Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Tameside

Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 1 SC430239 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

This home is managed by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to five young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left in June 2019. The new manager’s application to register is currently being processed by Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 November 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 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/06/2018 Full Good 10/01/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 06/06/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3). This relates specifically to ensuring that placement plans are signed by the manager, staff and the young people.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all relevant plans are in place for young people. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1). This relates specifically to obtaining a pathway plan for an eligible care leaver.

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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. 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 relates to the improved decoration and personalisation of the home and conservatory.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make good progress in relation to their individual starting points across aspects of their social, emotional and behavioural development. They benefit from well- planned, individualised care that promotes their needs effectively and contributes to change and improvement in their lives. Young people experience good relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. They benefit from continuity of care and have consistency and stability within their placements.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker reported, ‘In the short time I have worked with [the young person] and [the home] I have been impressed at their commitment to her in many aspects of support, advocation and consistency of care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician, and have good access to these services, when they require them. Medical consent is in place, and staff are familiar with the types of health decisions and responsibilities that are charged and delegated to them. Staff work closely with all health professionals to ensure that young people’s specific health needs are consistently met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school, or other alternative educational provision, and make good progress in relation to their learning. Staff work closely with the providers of young Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 4 people’s education to support their regular school attendance, continuing progress and educational achievements. A social worker reported, ‘The staff work well with me, sharing information, and seeking guidance through joint decision-making, particularly around her education of late and her leave of a weekend. I receive weekly reports in a timely manner and communication is regular, including updating of risk assessments, care plans and such.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide young people with age-appropriate activities at home and in the wider community. Young people enjoy going to the cinema, attending girls’ clubs, shopping, visiting theme parks and eating out. Young people benefit from safe and appropriate forms of contact, and staff facilitate family time taking place. This ensures that young people can sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have relevant plans in place to promote their specific needs that cover the arrangements for care planning, health and education. However, a pathway plan is currently outstanding for an eligible care leaver to support her readiness and transition planning for independence.

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

Staff routinely place the safety of young people at the centre of their practice. Young people become increasingly safer because of the actions staff take to support and protect them. Risks associated with young people are well known and understood by staff. The use of clear risk assessments and effective safe working practices promotes the safety and well-being of young people.

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

Staff consistently have high expectations of behaviour. They support young people to self-regulate their own behaviours safely. Negative behaviours have reduced, and incidents that do occur are managed safely and effectively by staff. The use of consequences to address negative behaviours is balanced, fair and proportionate. The use of restraint is rare and, if used at all, it is only ever used as a last resort to protect young people from harm. A social worker reported, ‘The staff clearly know [young person] well and this is evident in their ability and skills to de-escalate and talk down situations that may arise.’

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

Young people are familiar with the home’s complaints procedure and their rights are promoted effectively. Young people are protected from abuse, bullying and child sexual exploitation, as well as all other forms of significant harm. The home maintains highly effective partnerships with the police and all other safeguarding agencies to promote the safety and well-being of young people.

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

Risk-taking behaviours, such as self-harm, drug misuse, offending and anti-social behaviour, are not a current issue. The frequency with which young people go missing has reduced in relation to their starting points. When young people have gone missing from the home, staff actively look for them and work closely with the local police to secure their quick and safe return. Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 5 Young people benefit from a caring, supportive and nurturing environment. However, the accommodation provided is not reflective of the good-quality care provided. Soft furnishings, colour themes and the personalisation of the home could be improved in creating a warm, welcoming and more homely living environment. Health and safety is addressed effectively, ensuring a safe environment for young people, visitors and staff. Young people reported, ‘It’s alright. It’s not the best-looking children’s home. The home

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

needs redecorating. Look at it. It needs more pictures and stuff on the walls.’

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

The registered manager left the home in June 2019 to manage another children’s home operated by the same company. The deputy manager is acting up and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the home, and has applied for registration with Ofsted.

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

A stable, qualified and well-trained staff team is employed to meet the specific needs of the young people living at the home. Staff meet the aims and objectives, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. They maintain effective partnerships with social workers, schools and all other professional agencies to ensure that young people benefit from all-round support.

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

The home has addressed and met three recommendations from the last inspection. Medication records are now accurately recorded and young people’s behaviour management plans are regularly reviewed, understood and followed by all staff. Young people are consulted on a regular basis to enable their contribution to the running of the home. The one recommendation not met from the last inspection is repeated to ensure that placement plans are signed by the manager, staff and the young people.

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

There are good arrangements for the routine monitoring of the performance of the home. An independent person reviews the quality of young people’s care and the effectiveness of the home’s arrangements to promote young people’s safety and well- being. The acting manager makes good use of the internal and external monitoring activities to understand the weaknesses and strengths associated with the home.

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

The home is aware of its statutory responsibilities for reporting significant events to Ofsted and other appropriate authorities.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 6 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: SC430239 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 Darkes Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC430239 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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