Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in County Durham

Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 1 SC066127 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties, sensory impairment, learning disabilities and mental disorders.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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: 16 January 2020

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2020 Full Outstanding 29/08/2018 Full Outstanding 19/02/2018 Full Outstanding 28/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 3

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outstanding

Children living in this home are extremely settled and happy. Staff provide the children with positive childhood experiences that enrich the children’s lives. Staff show the children genuine concern, warmth and affection. They know the children exceptionally well and they are aware of the children’s individual needs. This helps the children to form strong and secure relationships with adults who care for them and make excellent progress in all aspects of their lives.

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outstanding

Staff are creative and capture the children’s voices and experiences in key-work sessions very well. Children’s wishes and feelings are central to their care plans. Staff use multiple communication methods to ensure that the children’s views are sought and listened to. This helps the children to feel valued and to be fully involved in decision-making.

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outstanding

Staff use their creativity and initiative to engage the children in a variety of exciting activities, trips, projects and celebrations. These include holiday clubs, educational projects, gardening activities and competitions, enjoying staycations and getting involved in many other leisure interests. This has been particularly helpful for the children during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it has helped the children to maintain their routines and have a sense of normality in times of uncertainty.

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outstanding

Staff help the children to make sense of the world and their surroundings. Staff plan activities and support the children to engage in them. These activities relate to current affairs such as climate change, and international sporting events such as the Olympics Games 2020 and UEFA Euro 2020. This provides the children with similar opportunities to their peers and gives them a greater understanding of the world around them.

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outstanding

Children attend full-time education and have fantastic school attendance. Staff understand the children’s educational needs and promote the children’s learning in the home. Children’s educational achievements are frequently rewarded and celebrated. As a result, the children consistently make exceptional progress from their respective starting points.

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outstanding

Staff support the children to attend their health appointments. Health assessments show that the children’s needs are understood and met effectively. Staff encourage children to make healthy choices in their diets and maintain active lifestyles. As a result, children benefit from improved health outcomes.

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outstanding

The home is in a beautiful area, and is surrounded by a big garden which is used exceptionally well by the children. Children have access to outdoor space where they are encouraged to grow their own vegetables and flowers. This promotes the children’s physical health and emotional well-being. Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 4 The home is well presented and maintained to a high standard. Children have their own personalised bedrooms. This means that the children are living in a homely environment.

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outstanding

The managers and staff clearly understand the needs of the children and how best to support them. Protocols and procedures in place to prevent and respond to the children’s unsafe behaviour are robust and well considered. They are agreed with all the relevant professionals, and they are regularly updated and shared. These documents provide the staff with explicit guidance on how they should respond to incidents should they occur. The protocols and procedures consider each child as an individual, and are preventative in nature. This highly effective care planning manages and minimises the risks for children, both inside and outside of the home.

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outstanding

Physical restraint is used infrequently, and only in order to keep the children safe. Staff complete welfare checks on the children after the use of the physical restraint, to identify any potential injury. Staff record any injuries on body maps and take appropriate action. Staff explore the triggers for and reasons behind the children’s behaviours, and work with the children at their pace to help them understand their feelings. This is effective, as the children quickly move on from any incidents in a positive way. The management team uses reflective practice with staff and children when reviewing these incidents to ensure that this approach continues to be developed and is appropriate.

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outstanding

Staff provide the children with clear and consistent boundaries. As a result, the children know what is expected of them. Staff use de-escalation techniques effectively, and they use the home’s proactive positive approach to engage the children. This helps the children to understand their behaviours and emotions, and to manage them more appropriately. The positive relationships between the children and the staff are a strong protective factor which helps to keep the children safe.

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outstanding

Staff do not use sanctions to manage children’s behaviour, but do use various incentives, as well as praise and encouragement. Children are invested in the reward system that is in place, and feel proud and excited when they achieve their weekly and daily targets.

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outstanding

Staff use visual aids and alternative communication effectively to support the children to become increasingly safe. Topics covered are individual to the child. Sessions are creative and promote the child’s engagement and learning according to each individual child’s cognitive ability. As a result, children are involved in the development of their support plans, which helps them to gain a better understanding of the risks they may face.

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outstanding

Children are safeguarded well, as they receive a high level of close supervision and support and therefore do not go missing from the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 5 Staff are familiar with the safeguarding procedures that are in place to protect the children. Safeguarding concerns are responded to quickly, and subsequent investigations are thorough and involve all the relevant professionals. This ensures that the children are protected well and kept safe.

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outstanding

The registered manager promotes the welfare of the children and ensures that the staff are recruited safely. All appropriate checks are carried out prior to new staff working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is motivated and committed. She ensures that the children’s needs are consistently met. She often works directly with the children, providing hands-on care in addition to fulfilling the day-to-day responsibilities that come with being a registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular reflective supervision from the management team. The supervision sessions provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice, and a safe space in which to do so. This helps the manager to identify and monitor any further development needs for the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff team meetings are regular and purposeful. The registered manager is innovative and encourages this in her staff. She encourages the staff to bring research and theory to team meetings for discussion. This creates a mutual learning environment for the staff team. As a result, staff are well equipped with up-to-date knowledge and information on how best to support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager ensures that all of the staff receive a good range of training opportunities. This starts with induction and continues as staff settle into their care role and develop their skills. Staff are up to date with their safeguarding training. Alternative communication training is identified and provided for staff to support them to meet the additional needs of the children. This means that the staff have the necessary skills to communicate with children who do not use verbal communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Working relationships with partner agencies are used effectively to promote a team- around-the-child approach. Feedback from professionals and family was extremely positive, and included them recognising the benefits of their children spending time at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and the staff are strong advocates for the children in their care. They take appropriate action and challenge agencies when there is drift and delay in progressing the children’s care plans. Consequently, children receive the care and support that they need quickly. Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 6

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC066127 7

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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, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Cherie Chen, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC066127 8 to 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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