Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 1 SC476252 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home is part of a national organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children or young people who have experienced early life trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is in the process of applying to become the registered manager.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 9 to 10 September 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 31 January 2019

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/05/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 3

p.2

Recommendations

 Ensure that young people live in an environment which meets their basic day to day needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7). In particular, make improvements around the house to create a homelier environment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress living in this home because of the nurturing and caring support that the manager and staff provide. Young people are happy and safe. They enjoy a range of new experiences. These include going on holiday, swimming, camping and ‘messy play’.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are skilled when responding to children who struggle to manage their emotions. Staff give children space and time to explore their feelings and help them to understand their behaviour. This is effective, and staff prevent incidents from escalating due to the approach that they use.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop excellent routines. Consequently, children have improved sleeping habits, good attendance in school and consistent guidance and boundaries. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has a good understanding of children’s health needs. She ensures that children who use medication have this reviewed regularly. Staff promote children’s health needs by encouraging physical activities and providing freshly cooked meals and children have unlimited access to fresh fruit.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with children in an engaging way. Key-work sessions are often visual and engaging. They are individualised to each child and focus on their needs and behaviours. This supports children to make good progress in important areas. Staff are skilled at teaching children to develop their personal care skills; for example by learning to tie their shoelaces.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in or leave the home this is a positive experience. Staff are child- focused and consider children’s wishes and feelings. This helps children feel valued and provides them with a sense of belonging. However, some areas of the house would benefit from some attention to create the homely environment that the manager and staff are striving for. Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 4

p.3

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and follow these when necessary to ensure that children are kept safe.

p.4

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

Staff are proactive in teaching children about positive relationships, safe adults and how to keep safe. This work helps children to understand some of their past experiences. Children feel safe to make disclosures to staff and staff appropriately refer these to the local authority safeguarding team.

p.4

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

Overall, staff are successful in de-escalating incidents quickly. When physical interventions are needed this is as a last resort to keep children safe. After a physical intervention is used, staff explore with children how they are feeling. Staff try to understand the incident from the child’s perspective and what caused it, rather than focusing on the child’s behaviour. This is a positive approach and gives children the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings. The manager has good oversight of the incidents that take place.

p.4

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

A good staff induction and sound recruitment processes promote safe practice. Staff have appropriate safeguarding training to support them to keep children safe.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A new manager is in post. In a short period of time she has made improvements. Staff and professionals are complimentary of her practice. The transition from the previous registered manager has been smooth and has had minimal impact on the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular supervision and report that this has improved since the new manager has been in post.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that staff have the training that they need to meet the needs of the children. The manager provides additional training to staff through team meetings, exploring relevant topics and reflecting on practice. These discussions are overseen by the psychologist employed by the company. They provide staff with knowledge and give them the confidence to meet the children’s needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has positive relationships with other professionals. Social workers feel informed about the progress that children make and the work that has been undertaken. The manager regularly updates the police about the children living in the home or concerns that they need to be aware of. This helps to keep children safe.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager understands the home’s strengths and areas for development. Her commitment and passion are evident. She is child-focused and expects staff to provide care that helps children to flourish. A therapeutic model of care is being promoted and developed within the home. This is being supported by increased psychological and therapeutic training and by the psychologist visiting the home weekly. Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 5

p.4

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.

p.5

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: SC476252 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Drakes Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

p.6

Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476252 7 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7