Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 1 SC457182 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child up to the age of 18 years. The registered manager has been registered since January 2018 and she is also the registered manager for another home.

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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

Date of last inspection: 27 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2017 Full Good 27/10/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 16/05/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 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 give notice to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place— any change in the identity of the responsible individual. (Regulation 49 (e)(iii)) 03/08/2018

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Recommendations

 The information set out in the Statement of Purpose is an essential part of the process of agreement between the registered person and the placing authority that a placement in that home is the right one for that child, and that the home will be able to respond effectively to the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6) In particular, ensure that staff have knowledge and understanding of the service’s therapeutic approaches that are detailed in the home’s statement of purpose.  Any child who has been restrained should be given the opportunity to express their feelings about their experience of the restraint as soon as practicable. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.60) In particular, the person speaking to the child should not have been involved in the restraint.

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Recommendations

 All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5) In particular, ensure that the appraisal process identifies areas of learning and development and includes feedback from children and other relevant professionals. Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is benefiting from living in a welcoming and safe environment. An experienced and committed team provides consistent, warm and nurturing care. This is helping the young person to build trusting relationships with all staff and to settle into his home. Staff understand the young person’s needs well, and they invest time in enabling him to achieve his full potential. This is particularly evident in the young person’s education, where his attendance and engagement has significantly improved since he moved into the home. Effective communication between the home and school is central to his success. The young person’s memory book captures his happy experiences and adventures with staff. Staff support the young person to try new experiences, for example attending specialist youth clubs that provide for his specific needs and identity. As a result, the young person’s confidence and self-esteem are growing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good understanding of the young person’s health needs. This is reflected in a health professional’s comments that, ‘Staff are very in tune with his health needs, and they are proactive in sorting out his healthcare. Staff are good advocates and actively seek out health services, and they will challenge when necessary.’ As a result, the young person’s health and well-being are improving. Staff support the young person to keep in touch with his family despite him living a distance from his home. A parent spoke extremely highly of the team, confirming that they keep her regularly updated on important matters and her child’s progress. Good communication and positive relationships between parents and staff are helping the young person sustain positive attachments with his family. The manager makes sure that she obtains sufficient information from the placing authority at the point of referral. Consequently, young people’s needs are fully assessed

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

before they move into the home. Placement plans are routinely updated to make sure that the team understands the young person’s changing needs. The company has a clinical team, and its therapeutic service is clearly outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. However, not all staff are familiar with the therapeutic approaches that the clinical team practises, which potentially weakens the day-to-day therapeutic support provided to the young person.

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

Staff have a good understanding of risk management, and all potential risks are comprehensively assessed. Staff follow clear, protective strategies to prevent and reduce harm. Consequently, the young person is safe. The young person is well supervised by the staff team. Incidents of young people going missing from this home are infrequent. On the occasions when they have, staff proactively implemented rigorous missing from Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 5 home procedures, which enabled the young person’s safe return. Staff focus on positive behaviour and the young person is thriving on constant praise and rewards. Additionally, staff support the young person to think about his feelings, behaviour and the consequences of his actions at regular key-work sessions. These sessions are helping the young person to develop safer ways of dealing with difficult emotions and situations. This is reflected in the young person’s comments, that ‘Staff

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

help me when I am angry. They talk to me and this helps me to calm down.’ Physical restraint is seldom used as a means of control because staff are skilled at de- escalating harmful situations. However, the young people have not always been offered the opportunity afterwards to talk to a member of staff who was not involved in the restraint about their feelings. This potentially weakens the monitoring and evaluation of the incident because the young person was not able to share their experience with an independent person. Staff have made good links with local resources, including the fire service. When fire risks are identified, staff arrange for a fire officer to visit the home to speak directly to the young person. This helps the young person to get a better understanding of the dangers and consequences of fire setting. However, staff could be more proactive at preventing the young person from bringing lighters into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A suitably experienced registered manager leads the home. She is in the process of completing her level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She receives monthly professional supervision, and her ongoing training is keeping her up to date with recent research and practice developments; for example, she has just completed a safer recruitment training course. Relationships between the manager and staff are positive. Staff are suitably trained, and they benefit from monthly professional supervision where they discuss their work and reflect on their practice. Strong team working, and good management support, ensures that all staff are suitably equipped with the knowledge, skills and expertise to care for the young person. Staff’s performance is annually appraised, which helps the manager to gain a clear overview of the team’s strengths and development needs. Staff appraisals can be further strengthened by incorporating young people’s and other professionals’ feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Furthermore, the appraisal document does not reflect any discussions or actions with regards to staff’s training or development opportunities. Strong partnership working arrangements with parents, social workers and schools are enhancing the young person’s progress and life experiences. Effective service monitoring is helping the manager to identify the strengths of the service and areas that need developing. As a result, the service is making sustained improvements. A new responsible person has been appointed to oversee the leadership of the home. However, the provider has not notified Ofsted of this significant change as required. This Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 6 has prevented the service regulator from monitoring and evaluating important leadership arrangements.

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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: SC457182 7

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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 W6 9RU

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Inspector

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457182 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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