Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bedford

Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 1 SC476251 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 provides care and accommodation for children who are at risk of or subject to child exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since 15 December 2017. The current manager has been in post since 1 January 2018. She is currently applying for registration with Ofsted .

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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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 2 12/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 05/10/2016 Full Good 09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A therapeutic approach underpins the staff team’s work with the children. The organisation’s clinical team works closely with the staff to ensure that they all use agreed strategies. This cohesive approach provides the children with consistency and helps them to become increasingly self-aware and more able to recognise risks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have been admitted. One of these children has since returned home. Four children are currently living at the home. Despite being very different characters, they interact positively as a group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have built close, trusting relationships with the staff, particularly their key workers. The children can readily name staff members who they would approach should they be worried about anything or have a complaint.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have histories of intermittent attendance or non-attendance at school. Their school attendance and participation in lessons have significantly improved. One child was celebrating achieving 100% attendance this term. All of the children have sat their exams, and as a reward were going out for a special meal at a famous chef’s restaurant.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children participate in a wide range of activities. They work with the staff to identify cost-effective ways for these activities to take place. The recent example of the trip to a famous chef’s restaurant occurred using an online voucher. The children were thrilled at experiencing ‘a posh restaurant’. Another example is of a child having an outing to an exclusive spa chain in recognition of something significant that they had done. The children’s participation in the planning and costing of the activities provides them with recognition of their successes, in addition to real-life examples of how to budget, the chance to have fun experiences and create memories.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have personalised photo albums that show the variety of activities that they participate in. The children spoke excitedly about the fact that they do not get to see the finalised album until they are leaving the home. These albums provide the children with memories of experiences and people that may otherwise fade with time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have an admirably strong work ethic. One child who is due to move soon has undertaken a range of part-time jobs, and is seeking employment nearer to where she will be living. Another child has part-time employment and other children have ongoing volunteering experience, to equip them with the skills that they will need in a paid role.

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

The children arrive with histories of living chaotic and unsafe lives. The staff work expertly with the children in an individualised way. This adaptive approach is helping the Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 4 children to address and work through their concerns. Children are becoming increasingly safe as their understanding and recognition of the risks that they faced historically grow. They have a better understanding of the many different levels and types of exploitation. The knowledge and resilience that they are developing are helping the children in their everyday lives, and in preparing for living independently in the future.

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

The managers are working with the local police representatives from the public protection unit to include additional visits to the home. This partnership working provides the children with a wider range of adults with whom they can speak about any issues and concerns relating to their past experiences, if and when they feel ready to do so.

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

The staff work with the children to ensure that they are aware of the risks that they may face in person, via the internet and on social media. This realistic approach includes some exposure to ‘normal’ levels of risk and empowers the children.

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

The children are encouraged and supported to gradually take some ownership of their own safety. This is achieved through a very gradual process and includes input from the children, care staff, teaching staff and clinical staff. The children’s community-access plans and risk assessments are reviewed regularly to reflect any changes. The gradual pace ensures that the children are truly ready for each stage of the programme.

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

It is extremely rare for a child to go missing from home. The staff have access to grab bags that contain a mini information card about each child and equipment that enables the staff to follow or search for a child safely should an incident occur.

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

A clear sign that the children have made immense progress in relation to staying safe is that they are now able to have unsupervised time on activities, both on their own and when out together. This is something that was previously unheard of. The children said that they feel safe and that they are enjoying being trusted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has had a change of manager and deputy manager. The manager is currently in the process of applying to become the registered manager. Both the manager and the deputy hold a relevant level 5 qualification. They have clear ambition for the children and the home. They have started to implement changes that include creative modifications to some of the paperwork and working with the staff to focus on the children and the children’s experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The change of approach has extended to listening to the children’s views on attending education. This led to the successful reintroduction of the children wearing school uniform. Staff are available to support the children at school, but the staff no longer stay at school for every lesson. This has enabled the children and the staff to have a more distinct separation of school and home life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a greater emphasis on staff development. Two recently promoted staff spoke Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 5 positively about their promotions and new duties. They spoke positively about the managers introducing an upskilling element during team meetings. These sessions provide a space to discuss specific topics, such as the role of the designated officer and quality standards for children’s homes. The staff now have allocated areas of responsibility. These areas include promoting equality and diversity, and planning activities. The staff said that the positive input and designated duties make them feel valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from families and professionals is largely positive. The managers are aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They have identified that they want to improve communication with parents and carers regarding the children, and the different ways that they can do this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A social worker said, ‘They [the staff] have gone above and beyond. This is everything you want in a placement. I have never found one that’s been so effective.’

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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: SC476251 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 Childcare Ltd, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London, W6 9RU

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Inspector

Sonia Hay: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476251 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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