Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 1 SC457506 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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/or behavioural difficulties. There is currently no registered manager in place. There is an acting manager, who intends to submit an application to register 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 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: 17 January 2019

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Full Good 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

In order to meet the education standard, the registered provider must ensure that staff— promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8(2)(v)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to develop the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9(1)(2)(a)(i)) 01/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(2)(a)) 01/08/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and the staff can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and placing authority, must include details of the steps the

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Recommendations

home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5) Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 4

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improvement to be good

The progress that young people make in this home is varied. One young person attends school regularly, but for the other young person educational outcomes are less positive. There continues to be a lack of structure and routine in the home for young people who are not in education, with young people spending large amounts of time playing on computer consoles or watching television. This does not provide them with a routine, which will support them in education in the future. Staff are proactive in ensuring that young people are registered with local health services and attend relevant health appointments. They are proactive in ensuring that young people are referred to specialist services when required. Young people receive consistent care from a stable staff team that knows them well. Young people develop positive relationships with staff. However, staff are not always effective in encouraging young people to engage in activities outside the home. Young

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improvement to be good

people spoke about being bored in the home. Transitions into the home and out of the home are now managed better. The manager ensures that she obtains sufficient information about young people coming into the home. This ensures that staff have sufficient information to meet young people’s needs. Staff work hard to ensure that young people’s transitions out of the home are planned and work well with professionals to ensure that transitions are positive. Young people are supported to develop basic skills that will support them in independence. However, independence plans lack sufficient detail and staff could undertake a higher level of work supporting young people to develop further skills, particularly when young people are engaged in very little other activity during the day. Staff are proactive at supporting contact with family members, sometimes at a distance, to ensure that young people can maintain relationships with family in a safe way.

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

Risk assessments identify young people’s known risks and vulnerabilities. There is written guidance in place for staff to follow to reduce any known risks and staff understand what action they should take to keep young people safe. One risk assessment, however, needs to be updated to include guidance for staff on potential knife crime. The manager has responded proactively to ensure that young people at risk of criminal exploitation are kept safe. This has included resourcing external specialist support, which has resulted in the young person being more open to discussing his experiences and engaging in work to change this behaviour. There are continued incidents of challenging behaviour in the home. However, these are managed appropriately by staff and staff spend time with young people helping them to Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 5 understand the risks and impact of any such behaviour.

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

Staff receive good opportunities for training to ensure that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities. There has been a focus on safeguarding training recently with staff completing training in county lines, criminal exploitation and advanced safeguarding to support them in their roles.

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

There is currently no registered manager in post. There is an acting manager who intends to submit an application to register with Ofsted. The manager has understood the difficulties that this home faced last year and has shown that she is able to take effective action to make the required improvements. This will ensure that young people receive suitable care. Because of this, the home is now providing care in line with its statement of purpose. The manager has developed good relationships with the young people living in the home and has a good knowledge of their needs. She is proactive at challenging agencies appropriately when she considers that young people’s needs are not being met. The manager is supported by a competent deputy manager and the home is now staffed by a more stable and consistent staff team. Staff feel well supported in their roles and receive regular supervision. New staff receive

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

a suitable induction and work shadow shifts in the home, which helps prepare them for the role. The manager, however, needs to ensure that there is a suitable mix of staff on shift, particularly when new staff are working with staff from other homes. The registered manager has not ensured that there are clear records of full staff names on staff rosters. This means that it is not always clear who has worked on shift. The home has good relationships with professionals to support young people’s progress. Professionals spoken to were complimentary about the way that staff communicate with them about the young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC457506 6 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 7

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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, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

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