Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 1 SC456602 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home accommodates up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 December 2017

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

Date of last inspection: 15 February 2017

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

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

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Recent changes to the staff team are resulting in inconsistent care for the young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 2  The young people’s health needs are not always followed up quickly.

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The young people do not benefit from specialist input from the clinical psychologist.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Safeguarding practice is not always consistently good.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Poor recording is hindering the manager’s ability to monitor safeguarding practice and progress of the young people.

p.2

The children’s home strengths

 The permanent staff at this home know the children well and are trying their best to maintain strong relationships with the young people.

p.2

The children’s home strengths

 The staff team helps the young people to attend education.

p.2

The children’s home strengths

 Some young people’s episodes of going missing from home have reduced.

p.2

The children’s home strengths

 The young people have the opportunity to take part in a range of activities.

p.2

The children’s home strengths

 The young people learn a range of skills, which will help them to be independent in later life.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 31/05/2016 Full Good 23/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 3

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.3

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— 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(c)) 31/01/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iii)) 31/01/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— the health and well-being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10(a)(b)) 31/01/2018

p.3

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; 31/01/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 4 ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity for each child. (Regulation 13(2)(c)(d)(e)) Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must— have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34(5)(b)) 31/01/2018

p.3

improvement to be good

The young people are not supported by a stable staff team. One member of staff commented: `Some of the staff coming in are new in other homes. They don’t know what they are doing in their own homes, never mind in ours. The children react to this.’ The use of cover staff is resulting in a decline in some of the young people’s behaviour because the young people do not know these staff well and do not have relationships with them. The permanent members of staff who remain work hard to try to cover shifts and maintain strong relationships with the young people.

p.4

improvement to be good

When the young people raise new concerns about their health, the staff team does not always act with urgency and follow these through. As a result, there is a risk that any issues will not be quickly identified and supported accordingly. The young people benefit from attending routine health appointments, such as going to the dentist and optician.

p.4

improvement to be good

Support from the service’s clinical psychologist is not being utilised as described in the statement of purpose. Consequently, the young people are not receiving care which is informed by the regional clinician. This is not fully supporting their emotional well-being.

p.4

improvement to be good

Some of the young people have successfully engaged in education for the first time in Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 5 several years. Their progress has recently been hindered by disruption to their daily routine. This has caused them to be up all night on some occasions displaying disruptive behaviour. The staff team is working with the young people to stabilise daily routines. Other young people have good educational attendance and they are making good progress. This is preparing them well with the knowledge that they need to gain employment.

p.4

improvement to be good

The young people learn a range of skills, such as cooking, washing and travelling on public transport. This will help them to live independently in later life.

p.5

improvement to be good

The young people maintain their sense of identity and start to rebuild relationships with their families. Regular contact with the young people’s loved ones is supported by the staff team. One parent commented: `They share any issues with me, they work with me. They are supportive.’

p.5

improvement to be good

The young people put their views and choices forward in regular house meetings. The staff team listens to the young people’s wishes and encourages the young people to join in a range of activities. This includes trips to pantomimes, the cinema and meals out. This is broadening their life experience and improving their social skills.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff team is left without guidance on how to manage all risks to the young people positively. Some of the young people’s risk assessments are not up to date. They do not contain all known risks to the young people. The staff team’s assessment of risk is not always clear. As a result, staff did not take appropriate action on one occasion to manage risk and a young person at high risk of child sexual exploitation was left alone in the community.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently follow safeguarding procedures. For example, on one occasion staff have not reported unexplained bruising to a young person to relevant professionals immediately. This potentially leaves the young person without appropriate support and protection.

p.5

improvement to be good

Some of the young people’s missing from home episodes have reduced. When the young people go missing from home, staff try their best to follow young people and go out looking for them. On some occasions, they are unable to do this because they do not have enough staff or on some shifts they do not have staff that can drive. This leaves them reliant on asking other homes for support or relying on the police to return the young people.

p.5

improvement to be good

Staff who know the young people well are able to successfully implement positive boundaries. On some shifts, staff are unfamiliar with the young people. This is affecting the consistency of approaches in managing behaviour and clear boundaries are not always implemented. As a result, the young people’s behaviour has recently deteriorated, resulting in staff calling the police to assist them to manage these Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 6 behaviours. Physical intervention is used appropriately. It is only used as a last resort, at a low level and for the minimum time necessary.

p.5

improvement to be good

The staff team undertakes work with the young people to help them understand how to keep themselves safe. This includes work around safe relationships and online safety.

p.6

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

The acting manager has been in post since September 2017. The standard of care that the young people receive is currently inconsistent because of recent staffing changes. The acting manager knows that the permanent staff are experienced and have the training to meet the young people’s specific needs. He does not always know the background and experience of staff covering from other homes. Consequently, he is not always clear whether staff skills match the needs of the young people in this home.

p.6

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

Poor recording is hindering the manager in monitoring the young people’s progress. Some documents contradict each other. This limits his ability to monitor the quality of care practice and his capacity to monitor the safety of the young people and take action where necessary to make sure that the young people receive the care they deserve.

p.6

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

The manager works closely with other professionals, such as the police, education and social workers. He does not always escalate issues swiftly, such as the difficulty in some children receiving return home interviews when they have been missing. This results in the young people not getting access to a consistent service.

p.6

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

The staff team feels well supported by the acting manager. One member of staff commented: ‘We can talk to him any time. He is part of the team.’ Staff receive regular supervision individually and they benefit from group supervision. This helps them to feel supported as individuals and explore wider issues as a whole team.

p.6

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

This service is not fully operating within its statement of purpose and the young people are not currently receiving consistently good care.

p.6

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 7 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

p.6

Information about this inspection

it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’.

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector:

Jamie Richardson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector:

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

p.8

Inspector:

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

p.8