Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 1 SC457183 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

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for one young person who may have behavioural and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

The young person was absent during this inspection.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2018 Full Good 17/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2017 Full Good 16/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 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

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments include the actions that staff need to take if an incident were to occur. 31/01/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that staff research the young person’s condition and consider how this may affect his daily living. 31/01/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 4

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) In particular, the plan should detail the timescales for supervision of all staff and the process for managing and improving poor performance.  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27) In particular, ensure that the home has a clear transition plan that supports young people to move in or out of the home.  Expectations of standards of behaviour should be high for all staff and children in the home. These standards should be clear and unambiguous. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11) In particular, there should be written guidance for staff on how they should promote positive behaviour.  Ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) This is specifically in relation to ensuring that the steps taken by staff, to secure good progress and outcomes, are clearly recorded within the young person’s documents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one young person has left the home. The staff were successful in following her long-term plan of engaging her in education, to reduce her risks and for her to be able to socialise with other young people. Therefore, she was able to move to a larger children’s home. However, the young person’s transition plan only shows the general plan for the move and the outcome. It does not say how the move would be completed, for example the details of the visits to the new home and the visits that the new home’s staff would make to the placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A new young person has come to live at the home. While this was well planned and included positive staff action to support the move, including re-accessing education, the transition plan does not detail these positive areas. Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 5 Young people’s care plans are regularly updated. Any changes are discussed with the young person and his family. Changes are also discussed in staff meetings and shared with professionals so that everyone is clear about the support that the young person needs daily. The young person shares his views, wishes and feelings through regular key-worker sessions and daily chats.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is in good health. Previously, the young person refused to attend medical appointments. Staff used incentives and discussed with him the importance of attending them. As a result, he is now up to date with his appointments. However, the young person has a long-term health condition from birth which is monitored annually by a specialist. The young person attended his last appointment with his parent. Currently, the young person’s parent does not communicate with the home or with the local authority. Although the young person does not require any medication or specialist service, the staff have not researched the young person’s condition and how this may affect him. Therefore, they do not know whether any changes are required in the home, for example whether he needs a firmer mattress to help him sleep better or whether the cold weather would have an impact on his condition.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young person to have regular supervised contact with his family at a designated contact building. The young person has gone missing from this venue on several occasions. The manager has challenged the local authority about these arrangements, but they remain in place until a professional meeting is completed next week.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A range of activities are offered to the young person. He enjoys taking a member of staff’s dog for a walk, going to bowling and will generally try any activity. Staff said that the young person is polite and respectful and is a joy to be with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is warm, welcoming and decorated and furnished to a good standard. The young person takes pride in his home. He cooks meals and helps around the home with chores.

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

The young person’s social worker and safeguarding professionals were all very positive about the care that the young person receives. They all feel that, although there are difficulties regarding the young person’s missing-from-home episodes, the staff support and take the necessary action when needed. The social worker said, ‘Staff have been very proactive. It is a very difficult situation because the young person’s family are helping him during missing episodes. We are having strategy meetings and looking for a way forward.’ Staff keep meticulous records that show all the action they have taken, including conversations with the young person encouraging him to return to the home.

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

Staff receive a range of safeguarding training that is refreshed regularly. Therefore, their knowledge around safeguarding issues, such as child criminal exploitation, gang culture, drug and alcohol misuse and knife crime, are good. Consequently, they have the Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 6 knowledge and skills to care for any young person who has these identified risks. In addition to this, they are vigilant, and individual risk assessments identify known and emerging risks. However, the risk assessments lack information on what agreed action staff should take if an incident were to occur. This does not ensure consistency when dealing with any arising issues.

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

The young person is well mannered and polite, and his behaviour in the home does not give cause for concern. However, the young person’s behaviour management plan only discusses aspects of negative behaviour and not how to promote his positive behaviour.

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

The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. All checks are completed and verified to make sure that members of staff are suitable to work with the young person. Regular health and safety checks mean that the home is physically safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced and suitably qualified manager manages the home. She maintains good oversight of the home and works alongside the staff and with the young person. This means that she can observe and evaluate the staff’s practice and relationships with the young person. Good levels of staffing mean that the young person’s needs are met. Staff show a real commitment to their role and speak proudly of the young person’s achievements and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose sets out the ethos and objectives of the home and it is kept under review. The home’s records are well maintained and reviewed regularly. Professionals confirmed that they had been given a copy of the statement of purpose and that they receive monthly updates about the young person’s care. The home has a workforce development plan, but it does not identify the timescales for supervision of all staff or show how poor performance would be managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff work collaboratively with a range of agencies and professionals who are involved in the young person’s care. When services have been slow or not available, the manager has challenged these shortfalls effectively. This means that the young person has received additional services to meet his emerging needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff hold a relevant childcare qualification. New staff, should they not hold the recognised qualification, are enrolled on the course after their induction period. The staff receive a high level of support through regular supervision, training and staff meetings. They continue to broaden their knowledge through additional training, such as training on understanding the impact of child criminal exploitation, and on the impact of domestic violence on young people. The manager includes practice-related articles on the staff meeting agenda, such as updated statutory guidance and how this will impact on practice. This proactive approach to continued professional development and good oversight of staff practice mean that the staff have the skills and knowledge to care for the young person well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring and review systems in the home help the manager to show the strengths and Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 7 weaknesses of the home and the staff team. Action is taken quickly to attend to any shortfall and to celebrate strengths. As part of this monitoring, there is consultation with the young people, professionals, staff and stakeholders, in order that an all-round view is collated about the care given at the home. Feedback from all stakeholders is positive, praising staff’s commitment, young people’s progress and the effective communication with the manager and her team.

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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: SC457183 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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

Pam Nuckley, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457183 9 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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