Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 1 SC457318 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 home is owned by a private organisation. It is registered for the care and accommodation of two young people, who have emotional and behavioural needs and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 December 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: 17 October 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: SC457318 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/10/2017 Full Good 24/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/09/2016 Full Good 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 3

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Recommendations:

 Children’s homes staff should seek to identify and provide appropriate opportunities for children to develop themselves in accordance with their wishes and feelings and as part of the home’s plan for their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.4) In particular, consider ways in which young people can enjoy their interests, without having to leave the house to access Wi-Fi.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive high quality care. Their progress is remarkable and sustained. For example, when one young person came to the home, he was not engaging in any education. He now attends mainstream school, has made good academic progress and is on track to take GCSEs. He enjoys a variety of after-school clubs and has friends to stay overnight. Another young person came to the home with an incorrect medical diagnosis. The manager took steps to ensure that his health needs were correctly identified. He now has a different confirmed diagnosis and no longer takes any medication. This young person now has established routines and an improved quality of sleep, and can engage in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The young people have formed exceptionally positive relationships with staff. Young people no longer have difficulties in confiding in staff and articulating their feelings. From their starting points, both young people have considerably developed in confidence, autonomy and social maturity. The team supports young people to achieve the best that they can, continually thinking of ways that young people can stretch themselves to fulfil their potential. For example, a young person used to be taken by staff to their family home for contact. Now they have been empowered to travel part way by train alone.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The team’s enthusiastic help and intervention have brought about distinct improvements to the young people’s family relationships. Time spent together with families is supported and prioritised by staff. Staff took a young person on a caravan holiday in the summer with their family, which was a success. Parents emphasised that they communicate closely with staff and describe the home as ‘brilliant’. They are sure that the progress that their young people have made would not have been possible without the manager and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Social workers recognise the excellent progress that the young people have made in this home and say that communication with staff is extremely effective. Staff are observed to Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 4 work positively with young people, using humour and effective strategies to help young people to achieve their best. The manager and staff communicate effectively with all professionals involved with the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people know how to complain and feel empowered to do so. Complaints are thoroughly considered and responded to, including by the organisation’s senior managers when appropriate. Young people are satisfied with the outcome of complaint investigations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager is unable to install Wi-Fi in the home, due to a poor signal. This means that if young people want to access Wi-Fi to pursue their interests, they must go out of the home. The manager continues to pursue alternative solutions to this problem.

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

Young people feel safe and are kept safe. The manager and staff are experienced in managing risks to young people. They are skilled at identifying concerns and putting in place safety strategies to mitigate risks. Managers constantly review these strategies and do not allow situations to deteriorate. Staff have many meaningful conversations with young people and their families to help them to understand risks and to help the young people to learn how to protect themselves.

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

When allegations are made, the manager responds appropriately. She takes concerns seriously and rapidly initiates procedures to ensure that the young people are safe. She makes sure that any learning is disseminated, including when an allegation is unfounded.

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

Incidents in the home have decreased as staff have gained excellent insight and understanding of young people’s needs and how to meet them. Staff have not needed to physically restrain young people because they are skilled at recognising the young people’s responses and will intervene early to de-escalate potentially difficult situations.

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

One young person takes medication to help them sleep. The manager and staff have been pivotal in helping the young person to reduce this medication. They have devised a clear plan with the young person and health professionals to stop the use of medication altogether. They relentlessly put into place various strategies over time, and these are beginning to work in reducing the use of medication to aid sleep.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager strongly advocates for young people and is determined that they receive the help they need. This persistence has led to the manager ensuring that professionals have completed necessary assessments to plan effectively for young people’s futures.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager regularly reviews and measures young people’s progress and the documentation that goes alongside this. She works hard to build on strengths and successfully addresses any identified weaknesses in the home. The manager has Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 5 recently appointed a deputy manager to assist in management tasks and increase management oversight of the home, which has worked well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Young people are significantly involved in recruitment processes from start to finish. They feel valued as they have had a genuine say in who looks after them. The young person the inspector talked to had been supported to take his role in this process seriously and responsibly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training and development are prioritised. The manager ensures that she disseminates any research to her team and she carries out workshops with other homes in the organisation, to share good practice. She has researched one young person’s rare health condition and works with a psychologist to plan how to meet the young person’s needs most effectively, both now and in the future. This helps staff to be prepared for all eventualities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads by example, and her commitment to the young people is evident. There is a full complement of staff who are competent and calm, and who know the young people and what they need extremely well. Staff are well supervised and attend regular team meetings, where they share practice issues and review young people’s progress and experience. The team benefits from the training that it receives and can demonstrate how this has improved its practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home environment is continually improving, with much emphasis on making the home feel comfortable and welcoming. The office is now referred to as a study and has been revamped to include only necessary files and paperwork, so it is much cosier.

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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: SC457318 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Sarah Canto, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457318 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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