Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Walsall

Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 1 SC476270 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is run by a private organisation. It offers care and accommodation for up to five children who have suffered significant harm or childhood trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered since January 2019 and is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 19 to 20 December 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 good

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 30/04/2018 Full Good 02/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 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

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes–

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)–

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that 31/01/2020 Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 4 they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii), (b)(i)(ii), (c)) Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Well-trained staff make every effort to support children, all of whom have experienced trauma. Staff provide stable relationships which enable children to feel safe and secure. This ensures that children have a solid foundation to begin to come to terms with their early experiences and to develop resilience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff help children in the home to make excellent progress. Staff support children to achieve this using child-centred approaches. Children move onto foster care when they are ready, and staff plan these transitions well. This helps children to take the learning that they have secured in the home into the next phase of their childhood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are achieving in their education and have individualised plans. One child who has found school hard in the past now says that they „love school‟, and their attendance is good. Staff sensitively identify where there may be difficulties and strongly advocate for the right programmes to be in place. Staff ensure that other professionals around the children take their needs into account in their plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff assess children‟s progress across key areas regularly and they can evidence sustained progress for children in all areas from their starting points. Staff understand the impact of significant events for children and adjust practice to help children to get back on track, when needed. Children‟s progress does not stall, because staff understand the impact of early experiences on current behaviour and help children to make sense of this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have many opportunities to share their views, and they know that staff listen to them and help them. Staff make sure that children have a good range of activities to keep them positively engaged. This is a new experience for some children in the home. This means that children feel cared for and know that staff are committed to their well- being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff approach to celebrating difference in the home is outstanding. People of various faiths and cultures come to the home to talk about what difference means in day-to-day life. Children visit local projects to broaden their outlook of others. This comprehensive approach brings difference to children’s lives and makes it interesting for children to learn about tolerance.

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

Risk assessments for children are comprehensive. Managers ensure that they include clear guidance and details for staff to follow. Managers have a dynamic risk assessment for the home which helps staff to understand how risks for individual children interact. This helps the staff to see when the children need time away from each other, and they use their creativity to split the group without children feeling excluded. As such, children feel physically and emotionally safe with their carers. Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 6 Managers have comprehensive safeguarding arrangements. They have put in place protocols with other professionals regarding any allegations made and investigate any concerns thoroughly. Clear processes for staff and collaborative working with professionals outside of the home ensure that children are safe.

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

Staff practice is underpinned by attachment and trauma theory and therapeutic approaches. The clinical team leads learning opportunities to help the staff truly to understand the children in the home. Staff curiosity leads them to reflect with children and for children. Staff help children to move on from incidents, and there is a view in the home that „every day is a fresh start‟. This helps children to feel safe and to continue to develop.

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

Where children have been at risk of being missing from care, the home has assessed and managed this risk well. For some children, this is fantastic progress, and children are safer because of staff‟s effective assessment and intervention.

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

Staff support children to develop independence skills. For example, one child was enabled to administer their own medication. By safely introducing independence activities, children develop practical skills and self-confidence.

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

Recruitment practices in the home are comprehensive. Only adults with appropriate working histories and checks are employed. Managers check practice through observations, regular staff meetings and appraisals. This means that managers develop high-quality safe staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers know staff and children exceptionally well. The registered manager role models high-quality childcare, informed by her experience and clear understanding of research. The registered manager supports other homes in the group to emulate the research-informed approach seen at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have clear systems in place to monitor children‟s progress. When children have dips in their development, this is well understood by managers and they can competently explain children‟s emotional context for this. Staff advocacy with other professionals lets children know that they are important. This helps children to trust the decisions of managers and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The incidents of physical intervention and restraint in the home have reduced. This is due to staff understanding the causes of behaviour that lead to restraint and adjusting their practice to meet children‟s needs. Staff do not always complete correct records of physical interventions. This means that managers do not comment on all physical interventions and identify themes or ensure that the debriefings with children are recorded. This limits the effective use of records to improve outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are highly visible. Managers ensure that staff receive supervision that is child- centred and thoughtful. Induction into the home is clear and includes training in Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 7 therapeutic parenting approaches. Managers understand the approach and role model this with staff and children alike. Their practice direction helps staff to develop a sophisticated understanding of children‟s needs, which adds to the sense of safety in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work closely with children‟s networks and families, where it is safe to do so. Excellent communication and partnership working mean that relationships are based on trust and respect. This ensures that the networks around children work together consistently and effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a clear statement of purpose. Staff are aware of this and work to its specified aims and objectives. Staff use clear progress measures to consider children’s development while in the home. This helps staff to articulate needs to children and professionals and ensures that children have the right support when they need it. Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 8

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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 difference 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: SC476270 9

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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

Karol Keenan, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC476270 10 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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