Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 1 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

The home is approved for four placements of children or young people who have primarily emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home provides long-term/short- term or emergency placements.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been registered since 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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/08/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 2

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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— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 09/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. All children’s case records (Regulation 36) must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, the registered manager should avoid recording updates in written notes across original documentation, as these are not then added to formal working plans in a timely manner.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are skilled in developing good, nurturing relationships with children, who gain confidence in expressing their views and opinions on aspects of their daily life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s progress is good. They develop a sense of belonging and enjoy a range of positive experiences and activities. Children go on holidays abroad and in the British Isles, giving them memorable experiences that develop social skills and resilience. Children’s personal interests are supported and one-to-one engagement with staff strengthens trust and confidence in caregivers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to attend school and tutorial sessions. Children make substantial progress from their starting points and where children refuse to go or have a reduced timetable, staff support educational activity throughout the day. In addition, they advocate thoroughly with educational professionals to enable a return to education Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 3 as soon as possible. A comprehensive range of incentives are used to encourage children to attend.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All the children are in general good health and are registered with local services. They attend routine or specific appointments with support from staff. Children’s more complex emotional health is supported through appropriate referrals to a range of external agencies. The staff use their strong relationships with children to encourage attendance, and are supported by an internal mental-health clinician, who provides specialist training in areas such as self-harm and trauma. Additionally, consultations are provided weekly for staff, to support the overall safe care of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s case records and placement plans are child friendly, but are diminished by the management practice of adding updates in illegible handwritten formats on original documents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are diligent in ensuring that children have positive contact with family and friends. Support is provided in the form of transport and supervision if needed. Family and friends are encouraged and supported to have contact at the home. This enables children to develop their sense of identity and their social skills.

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

The children’s comprehensive risk assessments help staff to safeguard children from harm. Children become increasingly safe by living at this home and known harmful behaviours are responded to thoroughly in accordance with individual safety and crisis- management plans.

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

The staff team has introduced a ‘grab bag’ for staff who are on sleep-in duties. This contains key information and equipment such as a mobile telephone and a first aid kit to enable them to respond to emergencies. In instances involving children going missing from the home, staff team members maintain telephone contact with the children while they are out and actively search for them if they do not return home on time.

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

Children earn free time in the community in accordance with their individual placement plans and current risk assessments. The staff and children agree on welfare calls and visual checks, which are recorded chronologically in daily logs and individual risk assessments. This approach develops trust and responsibility in children, so that they recognise how their behaviour affects others. Children are encouraged to recognise risks by staff who involve them directly in producing their own child-friendly risk assessments. This supports awareness and overall risk management.

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

Due to recent damage that has occurred in the home, sanctions have increased; financial penalties where appropriate are implemented to ensure that children are accountable for damage to property that affects other’s. One-to-one sessions help children to recognise and develop responsibility and empathy when living with peers. Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively and efficiently by an enthusiastic registered manager who is supported by an experienced senior team. The manager demonstrates high aspirations for children and leads by example.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is confident and appropriately trained in delivering a good standard of care to children. Staff feel supported and receive regular supervision by a member of the management team. A staff member said, ‘I feel really comfortable in my supervisions; you can reflect, and you receive praise which is nice to know when you have done a good job.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has positive relationships with children and has a thorough understanding of their needs and how to meet them. She advocates strongly on their behalf and ensures through good management oversight that staff proactively support children to achieve the best possible outcomes in terms of their plans. Team meetings are comprehensive and child focused, enabling open and constructive discussions to take place. Children’s meetings are held monthly and the manager ensures that actions are addressed to ensure the child’s voice is heard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has made improvements to the children’s files through the removal of duplicated documents and the separation of information. Working files are informative and maintain essential information. Staff are as a result able to provide and share information quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring processes are thorough and actions identified are completed in a timely manner. The efficiency of the manager and leadership team in recognising the need for improvements to the home has led to standards rising in overall appearance and decoration. Children enjoy their surroundings and there is space in abundance for them to have privacy if they so wish.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has introduced an ‘expression room’ which enables children to have an area in the home that is entirely about them. The room focuses on their achievements, having fun playing games and education about the world and its diversity. This room enhances children’s experiences and promotes well-being and equality.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has not notified Ofsted of a change in the home’s statement of purpose. This means that Ofsted does not have the most up-to-date information with which to monitor the home between inspections.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 5 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: 1236026 6

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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 Childcare Limited, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Michael Dack: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1236026 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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