Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 1 SC457327 Registered provider: The Cambian Group

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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 registered to provide accommodation for a maximum of three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is run by a private provider that also operates other children’s homes in the local area.

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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

Date of last inspection: 1 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 2

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Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2017 Full Requires improvement 29/11/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 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 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 fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(f)(g)(h)) In particular:  Review documentation and guidance for staff to follow when young people go missing, ensuring that it is consistent and specific in relation to what staff need to do to keep young people safe.  Review practice and consider a policy as to how the police and the community support team are involved in

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Requirement Due date

young people’s care, and in relation to reporting concerns about young people to the police. 10/12/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that –

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any areas of the home’s premises–

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 21(b)(ii)) 07/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 4 In particular, avoid the use of window restrictors when they are not necessary.

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Recommendations:

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, avoid any use of institutional language and set practices so that responses and care are personalised, and ensure that all parts of the home are homely

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The three young people who live in this home have good relationships with their carers and have positive experiences here. All the young people have made progress, some significantly so, in relation to their health, education, social skills and relationships with their family. One young person firmly said: ‘I’m really happy here; it’s a really nice home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before deciding whether a new young person can come to live in the home, the manager carefully considers their needs alongside the other young people already resident. Consequently, the manager has successfully and consecutively ensured that the young people who live together are not compromised, no matter how complex their situations. This has helped young people to recognise that they can learn to live with other young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to be as independent and confident as they can be. They support young people to be involved with planning and setting their own personal targets and, as a result, these targets are more meaningful. While some young people need to be engaged in more activity and education, the team does look at different ways in which it can help young people to make progress and achieve.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have excellent relationships and communication with the young people’s families. The families describe the staff as ‘going over and above’, that communication is effective, and that they receive regular and written information. A social worker described a young person as making ‘remarkable progress’ due to the care in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 5 The manager has assessed that young people do not need window restrictors in their bedrooms. However, these are in place due to company policy. The design of the window restrictors gives an institutional feel to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager directs staff to use strategies other than calling the police to manage behaviour. However, on occasion, the manager and staff refer to the police or the police community support officer to help young people understand the law in relation to violence and aggression, despite the staff themselves having the necessary expertise to teach this. On one occasion, a young person was reported to the police for two assaults against staff. As a result, the young person now has a conviction.

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

Young people feel safe and supported by staff. Staff understand the vulnerabilities of the young people. The staff use different strategies to reduce the risks and help to keep the young people safe. The staff support young people to understand and deal with their individual challenges which, in turn, increases their safety and resilience.

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

Staff generally manage incidents well and have not used physical intervention. The manager supports staff to learn rather than feel blamed when incidents are reviewed, so that the team continues to improve its practice.

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

Staff work hard to put boundaries and routines in place to help young people have healthy lifestyles and good routines. These boundaries are sometimes a challenge for young people, and staff respond flexibly and continually review their approaches.

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

When young people are prescribed medication, the manager ensures that the need for medication is reviewed regularly, so that it is only prescribed when necessary. Carefully monitored by staff, one young person is responsible for storing and taking her own medication. This helps to prepare her for when she will move out and live independently.

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

On four occasions since the last inspection, two young people have gone missing. Staff have acted appropriately and liaised with the police to help keep the young people safe. The guidance for staff about what to do when young people go missing is not specific enough in some areas, to ensure that staff are relentless in doing what they can to find young people and so keep them safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is a strong, committed and caring leader who has managed this home for nearly 10 years. She is an excellent role model and is passionate about providing a happy and safe home for young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has several new members, a third of whom are in their probationary period. The manager places great importance on using research and helping staff members to develop their skills and learn to care for young people in a therapeutic way. Supervision of staff is of an excellent quality, and team meetings are informative and Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 6 well recorded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is persistent in ensuring that young people receive the services they need, and she will challenge the relevant professionals when necessary. The manager promotes diversity and equality. She actively seeks to listen to and understand young people’s wishes and feelings, and places importance on having fun experiences with them. The manager gives feedback to young people about any concerns or complaints they have made and carefully explains her views to help them learn and make progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is keen to make the home as homely as possible for the young people. She has considerably improved the environment, the care given to young people and has changed institutional terminology; there are many examples that reflect this ethos. However, on occasion, improvements could be made by avoiding set practices or terminology. For example, young people are being asked to sign a standard protocol about what happens if they go missing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Attention is needed to some areas of the home, such as the staff bedroom, but generally the home is very welcoming, clean and well looked after.

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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: SC457327 7

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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: Nicola McClements

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457327 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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