Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 1 SC476236 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 private children’s home operated by a large national provider. The home accommodates up to four children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It specialises in care for young people who have experienced child sexual exploitation.

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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: 24 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

 Staff support young people to reduce their risk-taking behaviour. As a result, young people become increasing safe living in this home. Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 2  The registered manager and staff team support young people well and trust them to make safe choices.  Young people make exceptional progress.  The registered manager and staff ensure that when young people move in and out of the home, the moves are well planned.  The registered manager involves young people and staff in the planning and matching process prior to new young people moving into the home.  Staff ensure that young people are fully involved in the care that they receive.  The home is decorated and furnished to a high standard to create a homely environment.  Staff are effective at communicating with professionals and build positive working relationships.  The registered manager is proactive. She advocates for young people, to ensure

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Key findings from this inspection

that they continue to make positive progress.  The registered manager has strong leadership skills.  The staff team uses pets to support young people to make positive progress.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Good 15/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 25/09/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have positive experiences living in this home. Staff provide a nurturing and homely environment. Young people are fully involved in decisions about how the home should look. One young person told the inspector, ‘It is really good, it is homely, this is my favourite home. We picked the wall paper. We get to choose how things are decorated and we are changing the lounge soon.’ As a result, young people feel proud of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with young people. Young people have their own ‘key carer’ who they can talk to and undertake sessions with. However, the registered manager ensures that staff work as a team. Young people understand that staff make decisions together. This consistency reduces conflict within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide individualised care to young people. They continually explore different services to meet young people’s needs. For example, staff have found a youth club for a young person who is Polish. The youth club is more culturally diverse in comparison to the clubs in the local area. The same young person is able to engage in therapy provided by the home as the therapist speaks Polish. This demonstrates how staff recognise young people’s individual needs and provide them with bespoke care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make exceptional progress in all areas of their lives. For example, young people have gone from not attending any formal education to achieving 100% attendance since living at this home. A social worker told the inspector, ‘I am really happy with the home. It has been amazing for her progress. I never thought we would be at this point.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use animals to help support young people. For example, staff bring their dogs to the home. Young people learn how to care for animals and take responsibility for them. Young people work towards walking the dogs without staff supervision. Staff are confident that young people will not go missing while walking the dogs, as they know they need to look after the dog and return them to the home. Young people respond well to the trust that they are given. One young person explained, ‘I get more freedom now. I get 15 minutes to walk on my own. I can take the dog That is massive, it is so important to me that the staff trust me.’ Another young person told the inspector, ‘I have made progress, definitely. I can have my own money, I can go out on my own for 15 minutes. I used to go missing but not anymore. I am settled. It feels nice to be here. This place has had a really big impact on my life.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff involve young people fully and help them to influence the care that they receive. For example, when attending meetings, staff support young people to write down any questions that they would like to ask. Staff also support young people to identify their own concerning behaviours, their triggers and what support they need. Staff also make sure that key documents are written in an accessible, child-friendly format. As a result, young people are able to understand the information that is written about them. Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 4 The registered manager and staff ensure that young people have planned transitions in and out of the home. Young people who have moved out of the home have done so successfully in a planned and supportive way. When young people move into the home, the registered manager involves staff and the young people in the planning process. As such, everyone in the home feels part of the decision-making process.

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

Young people who have previously gone missing regularly do not feel the need to go missing when living in this home. One young person explained to the inspector that she had planned to go missing as soon as she got to the home, but decided to ‘give it a week, then a month, but I didn’t run away. The staff are really helpful.’ This helps young people to become much safer and significantly reduces other risks including the risk of exploitation.

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

Young people who have previously harmed themselves no longer do this, and are supported to manage their emotions in a more effective way, for example using self- soothing resources and engaging in therapeutic work.

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

Staff are not overly protective of young people. Risks are thoroughly assessed, and staff review risk assessments regularly and adjust them accordingly. Examples include allowing young people to go out without staff, removing bedroom door alarms when they are no longer needed and allowing young people to have unsupervised access to the internet. As such, young people are able to experience independence and the risks associated, while still in a supportive environment.

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

Staff ensure that young people are provide with clear routines, guidance and boundaries. This creates a secure and predictable environment for young people. Young people are accepting of the boundaries that are in place, because staff explain why they are there. A young person told the inspector, ‘They [staff] have a reason for every single rule, but they will always compromise if they can.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has been in post since August 2014. She is extremely passionate, inspirational and child-focused. She has high expectations of the staff team and ensures that young people receive high-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is supported by an effective management team including a deputy manager and senior staff. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Managers are really visible within the placement. It works really well.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management team ensures that staff are well trained and suitably qualified to meet the needs of the young people. Managers ensure that new staff complete an induction period before working unsupervised with young people. The registered manager is Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 5 innovative. For example, she has developed the induction process by devising a ‘development plan’ for new staff carried out over a 12-month period. This ensures that staff are exceptionally well prepared for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive effective, regular supervision and annual appraisals. Staff use this time to reflect and develop their practice. The management team is approachable and has an open door policy. As a result, staff are fully supported and develop the skills needed to care for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has excellent leadership skills. She is able to manage her team while having an inclusive approach and valuing the opinions of others. The staff team feels secure with this management style and trusts her judgement. A staff member told the inspector, ‘They [the registered manager and deputy manager] provide a safety blanket for me. I know I can ring them at any time and they will be here.’ The registered manager leads by example. Staff mirror her approach when they work with young people, giving young people a strong sense of security.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager and staff work extremely effectively with other professionals and organisations. Professionals are well informed about the young people’s progress and feel involved in decisions that are made. A social worker told the inspector, ‘They [managers] work with me, but advocate for the child if I don’t agree with something. They work really well with [young person] and advocate for her. I trust their judgement.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager fully understands the strengths and areas for development within the home. She continuously strives to develop the service, successfully sustaining improvements over time.

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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: SC476236 6

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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

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476236 7 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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