Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 1 SC454266 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, social or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The qualified, experienced manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/07/2019 Full Good 10/01/2019 Full Good 27/09/2018 Full Inadequate 19/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are settled and making good progress. Staff support children to maintain appropriate structure and routine to their day. This gives children a stable environment which makes them feel secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with trusted adults who listen to their concerns and respond appropriately. There is a clear procedure should children wish to make a complaint. The home has a room for private use, which means there is a confidential space for children to contact any relevant professionals. This means that children can feel confident their views will be taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support all children to attend their individual education placements. One child who did not previously attend school is now attending daily. Staff maintain open lines of communication with the children’s individual schools. They attend all education meetings and reviews to keep up to date in relation to children’s progress. Consequently, children are encouraged to engage in their education. This helps to shape their future employment opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children are registered with local universal health services. Staff support children to attend their routine health appointments. If required, staff ensure that children can access specialist health services, such as mental health professionals. They also provide advice and support on issues such as smoking through targeted key-work sessions. This means that children’s health needs are met, and children are helped to make informed choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities linked to their interests, including swimming, arts and crafts, beauty and pampering sessions. Children spoke happily about these activities and what they hope to do in the future. This helps them to develop a sense of achievement and boosts their self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy spending quality time with family and friends. Staff ensure that arrangements are put in place and transport is provided for these visits. This helps children to see people who are important to them and promotes the development of their positive identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive support from staff when moving on to their next home. Staff work with the new home to arrange visits before they move in. Staff ensure children have fond memories of their stay in the home. They arrange a farewell meal and provide children with photos and memorabilia of their time in the home. This means that children are prepared for their move and feel valued by the staff who have cared for them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 4

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

Children feel safe because of the care they receive. They say they are happy in the home. Staff ensure children’s behaviour management plans and risk assessments are regularly updated following incidents. The use of ‘risk scores’ helps to evaluate and summarise the level of risk. This makes it easy for staff to follow and understand. The use of these risk assessments ensures staff provide consistent care to children. This means that staff know what actions to take to effectively safeguard children.

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

Children’s behaviour is well managed in the home. Staff record incidents, sanctions and physical restraints accurately. Staff use physical restraint only to protect the child and those around them from immediate harm. They utilise their good relationships with children to de-escalate situations and explore the views of the children after the incident. This gives children an opportunity to talk about their experience and reflect on strategies to manage their emotions in the future.

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

Allegations made by children are taken seriously. The manager ensures that they are investigated thoroughly and takes prompt action. The manager is reflective following concerns raised and learns from incidents to improve practice and processes. This shows children that their concerns are important and result in action being taken.

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

Although there is evidence of safer recruitment practices, there is a shortfall in the verification of some staff references. The manager does not always ensure that all previous employment references for all new staff are appropriately verified before they start working in the home. This means that the manager cannot be assured that all staff are suitable to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The majority of the staff have an appropriate qualification for their role or are working towards this qualification. They are committed to the children and understand their roles and responsibilities to provide good-quality care for children. The manager responds to gaps in staff knowledge and skills by commissioning bespoke training. This means that children benefit from being cared for by a staff team that is trained to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager does not ensure that children’s case records, daily records or other key documents are always signed by the member of staff completing them. This means that the manager’s oversight of case records is not always effective and that these records may not give children an accurate account of their time in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from regular team meetings and good-quality supervision. These supervision sessions focus on children’s progress as well as staff welfare. Staff use this time to reflect on strategies to improve their practice. This means that children are supported by a staff team that understands them, and that staff are keen to continue to develop their skills. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 5 The manager monitors the quality of the care provided through staff supervision, undertaking audits and by gaining feedback from a range of sources. The independent visitor’s reports provide an additional layer of scrutiny. The manager includes areas for improvement in the home’s development plan to ensure there is a focus on progress. This helps to continually improve the standard of practice and impacts positively on the outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals speak positively about the home and the support provided to children, noting the stability and progress achieved. They report that communication is efficient. The good working relationships between the home and other professionals ensure that children receive integrated care and support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 6

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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

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 8 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 7

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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: SC454266 8

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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, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Evelyn Chafota, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 9 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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