Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Northumberland

Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 1 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

The home accommodates up to two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private company. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since September 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 10 to 11 December 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people make good progress from their starting points. They are well supported from the point of admission, and develop positive and supportive relationships with staff who are welcoming and nurturing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to children and young people in order to develop the service and to ensure that the provision of care is good. This enables children and young people to develop confidence and a sense of well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people’s health needs are well met. They are supported to attend appointments and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Children and young people engage in physical activities such as joining gyms and going on walks. As a result, their physical health and mental health improve. Staff work with health professionals to ensure that children and young people have access to specialist health services. The staff act as strong advocates for children and young people. They discuss both physical and mental health sensitively with children and young people and this helps them to understand their feelings in a safe and supportive environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have regular access to the provider’s clinical mental-health practitioner, who helps them to understand the particular issues that children and young people experience. She also provides training and consultation for the staff, as a group and individually. This means that children and young people are provided with care by skilled and informed staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children and young people attend their education provisions. They support the children and young people by transporting them to their education provisions, when appropriate. This has helped to improve their attendance and achievement in education from their starting points. The children and young people each have an independence-skills development folder that, once completed, supports their progress towards adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and young people are supported by the staff to develop individual memory books. These books are filled with positive experiences, charting their progress throughout their time at the home. This promotes children and young people’s well- being and their sense of belonging.

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

Risk assessment and risk management are thorough. The staff work with a range of professionals and the children and young people to identify risks and explore strategies that will minimise potential harm effectively.

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

Staff are skilled in talking with children and young people to help them share their views, Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 4 concerns and emotions. These discussions take place formally and informally on a one- to-one basis. As a result, the children and young people develop trust through building supportive relationships with staff, and are able to express themselves openly. This helps children and young people to develop empathy and build their resilience.

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

Staff understand that using the internet poses risks to children, such as sexual exploitation and associated risk factors. The manager and her staff engage proactively and effectively with local authorities, designated officers and other safeguarding agencies to improve accessibility to services and ensure the safety of children and young people. If they are not satisfied with the response, they take appropriate steps to escalate concerns. This includes writing to relevant professionals and clearly expressing their thoughts, using their day-to-day knowledge of the children and young people in their care. This helps to ensure that every action is explored to protect children and young people from potential harm.

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

The staff are experienced practitioners who understand their role in safeguarding vulnerable children and young people. The staff have effective relationships with the local police, who visit the home on an informal basis. This helps to avoid children and young people being criminalised, by enabling them to develop socially acceptable behaviours and helping them to understand that the police are there to help and protect them.

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

The children and young people’s home environment is safe and secure. Staff ensure that health and safety requirements are met through weekly checks. The records in relation to the lives of children and young people and the planning for their care are of a high standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is appropriately qualified, experienced and knowledgeable. She leads by example, and shares her passion and her commitment to improve outcomes for children and young people with her staff team, with positive results.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands what the home does well and maintains a positive, warm and homely environment in which children and young people can flourish. She has high expectations of her staff team and of children and young people in terms of respecting one another and the home. This enables children and young people to take pride in their home and develop a sense of belonging.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are regular, supportive and detailed. The development of staff is maintained through access to e-learning and face-to-face training. Resources are provided on specific subjects to help the staff team to understand the individual needs of children and young people. This supports the staff’s knowledge and their ability to provide care skilfully.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place for monitoring and scrutinising the care provided. Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 5 This ensures that a consistently good level of care is provided for children and young people. Plans and records are meticulously detailed. This supports the provision of good- quality care.

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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: 2496864 6

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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 Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Michael Dack: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2496864 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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