Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 1 SC456964 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two young people who may have social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2018.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Full Outstanding 24/11/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 3

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Statutory requirement

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 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 assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) This is in relation to ensuring that there are contact plans that show the arrangements for contact visits and the responsibilities of members of staff when supervising these visits. 31/07/2018

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Recommendations

 Young people should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15) In particular, ensure that there is an educational timetable to demonstrate what support is being offered when young people are not in full-time education.  The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day to day health and well-being needs are met. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) In particular, ensure that attempts are made to seek information about young people’s childhood diseases and immunisations from a parent.  Case records must be kept up-to-date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, four young people have come to live at the home. One young person required a short-term placement and returned to his parents successfully. One young person moved to a semi-independence home in her local area. She is doing well and maintaining her college placement there. Another young person required a solo placement and subsequently moved on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager ensures that when young people come to live at the home she has all the key documents. She uses this information to assess whether the home can meet the young people’s needs. In addition, the manager ensures that the needs of the new young person are compatible with those of the young person already living in the home and that the home is a safe location for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Currently, there are two young people in this home. One young person has been at the home for some time and the other is relatively new to the home. One young person said that she had not been in care before and was frightened but had settled in well. She put this down to being able to visit the home before coming and that the members of staff had welcomed her and had made sure that she had everything that she needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s plans are updated regularly. Any changes to the plans are discussed thoroughly with young people and during staff meetings. This means that everyone knows and understands what support young people require on a daily basis. Young people have several opportunities to express their opinions, views and feelings through regular key-worker sessions, house meetings and daily chats.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person attends a mainstream school. Her attendance is excellent and she is working in line with other young people of her age. The young person said, ‘I want to be a holiday representative, to have fun and to see the world’. The other young person is not in any formal education. The manager has worked tirelessly and has challenged educational professionals to secure an educational placement for the young person. As a result, a mainstream school has been sourced and the young person is due to visit and start school in the week following the inspection. However, there is no formal timetable for education in the home. This does not give a good structure to the young person’s day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Members of staff register young people quickly with health services, such as the dentist, optician and doctor. One young person said that she was frightened of the dentist and had previously refused to attend appointments. However, she said that members of staff had reassured her and that they spoke to the dentist on her behalf. She is now receiving the treatment that she needs. The other young person’s health plan is incomplete. There are several blank sections, for example in the record of the young person’s immunisations and childhood diseases. The manager is waiting for information from the doctor. However, members of staff speak to the young person’s parent on a weekly basis, and some of this information could be obtained from the parent until formal Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 5 information is secured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have different arrangements for keeping in contact with people who are important to them, including having visits that are supervised by members of the staff team. However, the arrangements for the supervised visits have not been formalised in a plan. This does not show that members of staff have clear information and guidance to keep young people safe when supporting these visits.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from engaging in a wide range of individual and group activities that broaden their experiences and social interaction. For example, both young people attend army cadets and enjoy going to the fair and the cinema. This helps the young people to build positive relationships in the community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good transition plans show how young people are prepared for a move and whose responsibility it is to execute each stage of the plan. Young people have been instrumental in making these decisions. As a result, young people have moved on to semi-independence or have returned home successfully.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated to a high standard. A fresh coat of paint to the exterior walls of the home has made the home look well cared for. Young people said that they were fully involved in decisions about the home, such as the decoration and choice of soft furnishings. They said that they help to keep the home tidy and often cook for members of staff and themselves. This shows that the young people are building skills that will assist them in later life.

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

Young people say that they have warm and trusting relationships with members of staff. They said that they could approach any one of the staff and that the staff would listen, do what they could or pass on concerns to the appropriate person. The young people also knew a range of external people whom they could contact, if necessary. This means that they could speak to someone independent if they had a concern about the home.

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

The young people said that they feel safe and protected in the home. One young person said that her key worker discusses many things with her. She said, ‘I now know not to give out any personal information or passwords when I am online because people could use this against me’. The manager and staff help the young people to understand risk and how to keep themselves safe. Good risk assessments show the young people’s vulnerabilities and the agreed strategies and actions that the staff need to take if an incident were to occur.

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

Young people who go missing are protected in line with agreed protocols. Records show that staff attempt to maintain phone contact with those young people who are unsupervised in the community, and that staff make efforts to look for them if they fail to return home on time. One young person often returns home late. The manager has agreed a strategy with the young person’s social worker on reporting to the police. This has significantly reduced the need to report the young person as being missing. Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 6 There have been no incidents that have required reporting to safeguarding professionals. Members of staff have a good level of understanding about the action that they would take to keep a young person safe. However, there has been one incident of antisocial behaviour within the community that the police are investigating. The manager has taken all possible steps to make sure that those who need to know have been informed.

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

In addition, the young people’s risk assessments have been updated and the young people have been made aware of the seriousness of their actions. Both young people have agreed to restricted and supervised time in the community until the matter has been concluded.

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

The positive behaviour of young people is continually promoted and rewarded. Physical intervention is rarely used, and only ever to keep a young person or others safe from harm. Records show that members of staff revisit the incident with the young person, and this gives them the opportunity to discuss what happened and how it can be avoided in the future. Any information obtained is recorded in the young person’s behaviour management plan. These practices allow members of staff to reflect on their involvement and it means that young people’s views are respected.

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

Safe recruitment and health and safety practices at the home ensure that only suitable staff work with young people and that the home is a safe place to live. A range of safeguarding training provides members of staff with the skills and knowledge to look after young people well and to care for them safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced manager manages the home. She is currently completing her leadership and management award. There are sufficient staff to meet the needs of the young people. The staff spoken to demonstrated a real commitment to their role and talked about the young people proudly. One member of staff will shortly be returning to the home from maternity leave. Gaps in the rota have been covered by staff from the company’s other homes. However, the manager has made sure that these have been the same staff, to give continuity of care to the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager. Staff receive regular, one-to-one supervision, which gives them the opportunity to reflect on their practice and identify areas or opportunities for their development. As a result, some members of staff have been promoted to team leader roles in the home. Staff hold, or are working towards, a relevant childcare qualification. All staff undertake mandatory training as part of their induction, and this is refreshed regularly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff regularly discuss research, practice and social trends during staff meetings. They use this information to reflect on how these matters may impact on them and the outcomes for young people. For example, they have recently discussed the issue of ‘county lines’. One member of staff said, ‘I did not know about this and how prolific it was across the country. I learned that young people do not need to be missing overnight, but can be away in education time.’ Another member of staff discussed Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 7 ‘cuckooing’ and what this means. Therefore, members of staff’s knowledge has increased to help them to be observant, to identify any trends and patterns and to take appropriate action to ensure that young people are safeguarded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young people’s care. When services have been slow to respond or not available, the manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. This means that the young people usually receive the services that they need in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Generally, records and plans for young people are of good quality and show the young people’s vulnerabilities, progress and areas for improvement. However, some records are not always signed and dated by the author or by other staff and the social worker. This does not show that everyone is in agreement with the plans or that they are aware of any changes to the plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and reviewing systems at the home help the manager to identify any shortfalls, areas for development or good practice. Therefore, she can take appropriate action to improve the service and celebrate good practice. Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 8

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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 difference 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: SC456964 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456964 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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