Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Northumberland

Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 1 Registered provider: The Cambian Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home accommodates up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since September 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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a home that is spacious and very homely. The staff provide care that is nurturing and emotionally supportive. This helps the children to develop trust in staff and feel safe. The manager and staff have spent time and thought to ensure that the home is well furnished and designed. This process involved children in personalising their bedrooms and other areas of personal space in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social care professional said: ‘I found the standard of accommodation to be excellent. It has had a positive impact on [name of child], especially in being able to choose her room and decorate it to her taste. It has provided her with a sense of ownership and improved her self-esteem.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage children to express their views and to share their emotions. The children are consulted on all aspects of their lives, and their relevant care plans reflect their involvement throughout. This helps to develop confidence and skills in communication and negotiation. Placement plans are thorough and innovative in design, ensuring that they are child friendly, and evidence both effective recording and timely updates.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff develop trusting and respectful relationships with professionals, carers, children and their parents. This approach is very proactive and, to maintain positive progress, always has the child at the centre of practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make good progress in developing independence skills appropriate to their age and stage of development. A senior member of staff takes sole responsibility for ensuring that the specific package of support to develop independence is innovative in design. This enables children to develop skills purposefully and at an acceptable pace. The support package incorporates household tasks, from basic through to completing documentation. This learning will help them in their personal development to become young adults.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On a day-to-day basis, children enjoy spending time on a range of activities specific to their choice and personal interests. Activities are both in the home, playing board games, watching movies and quieter activities such as reading, and in the wider community. Children are encouraged to go swimming and bowling and to attend local healthy lifestyle clubs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps children to maintain family contact through positive communication, transport and supervision, provided this is in accordance with their well-written contact plans. The children are helped to develop a sense of identity and belonging safely, without harm.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff advocate strongly to ensure that children have appropriate education in place. During inspection, a social worker and an independent reviewing Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 3 officer spoke positively of the commitment, creativity and efforts by staff to source alternative education. The staff work proactively with professionals from the respective local authorities to ensure that the children’s educational needs are met. When delays arise, the manager and staff ensure that children are provided with appropriate alternative education in the home.

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

Comprehensive risk assessments help staff to keep children safe from harm. The assessments are living documents that focus on current risks and strategies to support overall safe care. The staff team works proactively with a range of professionals to safeguard children and reduce actual harm or the risk of harm to them. The manager and staff proactively share intelligence with appropriate agencies. This informs care planning, together with current and future strategies to protect vulnerable children from exploitation.

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

The children are helped to have a good understanding of risk and how to stay safe. The children are supported to develop their own preferred responses to behaviour management, with help from staff. This enables children to be more aware of acceptable behaviours and to regulate their responses, recognising that staff will be mindful of the children’s needs. This develops children’s trust in staff and strengthens emotionally supportive relationships.

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

The home’s good-quality locality risk assessment is highly detailed and provides relevant information to keep children safe in the community. It also identifies the opportunities in the area that promote a sense of community and well-being.

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

Children have positive attachments to staff team members, and they feel safe and secure. During the inspection, it was noted how well the children reflect on rules, boundaries and expectations in terms of their respective behaviours. This is recognised in their plans and shows the positive impact that staff have on the overall well-being of the children. Staff use positive reinforcement in their practice when recognising the progress made by children. This develops their self-esteem and resilience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is an experienced practitioner, with knowledge and experience gained through her various roles in children’s homes. She is supported by three able team leaders who have varying social and life experience and knowledge. The manager is well established in her role and, by continuing her professional development, she remains up to date with research and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is passionate and nurturing by nature, and she models good practice in her positive relationships with children, families and professionals. A social care professional said: ‘The registered manager is brilliant, incredibly caring and supportive.’ A child also spoke very highly of the manager in terms of trust and reliability. The ethos of the home is based on positivity and warm responses to children from staff who are sincere and Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 4 ambitious for the children to achieve. The manager advocates well for children. Children are supported to attend their reviews and to express their valuable views and opinions. The confidence of children was demonstrated during the inspection when they expressed their views and insights into the care being provided to them to enable them to grow with support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing ratios are appropriate to the needs of the children and are in accordance with their relevant plans. Access to additional staffing is prompt, to enable children in crisis to be fully supported and safeguarded. The staff are experienced and well trained in caring for the specific children who are placed. The manager has recognised the importance of face-to-face training in the development of staff’s understanding and awareness, and there are plans to develop this area. This will further enhance staff’s knowledge to inform their practice, ensuring that the best possible care is provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the highest level of scrutiny is in place in terms of monitoring and auditing children’s files. This process is thorough and meticulously detailed, ensuring that plans are always living documents. This supports the provision of good-quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is fully compliant with its aims and objectives, as recorded in its statement of purpose. Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 5

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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 difference 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: 2496864 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

Michael Dack: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 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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