Children's home run by Area Camden Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2506101 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to five children. The home’s statement of purpose states that it provides care for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in June 2019, and the manager registered in December 2020 and is suitably qualified.

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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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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: 2506101 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 30/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2506101 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff provide children with a good-quality care experience. Professionals and family members echo this sentiment. The home has emerged from a difficult period. Several children have lived in the home since its last inspection. Generally, their moves into and out of the home have occurred in a planned way. The manager ensures that children feel included in decisions about where they live. During the national lockdowns, this inclusive approach included the introduction of virtual tours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are now settled. They are thriving, and have built positive relationships with the staff team. The most recent child to move into the home is in the early stages of doing this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support and encourage the children to attend school or alternative education provisions. The team emphasises the importance of education to children. This ensures that regular attendance in education is an expectation. A parent described how her child had not attended school regularly for over two years. However, her child’s school attendance has significantly improved since she moved into the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s views are obtained in house meetings, key-work sessions and general conversations with staff. When completing the home’s periodic feedback questionnaires, children’s responses are positive. They also give good feedback to the monthly independent visitor.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to undertake household tasks. The tasks include laundry and budgeting skills. These are designed to help the children to develop their skills in order to prepare them for when they begin living independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A social worker praised the way that staff proactively supported a child and their family through a critical health issue. The children are encouraged to be health conscious and eat healthily. A recent initiative has commenced that enables children to explore worldwide cuisines. The aim is to both extend children’s diets and their knowledge of the world.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help and support children to spend time with their families. This ensures that children maintain and build their family relationships.

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

Some children have moved out of the home earlier than planned because their behaviour became more intimidating and threatening. This includes becoming violent and threatening towards staff and other children. Staff managed these Inspection report for children’s home: 2506101 4 situations well. A social worker said, ‘The team [has] done an amazing job in a very difficult and complex situation’.

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

Staff rarely use physical interventions. They are successful in using their rapport with the children to de-escalate situations. Children are becoming more able to self- regulate their emotions because of the support they receive from staff. When they are unable to do this, staff support them appropriately.

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

The home has received a number of complaints from neighbours. A series of scheduled meetings occurred between the team, neighbours and professionals. These meetings have ensured that matters have not escalated again. The frequency of meetings has reduced due to no new concerns arising.

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

If a child goes missing from care, staff follow the agreed individualised protocols. On a child’s return staff exercise their professional curiosity. This helps them to try and reduce repeat missing-from-care episodes. One child who has a history of going missing from care continues to do so. However, the child is more responsive to the staff team’s welfare calls, and the child is also returning sooner than she did historically.

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

The staff team works well with other professionals in order to safeguard children. This partnership approach has been essential when dealing with concerns centred around children’s vulnerability to exploitation. Children have detailed risk assessments. These indicate the actions that staff and children can take to minimise risks.

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

The manager has responded appropriately to allegations made against staff. These have been managed well and demonstrate that children are listened to and safeguarded effectively.

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

Staff training is tracked and monitored for completion. This ensures that staff remain up to date with current processes and procedures. Staff proactively made a referral using the National Referral Mechanism when their concerns about a child were confirmed.

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

Surveillance cameras are no longer in use inside the house. With the current children, it is no longer deemed necessary to use it in the communal areas. Children are pleased about this decision. They described how the surveillance made them feel like criminals. They also expressed concern about what happens to the footage.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is confident and competent in her role. She is clear about the ethos for the home. She ensures that it has a homely feel and is an environment for children to feel relaxed and at ease in. She ensures that children are cared for by staff who prioritise the children’s best interests. Inspection report for children’s home: 2506101 5 The manager is clear about what progress the children in her care are making. She and her team are aspirational for the children. Staff assist children to balance their drive to succeed with realism. They do this to prevent children applying blame or excessive pressure on themselves.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback about the manager’s style of leadership is positive. She encourages her team to adopt her reflective approach. This enables them to explore how and when things have gone well or if they could have done things differently.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides a supportive environment for staff. She is not afraid to address poor performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the children’s records are well ordered and maintained. She uses her quality assurance checks to ensure that all aspects of the service are of a good standard.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is having trouble recruiting to posts. This is a national issue. The manager ensures that regular agency staff and existing staff cover any gaps in the rota. This minimises the impact on children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s care plans and assessments are written in a child-focused way. They are easy to navigate and incorporate strategies suggested by professionals such as clinical psychologists.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The location risk assessment is currently a very lengthy document. The manager is revising it to ensure that it is easier to navigate and understand.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The partnership working is positive, and a social worker stated, ‘This has been the best placement I have worked with by miles. The child would not be where he is today without their input.’

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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: 2506101 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Area Camden Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Malvern View, Hanbury Road, Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove B60 4AD

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Monet St. Rose-Johnson

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Inspector

Sonia Hay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2506101 7 regulates and inspects 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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