Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 1 SC456863 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 children’s home is operated by a large private company. It provides care and accommodation for one child or young person.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 September 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 9 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/11/2017 Full Good 20/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Good 10/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

This home is judged outstanding because the manager and staff go above and beyond expectations for the child or young person in their care. As a result of living in this home, young people have significantly improved life chances. A previous young person recently contacted the manager to say how well she was doing and attributed much of her success to the care, support and guidance she had received while living in the home just over a year ago. She has become an ambassador for young people in care and is working towards going to university. This is outstanding progress for this young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The social worker of the young person who has lived there for a year described the home as ‘fantastic’ and said that it had exceeded her expectations in several key areas of care, help and protection. The young person’s overall experiences and progress have been exceptional in many areas of her life. For example, she has developed a heathier lifestyle, has significantly reduced risk-taking behaviours and has become more confident socially and in education. From her starting point, the young person has made outstanding progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Excellent attention is given to the emotional and psychological well-being of young people. Self-help strategies are introduced and, over time, young people are supported to take age-appropriate risks, such as managing their own medication, which is important preparation for when they are living more independently. Specialist services are secured and bespoke arrangements are put in place to help achieve the greatest likelihood of success in key areas such as safety, health and education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are helped to build trusted and secure relationships with the adults who are looking after them, but excellent attention is also given to repairing relationships with their family. This means that when young people leave the children’s home they are more likely to have the support and security of their family as well as skills to repair relationship breakdowns in the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff make extensive use of research to inform and improve their practice. This helps them to think and work in a holistic and relationship-centred way, to provide positive reinforcement and to continually reflect on how practices can be further improved to benefit young people in their care. Recently, this has led to a reduction in institutional influences, such as the reconfiguration of the office so that young people do not feel excluded, and a review of the use of language.

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

Children and young people who live in this home benefit from a manager who has developed an expertise for caring for young people who put themselves at significant risk of harm through being missing from home, substance abuse or self-harm. Young people become increasingly safe due to the thorough and proactive approach taken by Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 4 the manager and team. Young people benefit from being helped to understand the risks they are taking and to learn how to make more positive decisions. Young people are provided with unconditional and positive support to help and protect them.

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

The manager and staff are clear about the procedures for responding to safety concerns. They are effective at sharing information and, where necessary, escalating their concerns if they feel that not enough is being done by other agencies. The local authority designated officer commended the manager and team on their excellent communication, thorough and prompt action. The manager also has excellent communication with the inspector throughout the year, notifying action she has taken to help and protect the young person in her care.

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

Young people are offered a home only after a thorough assessment of their needs and a detailed analysis of the home’s capacity to be able to meet their needs. Detailed risk assessments are in place, and when incidents occur the opportunity is taken for staff and young people to learn from the experience.

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

During the past year, there have been no physical restraints. Staff are suitably trained and are effective in using de-escalation techniques. Missing from home incidents have significantly decreased. Positive consequences are regularly used to reinforce good behaviour, and negative consequences are used minimally. When they are, the manager provides good oversight and explores how staff could take a more positive approach that would have a more meaningful impact on young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is inspirational and confident. She is ambitious for the young people in her care and for her staff team, creating a culture of positivity and high expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has been registered for three years and, during this time, has successfully taken responsibility for managing two children’s homes, achieved a level 5 diploma in leadership and management of residential childcare and taken on a senior practitioner role within the company. As senior practitioner, she has played a key role in disseminating good practice. For example, some young people across the region are being involved in staff recruitment processes. The manager has supported three of her team to successfully become managers themselves. Both her team and external professionals commend her impact and effectiveness as a manager. One described ‘the brilliant working relationship’ they have enjoyed, which in turn has contributed to the young person’s success.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has felt extremely well supported by regional leaders and her own team. This has contributed to her being able to improve and embed excellent practices. There have been no changes in the staff team in the past year and this has benefited the young person, who has enjoyed the greatest level of stability in her life for several years. The members of the staff team work together extremely effectively. Regular training opportunities are provided by the company as well as the team independently sourcing Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 5 and participating in specialist training that improves their knowledge and skills to support the young person in their care. All staff are appropriately qualified, and the deputy manager is part way through a level 5 qualification.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff members have a development plan which clearly demonstrates their personal targets and progress. They have used these to successfully support their applications for promotion. A development plan is in place for the home. This is imaginative and ambitious, demonstrating the manager’s aspirations for the home.

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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: SC456863 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, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector(s)

Norma Welsby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456863 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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