I feel safe here; my favourite member of staff is [name]. I can go to him if I feel unsafe or worried.’ The home has comprehensive safeguarding procedures in place to promote the safety of the young people. Effective links are in place with safeguarding professionals. The staff are confident that they know what action to take to safeguard a young person if necessary.

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

Incidents of the young people going missing from the home are rare. Behaviour is generally well managed in the home. The young people have improved their behaviour since coming to the home. Prior to coming to the home, both had experienced multiple placement moves. The staff give the young people clear boundaries and expect positive and respectful behaviour. They promptly challenge the young people and help them learn to express their feelings in a more appropriate way, if the young people make a mistake. Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 6 Behaviour management plans are comprehensive, but do not always contain up-to-date guidance given by professionals. For example, a psychologist directed that hugs should not be given due to incidents of sexualised behaviour from the young people towards the staff. The staff were informed of this strategy at a team meeting, but how this is to be achieved and in what timescales is not documented in behaviour management plans.

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

The staff were observed hugging the young people as they feel it is important to offer them this nurturing reassurance.

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

Staff recruitment processes are comprehensive and ensure that only suitable people are employed at the home. References are verified and the staff are expected to provide proof of identity. Any gaps in employment are fully explored.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The previous registered manager recently left the home following a promotion. She remains as the registered individual for the home, which ensures continuity. The deputy manager is now the manager and is preparing to submit her application for registration. This succession planning has ensured that there has been no negative impact during this change on either the staff team or the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager, having worked in the home, knows the young people very well and is aware of the progress they have made. She is developing a system of formally tracking and evidencing the progress they are making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is fully staffed by a team that is experienced, skilled and well trained and supervised. One member of staff said: ‘Morale is good in the team; everyone works the same way. This is a family home. I enjoy working here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A wide range of training is offered to the staff by the company. The manager is able to request bespoke training in order to meet the individual care needs of the young people. Staff turnover is low. New staff to the home undertake an extensive induction programme of training to ensure that they are equipped with the necessary skills prior to working with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes a learning environment, where the staff have high aspirations for the young people and want to learn how to ensure continuous improvements in the home. The young people are encouraged to give their ideas and views about how to further improve the home. One young person has worked in the garden to build themselves a bench and a ramp for their scooter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has written a comprehensive development plan for the home. This plan identifies how continuous improvement of the home will be achieved. All significant incidents are notified in a timely manner to Ofsted. An independent visitor visits the home monthly. The manager ensures that any recommendations arising from these visits are promptly addressed. Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 7

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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: SC457266 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457266 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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