Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 1 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

A private company owns this home. The home provides a programme for approximately a year for young females who have experienced or are at risk of sexual exploitation. It is likely that these young people will also have emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties as a result of their experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The aim is to provide an individualised approach, with education, clinical and care professionals working together in support of a young person’s care. This is intended to create a support package that will best meet the needs of each young person. This is regularly monitored through team-around-the-child meetings.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a school room, attached to the side of the home that young people attend.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post for nearly a year and her registration with Ofsted was completed three months ago.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 13 March 2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/11/2017 Full Inadequate 18/08/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 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 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 the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) and (2)(b)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to their potential, and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13 (1) and (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff follow contracts agreed with young people and comply with young people’s contact plans, that the home is assessed regarding possible self-harm materials; and, promote the monthly risk management meetings with the local authority through regular attendance, record keeping and follow-up actions.

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Recommendations

 Where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). Staff should act as champions for their children, expecting nothing less than a good parent would (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 4 2.8).  The home’s procedures must take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing person’s incidents in the area where the home is located (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.29). Specifically, the home should provide the police with full information about

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Recommendations

any young person as soon as possible after they are admitted. This is to ensure that the police can respond swiftly in the event that a vulnerable young person goes missing.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4).

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improvement to be good

The home re-opened towards the end of February after the registration was suspended for a period of time. Since then, three young people have been admitted. One placement ended in an unplanned manner, due to safeguarding concerns and the negative impact on another young person. At the time of this inspection, the third young person had been living at the home for just under three weeks.

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improvement to be good

There continue to be issues, due to the mix of young people that have a negative impact. For example, staff have been confiscating toiletries regardless of young people’s needs and vulnerabilities. Despite staff having agreed with young people two weeks earlier that they would stop this practice, young people were still having to ask staff for shampoo and conditioner.

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improvement to be good

The young people are encouraged to follow a healthy lifestyle, by improving their diet and exercising regularly. The staff work closely with local nurses to improve young people’s health outcomes.

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improvement to be good

The staff spend a lot of time with the young people, giving them appropriate advice and guidance. This helps the young people to reflect on their past and work towards a better future. Staff also recognise that the young people may need time alone and give them this space. The young people benefit from warm, caring staff who generally provide a nurturing environment and positive routines and boundaries.

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improvement to be good

The care and education staff work well together. Their collaborative approach improves young people’s attendance at education. Young people make good progress in school and are able to pursue their career paths. Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 5

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improvement to be good

There were three serious incidents in a short space of time, prior to the inspection that increased the risks to young people inside and outside of the home. Care practice on these occasions was not good. This is despite significant levels of staff training, thorough care plans and risk assessments that detail how to protect young people. Prior to these incidents, care practice has been better.

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improvement to be good

Given one issue with placement decisions and subsequent negative impact, the matching assessment for the last admission was lacking in evaluation and analysis, such as age difference. This potentially risks the future welfare of both young people.

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improvement to be good

There have been a number of times that young people have left the home without permission. Due to staff vigilance, they have been able to keep young people in sight and use the support of local police if necessary. This has ensured the safe return of young people to the home. Information sharing with the police, with regards to new admissions and details of young people, is still not good. Gaps in information sharing would potentially hinder the police in their search for young people should they go missing.

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improvement to be good

Unlike at their previous placements, young people have not gone missing from this home, and staff keep them safe from the exploitation they have previously experienced. In this regard, young people are safer, and they described living here as ‘nice and homely’.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s emotional well-being is prioritised. Staff are good at building positive relationships with young people. Regular one-to-one time helps young people reflect on their experiences, develop their self-esteem and reduce their anxieties. This is enhanced with regular clinical input, both through direct work with young people and advice and guidance for staff.

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

The registered manager has established herself in this home and was previously successful in managing other homes. There have been a number of improvements that include staff training, care practice and reviewing policies and procedures. There are still shortfalls, as documented throughout the report that require addressing for leadership and management to be good.

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

Partnership working with other professionals is improving and several commented about the good quality of communication and information sharing. Pertinent documents from a placing authority were still missing for one young person and the arrangements for regular risk management meetings hosted by the local authority are not clear. As young people are all placed out of their home areas, these shortfalls have an effect on the ability of the manager to ensure that young people receive the best all-round support. Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 6 There is thorough, regular monthly external monitoring. This provides an account of young people’s progress and identifies any shortfalls. The manager acts on the recommendations of the independent visitor and has addressed two of the four recommendations from the last Ofsted inspection.

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

The management team is responsible and takes issues about staff practice seriously in order not to repeat any mistakes. Any incidents of challenging behaviour and risks to young people are reviewed and care plans amended accordingly to keep young people safe.

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

There is a good training programme, and staff have an appropriate range of experience, knowledge and qualifications. A new role of ‘therapeutic practitioner’ has been introduced, but it is too early to assess the impact this is making.

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

Staff feel supported by the management team and are developing into a cohesive team. Their morale is high, and all want the best for the young people.

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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: 1159397 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, 4 th Floor, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

Simon Morley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 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 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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