Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Worcestershire

Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 1 SC478134 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 is a privately operated children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for four young people up to the age of 18 years old who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 18 to 19 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive good-quality, personalised care from staff who know them well. Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 2  The home provides a nurturing and supportive environment for young people.  Young people are making good progress in all areas of their development.  Staff work well with parents and professionals to improve the outcomes and experiences for young people.  Staff provide clear and consistent boundaries, which young people respond positively to.  The manager supports staff to develop their skill base by using theory to inform their practice.  The manager provides good advocacy for young people and challenges others when their responses are not seen to be in the best interests of young people.  The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and has clear plans in place to address any shortfalls.

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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

 To ensure that all agency staff’s recruitment files contain the information set by regulation.  All staff to receive regular formal supervision on an individual basis to help them reflect on their practice.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/11/2016 Full Good 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 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

The registered person must ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to any individual employed to work in the children’s home in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. This relates specifically to agency members of staff. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 31/01/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that all staff receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards,’ page 61 paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are receiving good-quality, personalised care from staff who know them well. The home provides a nurturing and supportive environment for young people. This allows them to form trusting relationships with staff. As a result, young people are developing in confidence and self-esteem. One parent commented that they had ‘seen a huge improvement... She is a completely different child.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress in all areas of their development. Staff support young people to lead healthy lifestyles and engage in many different sporting activities. Young people regularly attend routine health appointments. The manager is proactive in ensuring that young people receive specialist healthcare when she feels this is required. Young people have good school attendance and are achieving in line with their expected targets. Several young people are taking GCSEs. The manager advocates for young people to ensure that they receive the necessary support to help them achieve and do well in school. For example, she has advocated on a young person’s behalf to secure funding for an educational assessment. The manager has worked particularly well, in partnership with a young person and her school, to ensure that she has a smooth transition from primary to high school. As a result, young people are able to access the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 4 support they need to fulfil their educational potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people take part in and enjoy many different activities in the local community. Young people take part in individual activities such as drama, athletics and horse riding. One young person has completed her Duke of Edinburgh bronze award and is currently completing the silver award. Other young people have enjoyed residential camps and camping holidays. Young people make friends in school and attend birthday parties and sleepovers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work well with parents and other professionals to improve the outcomes and experiences for young people. Staff support young people who live far from the home, to maintain and develop positive relationships with families and friends. As a result, some young people are now able to have unsupervised weekend contact at the family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are able to express their individual views and choices within the home and discuss issues that are important to them. There are opportunities for each young person to take part in discussions during young people’s meetings about issues that affect them. For example, one young person researched and conducted a PowerPoint presentation about internet safety to the other young people living in the home. The manager and staff actively promote tolerance and diversity through regular discussions in meetings and in key-worker sessions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people help in the day-to-day activities of the home. They become involved in cooking tea, doing their laundry and helping to keep the home tidy. These activities enable them to develop the essential life skills they will need as adults. The manager works well with placing social workers to support planned transitions for young people when they leave the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is homely, inviting and well maintained. Young people are able to have an input into the choice of decor and furnishings in the home. These are of a high standard.

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

The manager and staff have a clear understanding of safeguarding issues. They take appropriate action swiftly to safeguard young people when needed. Staff work hard to ensure young people’s safety. They are clear about the control measures they need adopt to help safeguard young people. This hard work is supported by clear and accurate risk assessments. Young people do not go missing on a regular basis. However, when a young person goes missing staff are quick to respond. Staff work with young people in meetings and on an individual basis to ensure that they develop the skills they need to keep themselves safe. For example, staff have completed work with young people around ‘stranger danger’ and road safety in key-work sessions and young people’s meetings.

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

Staff understand young people’s behaviour well. They provide clear and consistent boundaries that young people respond positively to. Any incident of challenging Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 5 behaviour is responded to appropriately. Staff use rewards and praise to good effect to encourage young people’s positive behaviour. One placing social worker stated, ‘The young person’s behaviour has changed dramatically since her starting point.’

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

The home environment is safe and secure. Fire and safety checks are completed on a regular basis. Fire drills are conducted whenever a new young person or member of staff first enters the home and occur at different times of the day and night. These drills ensure that staff and young people know how to keep themselves safe and can evacuate the home in the event of fire.

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

Permanent staff are safety recruited. However, the same level of scrutiny is not applied to agency staff. All agency staff are police checked and the manager has reassured herself through visits to the agency that staff are appropriate and safe to work with young people. However, staff recruitment records do not demonstrate that agency staff working in the home have had all checks completed to match the requirements set by regulation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since 2015 and holds a level 5 qualification in leadership. She has high expectations for young people and ensures that the staff meet the needs of young people to a good standard. Recently there have been significant changes in the staff team that have led to a number of staff vacancies. The manager has been proactive in filling vacant posts and has worked hard to achieve consistency and continuity of care for young people. The manager ensures that there is a sufficient number of qualified and experienced staff on duty at all times to care for young people. The manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and has clear plans to address the shortfalls identified in respect of staffing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have a clear understanding of the progress that young people are making. The manager supports staff to develop their skill base by using theory to inform their practice. This helps staff to develop their understanding of young people and their needs, and in turn helps to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are motivated and feel supported by the manager. One member of staff commented, ‘I have received loads of support I can’t fault her [the manager]. She is so supportive.’ The majority of staff receive regular, good-quality supervisions. However, one member of staff has not received any formal supervision for several months. As a result, he has not had the opportunity to formally reflect or develop his practice. The impact on young people is mitigated, as staff have the opportunity to review young people’s care as well as consider the team’s professional developmental needs. Staff reflect their practice in team meetings and following incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Parents and placing social workers are complimentary about the home. A headteacher stated, ‘Whatever we have asked of the home, they have done. The manager is very strong... she is very proactive.’ A parent commented, ‘We have a great relationship with the manager. We can call at any time… I can’t think of a better place.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 6 The manager provides good advocacy for young people. She will challenge others when their responses are not seen to be in the best interests of young people. The manager has challenged placing social workers to ensure that statutory visits are completed. She has advocated for young people so that they get specialist health and education assessments.

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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: SC478134 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

Sue Young, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC478134 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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