Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home. The home provides a programme for approximately a year for young females who have experienced or are at risk of sexual exploitation. It is likely that these young people also have emotional, social and/or behavioural difficulties as a result of their experiences.

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Information about this children’s home

The aim is to provide an individualised approach, with education, clinical and care professionals working together in support of a young person’s care. This is intended to create a support package that will best meet the needs of each young person. This is regularly monitored through team-around-the-child (TAC) meetings.

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Information about this children’s home

The provider runs an independent school at a different location, which the young people attend.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post for approximately two years and is registered with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 15 January 2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: One compliance notice was issued following the last inspection. At this inspection, the provider demonstrated that they have taken the steps required in the compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/03/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/11/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 4

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improvement to be good

The young people benefit from a warm and welcoming environment. They find the staff to be friendly, caring and nurturing. This helps the young people to develop positive relationships with the staff. This is especially important as the young people are placed a long way away from their families and friends.

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improvement to be good

The staff support the young people to maintain and develop relationships with their relatives through frequent telephone contact and, where appropriate, regular visits. Young people’s contact arrangements are agreed with their placing authorities. The staff travel long distances across the country to ensure that contact takes place.

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improvement to be good

The young people increase their attendance at school and make progress towards meeting their expected academic targets. Consequently, the young people achieve relevant qualifications to support their transition into further education. Young people’s specific career interests, such as health and social care, are included in a flexible school timetable.

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improvement to be good

The young people’s physical and emotional health is prioritised. This is noted through their prompt registration with local health services, and young people attend their appointments. The young people benefit from the support of the clinical team and engage in regular therapeutic activities. The staff encourage exercise and healthy eating.

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improvement to be good

The young people’s views, wishes and feelings are taken account of. For example, one young person recently went to a music concert. The young people keep pets and take part in the shopping and cooking. The staff regularly spend one-to-one time with the young people, seeking their opinions and encouraging good behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The preparation for the young people’s future transitions, such as moving back home or to independent living, is limited. As safeguarding measures remain high, the young people do not experience enough independence to positively promote these transitions. The young people work towards completing an independence skills programme. This is promoted in an ad hoc way, and is not adequately planned. Consequently, the opportunities for young people to benefit from age- and needs-appropriate risk-taking are limited. This jeopardises their future success when they leave the home.

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improvement to be good

The risks to the young people from their behaviour, vulnerabilities and the choices that they make are clearly identified. There is a pattern of staff’s practice being risk averse, reflected in the level of safeguarding and in the various care-planning and risk- management documents. Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 5 Parts of risk assessments are based on old information that has not been sufficiently reviewed for relevance. Labels of ‘high risk’ are unduly influencing the levels of safeguarding, which are consistently high. Consequently, young people continually experience high staff supervision, no free time out of the home and limited access to mobile phones and the internet.

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improvement to be good

This approach is relevant at the point of admission, due to the risks that young people arrive with but, as these high levels of safeguards are maintained, the young people are denied the opportunity to demonstrate that they have changed and are able to make safer choices.

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improvement to be good

The young people rarely go missing from the home. High levels of staff supervision contribute to this. At the same time, this does not allow the young people to take measured risks. The staff are not demonstrating attempts to use the least possible restrictions to keep the young people safe. When young people are missing, the response from staff is quick, and they take appropriate action to find them. The arrangements with placing authorities for return-home interviews do not guarantee that these take place in a timely manner. The manager is taking steps to address this.

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improvement to be good

The staff respond well to any challenging behaviour from the young people. Since the last inspection, there are improved de-escalation strategies and more appropriate use of physical intervention. This is not the case at school. The young people experience an inconsistent response, which impacts on their feelings of well-being. The responses at school also put young people at risk of criminalisation. The manager and provider are taking steps to address this.

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improvement to be good

The manager has developed good links with the host local authority. Information sharing at multi-agency risk management meetings contributes to keeping the young people safe. For example, the manager uses knowledge about local hotspots to inform risk assessments. Positive working relationships with the police, that had faltered, are improving again to ensure that the young people are appropriately supported in times of crisis.

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

The manager is suitably qualified and experienced. She has provided stable leadership to the staff team for two years. She responded well to the previous compliance notice. This has improved how the staff safeguard the young people, and there is better practice in responding to young people’s challenging behaviour.

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

There has been minimal staff turnover, and the young people benefit from experiencing a familiar and stable staff team that knows them well. Since the last inspection, staff have spent less time in the office and more time engaging with the young people.

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

The regional manager appointed last year has left, and the manager and deputy are also due to leave in the next few weeks. This is a significant change in the leadership of the home. Although the provider has planned to address this, it does undermine the capacity Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 6 for making the necessary further improvements.

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

There is a new clinical lead, and improvements are being made to the way that the clinical team, school and care staff work together. For example, school staff now attend TAC meetings. Training on attachment, trauma, brain development and behaviour is being planned and delivered to school staff. This aims to ensure that the young people benefit from a more integrated approach to their care. Until now, young people have experienced inconsistent responses to their behaviour, dependent on being whether they are at home or at school. This is unhelpful in meeting their needs.

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

The home’s manager is now leading the TAC meetings and using the advice and support from the clinical team. The role of the therapeutic practitioners is being developed. This is to provide the young people with a more therapeutic environment and help them to overcome the impact of past trauma.

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

There is an increased level of monitoring, such as a new ‘golden hour’ checklist and on- call manager’s reports. Alongside improved handover communication between staff shifts, this ensures that everyone is well informed about significant incidents and changes to risk assessments and care plans.

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

The manager and provider have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They are taking action to improve the service. They have a genuine desire to succeed and to ensure that the young people experience positive outcomes. Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 7

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b), (2)(b)(vi)

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children have the opportunity to take age- and needs-appropriate risks to be able to demonstrate that they can make safer choices. When appropriate, relax the level of safeguards so that this can take place. 31/05/2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 8

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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: 1159397 9

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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 W6 9RH

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Inspectors

Simon Morley, social care inspector Neil Penswick, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159397 10 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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