Children's home run by Area Camden Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to six children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in November 2022. A new manager has been appointed and has applied to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, there were five children living at the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/06/2021 Full Good 24/02/2020 Full Good 18/12/2018 Full Good 10/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a happy and welcoming home. They enjoy spending time with a friendly and nurturing staff team. The fun activities that children and staff do together, such as playing games and laughing and joking, are helping children to develop fond memories of their life at the home. The home is maintained to a high standard, which helps children to feel valued and well cared for.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive encouragement and empathy from staff to help them make progress in all aspects of their lives. Staff help children to set their own goals and achieve them. Since the last inspection, children have made progress, for example they have gained confidence to travel on public transport independently, and improved their personal care and bedtime routines. One child is now attending school for the first time in two years. A member of staff said, ‘I could not be prouder of all the young people in the home, and the achievements they have made so far.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with many enjoyable activities in and out of the home. For example, they go on holiday and meet up with the other children who live in the sister homes. As a result, children’s confidence, self-esteem and social skills improve.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are ready, staff support them to learn and develop independence skills. Independence planning is tailored to the children’s individual needs, which means that children are well prepared for moving out of the home and living independently.

p.3

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

Staff manage risk well. Comprehensive risk assessments that are read, understood and followed by all staff enhance children’s safety. Staff are creative at engaging children in discussions around risk, for example children watch videos on gangs and internet safety in the children’s meetings.

p.3

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

The home’s rules and boundaries are clear, consistent and fair, and children understand and largely comply with them. Staff ensure that the children are familiar with the local area and make them aware of any potential risks. This increases the children’s safety when they are out in the community.

p.3

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

Children feel safe in their home and they describe staff as caring and supportive. They all described the home as ‘their home’ or ‘my home’. Children feel settled and secure, and the trusting relationships they develop with staff enhance their welfare and safety.

p.3

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

Staff proactively respond when children go missing from home. As a result, incidents of going missing from home are reducing for some children. When children do go missing from home, staff work closely with all relevant professionals, such as the Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 4 police and social workers, to ensure a coordinated response. Leaders, managers and staff recognise when they are unable to keep children safe and make difficult decisions to safeguard children, such as moving children out of the home to provisions that are more suited to their needs.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have an ambitious vision for the home and high aspirations for the children. They invest time and resources in developing the staff team. Every member of staff has a personal development plan to ensure that they have the right skills and expertise to care for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable, happy and content. Internal promotion is supported, for example the new manager was previously the deputy manager, and the former registered manager has been promoted internally. Staff feel valued and inspired to provide a high standard of care to children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is comprehensive and equips them with the skills to meet the needs of the children. Team meetings provide staff with additional opportunities to reflect on practice and discuss different ways of supporting children. Leaders and managers promote a strong learning culture in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff praise the leadership and management team. They describe the leadership team as caring, supportive and flexible. Staff appreciate and benefit from a thorough induction and probation period. They consider themselves as part of a family when they work in the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff challenge placing authorities when necessary to ensure that children achieve the best possible outcomes. Partnership working with external professionals, including social workers, the police and schools, is strong and effective. Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 5

p.4

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: 1251364 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Area Camden Limited

p.6

Children’s home details

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

p.6

Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1251364 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.

p.6

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7