Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 1 SC478468 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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 registered to provide care for five children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. However, the home is currently working with only four children, aged between 11 and 16. The home forms part of a large social care company. The home has a manager who was registered by Ofsted on 20 March 2018 but is currently on maternity leave. The deputy manager has stepped up into the position of manager in the interim.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 13/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(h)) 31/10/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(b)) 31/10/2019

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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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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 4 Overall, children make good progress. The staff successfully deliver individualised care in a nurturing environment. The staff have a very clear understanding of the support needs of the children in their care. There is regular communication with parents and social workers. The staff share positive interactions and experiences with the children, and this supports the children to recognise their own strengths and abilities and raises their self- esteem and self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s education is a key priority for the staff. The staff work hard with education professionals to ensure that the most appropriate educational establishments are sought in a timely manner. If needed, leaders and managers will challenge those authorities who are slow to respond or act. One child has successfully transitioned into mainstream school after making excellent progress in the organisation’s small independent school. It is hoped that the mainstream school will allow the child to develop socially and have access to a much wider educational curriculum. Another child was taken to an open day at the school by a staff member during their day off. The child had previously been home tutored, and the staff member came in to support him. This demonstrates the staff’s and manager’s attitude to education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are encouraged to engage in activities outside the home wherever possible, fully supported by the staff if necessary. The staff are familiar with what is available for the children in the local community. One child has been successful in gaining work experience at a local RSPCA centre. Another child has completed his Duke of Edinburgh expedition in a boat in the Ardennes, France.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has a good understanding of each child’s likes and dislikes. There are a range of ways in which children can voice their views, wishes and opinions, and the staff take these seriously and act on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children benefit from a company maintenance team which quickly visits the home to repair damage. All works are of an excellent standard. The home is well maintained. Care has been taken to make the house feel like a family home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff sensitively support the children to maintain and improve their relationships with their families and friends, where possible. The staff develop a good rapport with children’s parents and carers and keep them fully informed.

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

There are clear and effective safeguarding arrangements in place to protect children. Arrangements meet statutory guidance. Allegations or suspicion of harm are immediately shared with the appropriate safeguarding agencies and managed well.

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

The staff have all received comprehensive safeguarding training and recognise the risks faced by children in their care. Children say that they feel happy and safe at the home and with the staff team. They say they feel comfortable in talking to the staff about any concern that they may have.

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

The staff team’s focus on providing good standards of care means that children can start Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 5 to make progress in changing their negative behaviours. Individual risk assessments provide clear and sensible strategies to lessen the risks associated with known or presenting new behaviours. All ‘missing’ incidents are managed well.

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

The staff team helps the children to understand risk and how to stay safe, while allowing them to take appropriate risks. This helps the children to manage their behaviours and, over time, to make the right choices. In addition, the staff use key-worker sessions to help the children to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

The children are protected by careful recruitment procedures, and regular monitoring of staff also prevents unsuitable people from being employed.

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

Robust and regular health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment for children is safe and protects them from harm or the risk of harm.

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

A qualified and experienced registered manager has managed the home for two years. She is realistic about the work required to make this a good service, particularly in relation to the monitoring of the home to improve the service. She is currently on maternity leave. The deputy manager has recently been asked to step up into the position of manager in the interim. She is applying to Ofsted to be registered.

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

The manager has not ensured that, when the police are called to the home to assist staff with managing the behaviour of children in the home, Ofsted has been notified. As a result, Ofsted is not able to monitor the incidents happening in the home.

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

A previous recommendation had not been actioned. When children do not have a full- time educational timetable, time outside of the formal educational setting should be spent doing educational activities. While this was spoken about, the manager had made no timetable, or gathered resources together to use. Also, in the manager’s monthly monitoring, the progress or success of the recommendation had not been referenced.

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

Staff receive professional supervision, which guides and supports their care practice. Supervision sessions take place monthly and focus on staff welfare, training and development needs. Staff say that they value these meetings and report that they feel able to raise any concerns they may have with the manager.

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

Staff benefit from regular team meetings. Leaders have made good use of these meetings to reflect on approaches to care and reflect on the management of incidents.

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

The manager understands the value of working with partner agencies. She is developing good links with agencies locally. When required, she has challenged professionals to ensure that young people have the services they need to help and support them to start making progress. A social worker spoke very positively about information sharing and joint working. This is a positive indication that this service can make progress and benefit young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC478468 6

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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: SC478468 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Cambian Group, 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: SC478468 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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