Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Derbyshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 1 SC476289 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 privately owned. It is registered to care for four children with emotional and behavioural difficulties or who have suffered trauma in their lives.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably experienced and is undertaking a management qualification. She has been registered with Ofsted since January 2021.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 29 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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: Sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/08/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive nurturing care from staff who know them well. There are strong relationships between staff and children. A child’s independent advocate said: ‘I think staff do really well here and the child tells me that he is happy.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has developed a specialism in caring for younger children, between seven and 13 years old. Staff understand the particular care needs associated with younger children. Children are given good-quality support to settle and stabilise, so that their long-term needs can be assessed and addressed. Some children have been able to successfully move from the home into long-term foster care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All areas of the home are well decorated and homely. Children’s bedrooms are personalised and comfortable. There are lots of toys. Staff give children opportunities to be creative and to develop their social skills through play. Children have pets in the home and help to care for them. This has a positive impact on children’s emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a reflective approach to working with children. This ensures that staff have a good understanding of the impact of children’s past experiences. The home’s mental health clinical practitioner supports the staff team to reflect on their practice and to adapt any care strategies that are not effective. The staff receive additional guidance and advice from a specialist clinical support team.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to share their views in a variety of creative ways, including through an online app, structured key-worker sessions and group discussions known as ‘children’s chat’. Children know how to report any matters of concern and receive a clear response to any issues that they raise. Some children receive good support from independent advocates. However, one child does not yet have access to an independent advocate.

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

Staff use their strong relationships with children to identify and reduce potential risk. Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures and fully understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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

Managers ensure that there is a strong multi-agency safeguarding response to any incidents of concern. A designated officer said: ‘When I have given advice, the manager has been proactive in implementing it. The risk management plans she puts in place are appropriate.’ The strong working relationships with safeguarding agencies promote children’s safety.

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

Children learn to trust staff. Because children feel safe, they become happier and more settled. Staff communicate clearly with children and help them to talk about Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 4 any issues or concerns that they may have. This means that children become less anxious and that their behaviour improves over time.

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

As children become more settled, the need for staff to carry out physical interventions is reduced. There are robust management monitoring systems in place to ensure that physical interventions are carried out as safely as possible and only when necessary. In addition, the manager takes advice from the home’s clinical team and quality assurance team to ensure that practice is as good as possible.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is an experienced practitioner who is in the process of completing the relevant management qualification. The manager is proactive. She has introduced several new systems and processes to improve the quality of care and to ensure that she has good oversight of staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager leads by example and is a visible presence in the home. As a result, staff have trust in her. A staff member said: ‘I am confident that when any concerns are reported, they are going to be responded to appropriately.’ Another staff member said: ‘Morale is good. A real strength for us as a team is communication and we are all singing off the same page.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Reflective practice is a strength of the staff team. Internal and external quality assurance systems are used well to give staff clear feedback on their performance. Staff are given regular opportunities to think about their practice and how it might be improved. Staff are also encouraged to suggest new approaches to children’s care. Debrief sessions take place after any incidents in the home so that staff can learn lessons and adapt strategies.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates well for children when this is necessary so that children have access to the services that they need. The manager has escalated concerns to local authorities when necessary to challenge decisions and to ensure that the views of children are heard. Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 5

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Recommendation

 All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 23, paragraph 4.16)

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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 for children's home: SC476289 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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Deborah Robertson-Kesterton

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Inspector

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC476289 7 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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