Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 1 SC456602 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

The home accommodates up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private company operates this home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since 10 May 2018.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 15/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop good relationships with the staff team, built on trust and respect. The staff know the children well and provide consistent safe care messages to support their well-being. The children commented during the inspection that the staff are the best thing about the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are in general good health and are supported to attend routine appointments when required. The staff work with generic and specialist health providers to ensure that the children’s emotional and physical health needs are met. Children are encouraged to recognise their individual needs through targeted and reflective one-to-one key work sessions with staff. This supports a growing awareness in the children of personal care and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children often are placed at the home far away from their local communities and family and friends. The manager and his staff team work proactively with social workers to maintain and support positive contact with families. This is a particular strength and emphasises the commitment and flexibility of the staff and manager in supporting children’s sense of belonging and identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are consistent in their positive approach to education provision for children, and where issues arise they move quickly to resolve these. The staff use a range of individual incentives to encourage children to attend and engage in education. The staff provide and support educational activity throughout the day when required and liaise proactively with schools, colleges and virtual school heads.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to understand their care plans. Regular informal and formal one- to-one discussions with key workers and in children’s meetings encourage their voice to be heard. The introduction of ‘My Plan’ enables children to personalise their care plan and to express their wishes and feelings and plans for the future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Professionals spoke of excellent progress made by children and the positive relationships that exist between the children, staff and the manager.

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

Risk assessments providing historical and current concerns contribute to protecting children. The children are making considerable progress demonstrated by significant reduction of missing from home episodes. When children do go missing from the home, the manager and his staff team liaise with a range of relevant professionals to share intelligence and maintain excellent communication, thus ensuring that children are returned quickly and safely to the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 4 There has been notable improvement in children’s attachments and respect for staff since the last inspection. The staff support children to live together and at times tolerate one another, ensuring that difference is recognised and respected.

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

Physical intervention is rarely needed but if it is used it is a last resort and for a very short period of time. The recording of incidents is thorough and details the views of the children involved. This enables children and staff to reflect on the incident and learn how to avoid the use of physical intervention in the future.

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

The staff spend good-quality time with children, enabling them to feel safe and part of a warm, nurturing family environment. Expectations and boundaries are consistently reiterated to children, providing structure to their day-to-day lives and developing their trust in the adults caring for them.

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

Staff training supports the awareness of safeguarding arrangements to protect children from all forms of exploitation and promotes their welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively and efficiently by a suitably experienced and qualified registered manager. He is supported by a newly appointed deputy manager with a range of experience and two competent team leaders. They share the same vision and commitment to the children in their care. They know the children well and provide good- quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last full inspection, there has been a high turnover of staff. However, the stability that has been evident for a number of months is showing in the morale and well-being of the staff team. This provides continuity of care to children from a group of familiar adults. A member of staff commented, ‘I enjoy coming to work. It is a nice home overall. We all help each other out, maintaining consistency for children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision of staff takes place regularly and is very effective. It concentrates on the children and has a strong safeguarding theme throughout. It also ensures that staff receive recognition of their good practice and is responsive to their overall well-being. Team meetings are equally supportive and focused entirely on the development of the home and progress of children. Supervisions and team meetings demonstrate a sense of togetherness and a professional commitment to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment checks are thorough, ensuring that staff are suitably vetted, qualified and able to deliver high-quality services to children and their families. Records have significantly improved in quality and in a reduction in volume.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager works closely with other professionals and knows the community surrounding the home. This supports him to address promptly any anti-social behaviours or concerns associated with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides monthly audits to the provider, which are of a high quality. The Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 5 audits evidence the effectiveness of the service and the progress children are making. There have been improvements made to the home in terms of the physical environment. However, there is still substantial work to be done both internally and externally to the home. This needs to improve to ensure that children do not feel undervalued.

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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 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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to-

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 29/08/2019

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 6 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: SC456602 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

Michael Dack, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456602 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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