Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 1 SC483856 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 is operated by a large private organisation and provides care and accommodation for five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager who has been in post since 20 March 2018. The manager is also registered for the five-bedroom children’s home next door.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: N/A Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/06/2018 Full Good 13/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 20/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 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

The care planning standard is that children have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority. (Regulation 14(1)(b)(2)(b)(iii)) 31/08/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. The registered person may only employ an individual to work at the children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3). The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(1)(2)(a)(3)(d)) 31/08/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress at this home because their individual needs are identified, and they receive the care and support that they need to meet these needs. Staff know the children well, and they have a good understanding of the impact of children’s previous experiences on their current behaviour and emotional well-being. This enables staff to respond appropriately. A stakeholder commented: ‘I was touched by the way that staff were, in the review. They were warm and understood her.’ This results in positive relationships between staff and children, in which children can share their Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 4 worries.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who previously had poor school attendance and engagement are now doing well. Children’s school attendance ranges from 94% to 100%, which is a massive improvement. Children are also engaging well and have settled into the routines. Good, daily communication between home and school ensures that everyone is fully aware of what is happening in the children’s lives and can respond in a consistent way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are also making good progress in relation to their health needs, both physically and emotionally. For example, their mental health has improved, and they are receiving the required support. Children benefit from the therapeutic input provided by the community mental health services. If children will not engage directly, a clinical psychologist provides regular consultation to staff, so that staff can enhance their knowledge and understanding of the children’s emotional needs. Children are happier and calmer, as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy the activities that take place, both at the home and in the community. They have their individual interests, such as gardening, singing, swimming and football, which are supported fully. They also have longer trips at the weekend, for example a day trip to Cheshire or a visit to a theme park. One child has completed his Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition in a canoe in France. This gives the children very positive experiences. Children are also encouraged to develop their independence skills, particularly in relation to cooking, keeping their room tidy and doing their own laundry. However, the in-service assessments and subsequent plan developed as a result of the assessments have not been completed. As a result, two young people are very shortly about to move on into semi-independence without a comprehensive plan for staff to follow.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to express their views and participate in the running of the home. There are regular meetings that include discussions about menus, activities and what children would like to see in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children who are living some distance from their home town are enabled to maintain positive contact with their families. A social worker said: ‘They keep me informed regularly and promote contact with the wider family.’ This ensures that important relationships are sustained, despite the distance involved.

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

Children become safer because of living in this home. Their known and potential risks are identified prior to their admission to the home, and these risks form the basis of a comprehensive risk-management document. This document provides staff with strategies to prevent and respond to any such incidents. If new risks emerge or situations alter, risk assessments are added to or amended. This ensures that staff have up-to-date information and act consistently to keep children safer.

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

Children who have a history of going missing from previous placements have reduced Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 5 these incidents dramatically. Staff have clear protocols that they follow. These include searching the area and contacting known associates.

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

Behaviour is well managed. The home had a difficult few weeks prior to Easter, when the children were unsettled, and behaviour was poor. The registered manager addressed this appropriately and, since that time, there have been very few incidents, and the home is much calmer. Physical intervention is used rarely and, when it is used, the records are subject to managerial oversight to ensure that it is appropriate. Sanctions are also rare, as the home promotes positive behaviour through incentives.

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

Staff are trained in safeguarding children, and they demonstrate a good understanding of their responsibilities to protect children from harm. Training includes recognising the risks posed by radicalisation, extremism and sexual exploitation. Children are made aware of the risks posed by social media.

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

Staff are recruited in line with safer recruitment practices to ensure that, as far as possible, they do not pose a risk to children. However, in one instance a declaration made in an applicant’s statement that they had worked for a childcare provider previously was not followed up with a reference. This fails to ensure that all recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety have been met.

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

The environment is physically safe and secure to prevent children from experiencing harm from accidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by a registered manager, who has the appropriate management qualification. She is child focused and wants the very best for the children in her care. She provides good and supportive leadership, both as a role model and by giving staff opportunities for reflection. Staff feel well supported by accessible leaders and managers, regular supervision, daily handovers and good team working.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home through internal and external monitoring arrangements. There are good systems to ensure that she knows the progress that children are making, for example knowing the children well through her day-to-day contact, file reading, handovers and staff supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager acknowledges that the home went through a difficult few weeks just prior to Easter. This has been the subject of much reflection, and there is evidence that a great deal of learning has resulted from this. Staff feel that they work better as a team and have improved their communication, and this has led to a more consistent approach. They feel stronger because of the difficult time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is effective in promoting consistent care and support to meet children’s needs. Social workers confirmed that there is good and regular communication, including written reports. Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 6 The home works towards the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. This reflects the nurturing care and access to therapeutic support that are provided to improve children’s life chances. The statement of purpose also reflects the home’s approach to tolerance, equality and diversity, which are promoted through a culture of respect and discussion. This includes discussion at children’s meetings, where consideration of many current topics is evident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have either obtained or are in the process of undertaking the required qualification in residential childcare. They have good training opportunities, including many relevant online courses, to enhance their knowledge, skills and understanding of their roles.

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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: SC483856 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 London, W6 9RH

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Inspector

Elaine Clare, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC483856 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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