Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Barnsley

Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 1 SC482419 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and runs this home. The home provides care for three children or young people whose plan is for them to receive short-, medium- or long-term care. The staff help the children and young people to recover from earlier disruptive life experiences. The staff prepare the children and young people for transition home or to independence. The registered manager is experienced and appropriately qualified. She has been managing the home since September 2014.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 26 to 27 November 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2018 Full Good 25/07/2017 Full Good 06/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people benefit from a good standard of care. Feedback from the children and young people during the inspection shows that they have been able to build relationships with the staff, who are willing to invest in them, listen to them and promote their welfare.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are included in the day-to-day decision-making in the home. They have chosen the decor in the living room and are able to personalise their bedrooms. The manager ensures that the consultation with children and young people is well documented and is creative in gaining their views. As a result of the poor attendance at the house meetings, the home has a consultation book which captures the views and wishes of the children and young people on a more informal basis. Views are also recorded when a significant event happens and in key-work sessions with staff.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Those who have moved on from the home have done so positively. One young person was supported into independent living and another moved to a more appropriate provision. This was a planned transition due to the home’s staff recognising that the home was not the right setting for that young person. Staff support children and young people to learn skills that will help them when they move on from the home. Staff are proactive in ensuring that plans are progressed in appropriate timescales and challenge local authorities when there is a delay.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The well-being of children and young people is at the centre of the staff’s practice. The staff support children and young people to attend medical appointments, to access specialist support and to maintain contact with their family and friends. For example, staff supervise family time. For one child, this means driving him a huge distance each week to see his parents.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some of the children and young people are making good progress in their education. All were attending school or education. However, one young person has recently been removed from their college course due to non-attendance. Staff responded immediately, sourcing an alternative and arranging an initial visit. Another child has recently been struggling to maintain their attendance. However, the staff are aware of the current challenges facing these two children and young people and are supporting them to re- engage in their education. The staff have good working relationships with education professionals, who report effective communication and positive working relationships with the home. Staff are working diligently to ensure that children and young people benefit from education.

p.3

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

Children and young people at the home feel safe and are protected from harm by robust safeguarding practice and proactive responses from the staff. Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 4 There is a consistent and coordinated response when children or young people go missing from the home. Staff are familiar with the missing from home procedures and all efforts are made to locate the child or young person prior to the police being called. When missing from home incidents may be linked to criminal exploitation, the staff request a multi-agency meeting to discuss their concerns and make safer plans for children and young people.

p.3

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

The risk assessments identify the individual risks associated with children and young people and contain plans to mitigate those risks. Plans are informed by a multi-agency approach, taking into account what other agencies can contribute to the safety and well- being of the child or young person. The plans are updated regularly to reflect the dynamic nature of risk and this helps to keep children and young people safe from current risks and concerns.

p.4

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

Key-work sessions are targeted to the individual needs of the children and young people. Sessions take place regularly, through a variety of methods, and record the impact on the child or young person’s understanding of key issues. When there has been a significant concern, key-work sessions help the child or young person to learn the skills and knowledge they need to keep themselves safer and make better decisions.

p.4

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

As a result of the effective techniques used to de-escalate children and young people’s behaviours, restraints have not occurred for many months. When restraints have occurred, they are well recorded and demonstrate the appropriateness of any actions taken. However, there is evidence that reflection and learning from these events are variable. On one occasion, the debrief did not take place. This means that the staff team may not learn from past events and develop plans in the best interests of children and young people.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has an effective and stable staff team that is suitably qualified and experienced. The staff get to know the children and young people well. As a result, children and young people’s placements are stable.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and her team have ambitions for what the children and young people can achieve. There are clearly identified areas of progress for each child and the registered manager has a good understanding of how to help and support them to achieve. The manager is knowledgeable about all of the children and young people and speaks accurately and confidently about their plans.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has strong communication with professionals, who commented on this strength during the inspection. The relationships built with education, police and social care colleagues allow for an open dialogue, which ensures that all agencies are aware of the current plans for the children and young people as well as any issues or concerns.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has implemented monitoring systems which ensure that she has good oversight of the children and young people’s progress and the performance of the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 5 The manager effectively reviews the quality of care and recognises the home’s strengths and weaknesses, making plans to develop the home and staff team. There are plans in place for future staff training and development, which will enhance the care that children in the home receive.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff who are new to the home report that they are well supported by the manager. They are completing their induction programme and have the added support of their colleagues to help them. All staff have regular supervision with either the manager or a senior member of staff. One senior member of staff, who has now left the home, was not reflecting the needs of the children and young people in the supervisions with care staff. The manager must ensure that supervision consistently focuses on the needs of children and young people and their plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 6

p.5

Recommendations

 9.53 In a restraint situation, staff should use their professional judgement, supported by their knowledge of each child’s risk assessment, an understanding of the needs of the child (as set out in their relevant plans) and an understanding of the risks the child faces. Professional judgements may need to be taken quickly, and staff training and supervision of practice should support this. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 48, paragraph 9.53) In particular, that events are discussed in supervision and team meetings so that staff can reflect on any learning that might come out of those incidents.  13.2 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes

p.6

Recommendations

regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2) In particular, that the children, their needs, associated risk and significant events are discussed in each supervision.

p.6

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.6

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: SC482419 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Fitzsimmons

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered manager: Amber Walker-O’Brien

p.7

Inspector

Deb Duffy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482419 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8