Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 1 SC456477 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

A private provider operates and runs this home. It provides care for up to four children and young people who need to live in residential care after experiencing previous breakdowns of placements. The appropriately qualified registered manager has been managing the home since 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 23 to 24 September 2019

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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: 4 December 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/12/2018 Full Good 19/07/2017 Full Good 02/08/2016 Full Good 15/06/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 2

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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 system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(5)) 31/10/2019

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) This is with particular reference to completing the home’s ‘estates plan’ by 31 December 2019, with the exception of replacing the top floor windows by 30 April 2020. Young people who use the top floor must be supported to keep it clean.  The registered person’s reviews under regulation 45 should focus on the quality of care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children.

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Recommendations

(‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  Any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.5) In particular, ensure that there is sufficient consultation with children, their parents, relatives, staff and other stakeholders to allow for a rigorous assessment. Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people develop trusting relationships with the staff. These positive attachments support the children and young people to feel safe and secure and are a foundation for the good progress they make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person has successfully moved out to independent accommodation since the last inspection. He has benefited from a long-term placement and a planned move. The use of the top floor flat, the independence programme he undertook, which was supported by the staff and the partnership work with his placing authority have assisted in his transition to adulthood. The other children and young people are motivated by seeing what he has achieved, and this is a positive influence on them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people have a good say in the running of the home. They make choices about their leisure interests, decor of their bedrooms and the home, and their diets. The staff help them to make positive choices and to think about the consequences of poor decisions. For one child, the staff use visual information to support his sensory needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people know how to complain and feel that they can rely on the adults who look after them. Their complaints are taken seriously and thoroughly looked into by the manager.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is variable progress with attendance at school, but it is improving. For some children and young people there is greater progress with their education and more achievements made at school. The staff support all the children and young people to do well. When attendance has fallen, they work alongside the school and social workers to consider different ways of helping the children and young people to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage the children and young people to follow healthy lifestyles. There is good support for the children and young people to eat well, attend their health appointments and exercise regularly. Smoking, drinking alcohol and substance misuse are all discouraged and there is a minimal amount of this type of behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and young people access specialist health provision, including mental health and complex dental health services. There is access to one-to-one therapy with the in- house mental health practitioner and support from the wider clinical team of the registered provider.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are good arrangements for the children and young people to speak to their relatives and visit them, where this is safe and appropriate. The staff support regular family time, and this helps the children and young people to benefit from improved family relationships that have previously broken down.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parts of the physical environment need improvement. For example, there is damp on the Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 4 landing bathroom ceiling and the ceiling paper is peeling off. The kitchen appliances and kitchen walls in the top floor flat are dirty. The manager has a development plan, including a refurbishment of the top floor flat, that she aims to have mostly completed by the end of December 2019. Currently, the top floor flat is not in use and the state of this accommodation is not affecting impacting on any of the children and young people.

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

The staff make a concerted effort to keep the children and young people safe. The risks to the children and young people are different and reflect their individual vulnerabilities and habits. The staff follow a clear process of identifying these different risks, such as aggression, going missing from home, substance misuse or disengagement with education. The staff consistently use agreed strategies and reduce the risks to the children and young people’s welfare.

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

There is a positive impact from the risk management practice. This is evident in the reduced behavioural outbursts, decrease in the frequency of missing from home incidents, reduction in substance misuse and reduction in the risks of exploitation.

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

The balance of a caring, nurturing environment with firm boundaries and clear expectations of the children and young people all helps them to feel safe and secure. The staff invest time and effort getting to know the children and young people. Through the positive relationships the staff build, they demonstrate to the children and young people that they are liked and cared for.

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

The children and young people behave well. The staff are good role models and use a system of individual rewards to encourage good behaviour. The staff’s use of physical intervention is a last resort and is infrequent. The children and young people have time and space to reflect on their behaviour with the staff. This helps them to understand their feelings and to develop positive coping strategies.

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

The children and young people benefit from the good levels of emotional and practical support. The staff give them plenty of advice about different issues in their lives. This includes discussions about safe relationships, the dangers of being missing from home and internet safety.

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

The staff consistently implement the children and young people’s individual missing from home action plans, which are based on local protocols and national guidance. This ensures that when the children and young people are missing, they are found and return home safely. Partnership work with the local authority and police helps to keep the children and young people free from exploitation.

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

The staff know the signs of abuse and exploitation and the procedures to follow if they are concerned about the children and young people. The staff undertake a range of safeguarding training to keep their knowledge and practice up to date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 5 The registered manager is experienced and suitably qualified to run the home. She is supported by a deputy and team leader. Between them, they ensure good day-to-day continuity in the leadership and management of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although aspects of the physical environment of the home need improving, the manager has taken steps to address the required actions from the last inspection. There is a new carpet on the stairs and landing. Staffing levels, staff recruitment and staff training issues have all been resolved. Records of the young person who moved out since the last inspection were available to inspect. The manager has a development plan in place to further improve the physical environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that there is suitable staffing, both in numbers and range of experience and skills to meet the needs of the children and young people. Extra staffing is in place when needed, such as for trips, outside activities and health appointments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Concerns about the welfare of the children and young people are advocated for at multi- agency meetings. This ensures that the children and young people get good all-round support. This has resulted in improved health outcomes, a recent increase in school attendance and recent reduction in missing from home episodes. Feedback from all the placing authorities spoken to was positive about the level of partnership work and communication from the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive thorough induction, training and supervision. This is focused on meeting the needs of the children and young people. The staff undertake a range of training and development opportunities in relation to autism spectrum disorder, mental health and attachment. They regularly reflect on their practice, discuss the children and young people’s needs and are advised by a mental health practitioner. Consequently, the staff have the skills and ability to improve the experiences and progress of the children and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager regularly monitors the children and young people’s experiences and progress. Her last six-monthly review of the home completed in March was below standard. This report contained little about the experiences of the children and young people and the impact the home has on their outcomes and progress. This review did not evidence any feedback from the staff, parents and carers. In contrast, the daily running of the home does take account of a range of views.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is monthly independent monitoring of the home. This assists in improving and maintaining good standards. However, the rigour of these monthly reports is undermined by the lack of consultation with children and young people, their parents and placing authorities by the independent visitor.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 6 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: SC456477 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: Metropolitan House, 3 Drakes Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Fitzsimmons

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Inspectors

Simon Morley, social care inspector Sue Hatton, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456477 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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