Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 1 SC478468 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to five young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is operated by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been a registered manager since 20 March 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: N/A

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children make progress while living in the home. They form some very strong relationships with staff, who aim to provide a safe and nurturing environment. Staff work well as a team and work consistently to ensure that young people know what is expected of them.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children relate well to the staff and enjoy playing card games and having individual attention. They are all receiving education. Their health needs are well met, and they are having many opportunities to develop their social skills. Staff are involved in transporting two children to two schools that are a considerable distance from the home, to maintain consistency for the children concerned. However, for one child on a reduced education Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 2 timetable there is no plan of structed activity time when she returns to the home in the afternoons. This fails to provide a structured routine and may hinder her educational progress in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are not engaging in risk-taking behaviour such as going missing or misusing drugs or alcohol. Incidents of challenging behaviour are decreasing as children respond to the nurturing, consistent care of staff. Incidents are monitored and evaluated so that the staff can learn and amend future responses if necessary. Complaints are taken seriously, and the child receives a written response to any issues raised. Allegations against staff have been responded to appropriately, and there is good liaison with the designated officer for the local authority.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One child has left the home and two children have moved into the home in the last few months. The child who left the home did so in a planned way, despite the placement ending abruptly. The social worker was very complimentary about the efforts that the manager and staff made to make this a successful transition. Staff from the home worked alongside the staff at the child’s new children’s home for eight weeks before slowly withdrawing. The two children who moved into the home have done so following good planning, and, in one case, visiting the home in advance. The practice of transitions in and out of the home has been good, and there is excellent written evidence in the children’s case files to support this. Consequently, children will have a coherent record of their journey, should they choose to access their case files in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Partnership working is a strength and contributes to the good outcomes. One social worker said: ‘The communication is the best I have ever had’, and a stakeholder said that communication ‘is absolutely brilliant’. The consistency that ensues from all the professionals working together is vital for the children to make good progress. A social worker said that the staff are quick to implement any suggestions and address issues through direct work sessions.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A number of requirements and recommendations were set at the last inspection. These have been addressed satisfactorily. Children’s views and wishes are listened to and actioned. Placements in the home are stable, and there has been careful matching of children to ensure that personalities do not clash. Behaviour has improved, and staff have not needed to call the police for assistance. All children are in education, which is tailored to their specific needs, but more work in relation to the time when they are not in school needs to be embedded, and this has been a recommendation from this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. In the interim, the child should be supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities. If no education place is identified by the placing authority, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs under regulation 5 (engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 4 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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, London, Middlesex W6 9RH

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 5 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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