Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 1 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 can provide care for up to four children and young people who have social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. It is part of a large private organisation. The company employs its own clinical team. This resource is shared between this home and two other homes within the organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since November 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 November 2019

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 18 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/10/2018 Full Good 22/03/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive outstanding care from a highly dedicated staff team. The staff team’s investment in children’s lives and commitment to providing them with family experiences are unwavering. There are many examples of staff going above and beyond so that children get the best possible life chances and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Leaders and managers success is because of the exceptional relationships that staff build with children. Staff fully implement the home’s ethos, which is grounded in positive relationships and planning care through an intrinsic understanding of children’s previous experiences. The clinical team integrates well throughout the home, and the specialist skills of the team members are used to inform children’s care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Family relationships are very important in this home. Staff make every effort for children to spend good, quality time with their families, including those children living far away from home. The needs of children are always put first. For example, one member of staff is travelling a long distance and staying with a child so they can spend the whole of the Christmas period with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Photographs of children, their families and the staff team are all around the home. Attention to detail with soft furnishings, lighting and furniture makes this a homely and comfortable place to live. Children personalise their bedrooms and each have their own items that help them to settle and relax. For example, they may have room scents, blankets, fairy lights, colouring books or fluffy cushions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Supporting children to go back into education is a strength, and staff share their good practice with other organisations. Children quickly settle into a school routine. Staff have excellent knowledge of children’s educational targets and goals. Home tutors are provided on top of a full-time education timetable. All children have part-time jobs alongside their studying. This success contributes to children’s positive outcomes and future aspirations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Two children have moved on from the home successfully. The staff go to great and noteworthy lengths to make these moves successful. For example, they facilitated specialist training at the new schools of one child and their siblings, to deepen the understanding of staff at the schools of the impact of abuse and exploitation. Another example includes staff helping a parent set up the child’s new bedroom with all the items that are important to them.

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

Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children are at the centre of this home’s success. Creative safeguarding practice and understanding of contextualised safeguarding enable staff to minimise risks to children and promote their well-being. Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 4 Leaders and managers make an enormous effort to understand how children’s previous trauma and experiences may affect them. They use research to inform their care of children as standard, and care is planned thoughtfully using this extensive knowledge. This has a positive effect on children and this practice should be seen as a good practice model for other children’s homes.

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

Extensive work is done with safeguarding professionals to minimise risk and keep children safe. Leaders and managers source and target external resources and professional guidance which meet the specific needs of each child. For example, training about abuse and exploitation is sourced from children’s placing authorities in addition to the home local authority. Staff also attend training in children’s home areas so that they understand themes of risk and harm relevant to each child.

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

The personalised support children receive from staff helps them to understand risk and gradually become safer. Some children do not go missing again once they move into this home. Others manage to gradually reduce the times they go missing significantly over time. Children begin to feel comfortable to work through their previous experiences and increase their understanding of abuse and exploitation. This progress has a huge positive impact on children and their futures.

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

Leaders and managers took innovative action to identify and solve a problem about the timeliness of return home interviews. Following this work, children now receive return home interviews within the statutory time frame. In addition, children are confident to share important information within these meetings, which is a contributing factor to keeping them safe.

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

The proportionate approach to risk builds trust with children and allows them to explore and have independent time away from staff. Staff and children work out together what helps them to keep safe and identify any triggers. For example, one child’s desire for the adrenaline associated with going missing has been recognised, and they now enjoy that feeling through high adrenaline sports such as indoor sky diving and zip wires.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are aspirational and ambitious for children. The staff team wholly embraces the positive and caring culture. A high level of commitment and dedication to children is influential in positively changing their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Rigorous monitoring of children’s plans and progress enables leaders and managers to actively move forward and help children achieve their goals and important milestones. Staff go above and beyond to help children and their families achieve permanence. For example, the support for one child and her family included staff supporting with housing and home removal services.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff are exceptional role models for children and other providers. All staff take full responsibility for their role, development and support, and are open with children about their own learning and engagement with other services. This helps children see the value Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 5 of education, employment and support services. For example, children are more open to speaking with the clinical team as this is shown first in a positive way by the staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Sharing good practice with others is a strength, not only of leaders and managers but also of the whole team. For example, one member of staff has successfully improved the focus on children’s education in various creative ways. This success is shared with other providers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Confidence exudes from the knowledgeable staff, who clearly understand the home’s ethos and statement of purpose. The staff team’s strengths and abilities do not lessen if the registered manager is absent. An experienced deputy manager and senior team are competent and consistently provide outstanding care to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers lead by example and have been integral in developing links with other providers and agencies in the local area. For example, the registered manager has set up a local registered manager provider forum. Attendance at these forums includes representatives from the local authority commissioners, safeguarding team, child and adolescent health services and the local police.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

High-quality reflective practice is embedded in the home. Leaders and managers are quick to critically analyse any areas of concern. This reflection is carried out with the whole team around the child, including clinical staff, families and the child. This quickly helps children to get back on track and continue with their journey of success in this home.

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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: 1240802 6

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Nicola Lownds, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1240802 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 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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