Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 1 SC457506 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 owned by a large national provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The current manager was registered with Ofsted on 7 January 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

The home was judged inadequate at the last full inspection on 24 July 2018. Following that inspection, a compliance notice was issued under regulation 12. The compliance notice was deemed to have been met at a monitoring visit on 28 August 2018. Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/07/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Full Good 06/09/2017 Interim Not judged 08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(i)(ii)(viii)) 03/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (2)(d)) Specifically, that the window restrictors on the young people’s bedroom windows are secure and effective. 30/12/2018

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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— ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 03/01/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 4 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(2)(e)(g)(i)) Specifically, that the use of bank staff is kept under review. The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 03/01/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (2)(a)(b)) Specifically, that a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home is maintained, and a record of the actual rosters worked. 30/12/2018

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Recommendations

 Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  Children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of their home’s plan for their care. Staff should also support children to try activities that are ‘new’ for them, where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4)

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the home has only had a young person placed on a short-term basis, who has recently moved on, and another young person recently placed. Due to this, the outcomes for young people have been limited. This includes access to education and attendance at a school placement. This limits the opportunity for young people to learn, gain skills and qualifications for their future. However, the manager has endeavoured to address these areas with the respective placing authority and virtual headteacher.

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improvement to be good

Young people’s health needs are generally well met. They are registered with healthcare services and supported to attend appointments. The staff discuss healthcare issues with Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 5 the young people, providing encouragement and support to lead healthy lifestyles. However, young people continue to smoke cigarettes, and this has a negative impact on their overall health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

The manager has improved the impact assessment, which has resulted in greater planning before a young person is admitted into the home, including emergency admissions. She ensures that detailed information is gathered from the placing social workers prior to the young people arriving, following up where there is outstanding information. This helps inform, from the onset, placement planning for the young person.

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improvement to be good

Young people contribute their views to their care and understand how to raise any concerns or make a complaint. They have regular individual key-worker sessions and have the opportunity, through weekly planning meetings, to express their wishes. Where it is not possible to act on some of the requests, clear explanation is provided and alternative suggestions are discussed with them. This provides further clarity and helps the young people to have an understanding about their care and support needs.

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improvement to be good

Young people said they feel safe and protected. However, there have been some occasions when they have left the home through windows, after dismantling window restrictors, without staff being aware. This places young people at risk of harm because there is a delay in staff looking for them and following the missing from home procedures. The manager has taken remedial action to address this, but further longer- term planning is required. However, there has been a reduction in missing from home incidents overall, and for one young person this is a significant improvement.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are detailed and, overall, the risk management plans, followed in practice, have reduced risks to young people. The manager and staff make sure these documents are reviewed at least once a month, and more often if required.

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improvement to be good

Staff have completed a range of training to help them understand the emotional and complex needs of young people admitted to the home. In turn, they work with young people to educate them in keeping themselves safe. This includes risks around being missing from home, use of the internet and stranger danger awareness. They also work in partnership with other agencies, including the police, to help keep young people safe.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management strategies are in place and this has contributed to improved behaviours of young people. The use of consequences, both negative and positive, help young people to reflect and understand the impact of their behaviours and have further contributed to improvements. All staff have undertaken training in behaviour management and use de-escalation skills effectively. There have been no incidents of physical intervention. Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has been in position since January 2018. She is currently working towards a suitable management qualification. She manages this home and another home which provides care for one child. Her time is divided between the two homes. However, from the documentation maintained, the amount of time she spends at the home is unclear, as she is not included on the staffing rota. She is supported within her role by a deputy manager and two team leaders.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, the members of the staff team have undertaken a range of training to help them to develop their knowledge and skills in relation to supporting young people along with recording and reporting systems used within the home. This has been beneficial in addressing previous identified shortfalls in relation to this. The manager is keen to implement further training to reflect understanding of recent research practice, to further develop the staff team. However, this is yet to be implemented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive supervision, although it is not held in line with the arrangements as identified by the organisation. In addition, not all supervisors have completed formal supervision training. This does not fully ensure that care practice meets the standards expected in the home’s statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is not currently fully staffed and there have been some changes within the staff team. Additional staff cover is provided by staff who work for the organisation as ‘bank staff’. While the manager tries to ensure that the same additional staff are allocated to work within the home, this is not always possible. This impacts on the overall continuity of care provided to the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

External monitoring of the home is good and supports the manager to address any shortfalls identified to improve the quality of care. The manager uses this and overall monitoring systems to contribute to the bi-annual quality of care report.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people’s records have improved and demonstrate that the staff and manager have worked hard to address previous shortfalls. Young people contribute to their records and are regularly consulted to gain their wishes, views and opinions. Where placing social workers have not provided the required documentation for young people, the manager escalates this to make sure this is rectified in a timely manner.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 7 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: SC457506 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellor’s Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 9 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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