Children's home run by Cumberland Council

Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 1 Registered provider: Cumberland Council 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 operated by a local authority. It is registered to provide care for up to six children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 1 April 2023. The registered manager is suitably experienced. This is the home’s first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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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: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children talk positively about the impact their good relationships with staff have had on the progress they have made. One child spoke about the trust they have built with staff to enable them to travel extensively to pursue their sporting interests. The trusting relationships with staff have helped children to feel prepared for their next steps into independence, increased their confidence and supported them to deal with issues such as bereavement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs, particularly around their emotional well-being, are well met, with effective partnership working between staff and therapeutic support services. One child expressed gratitude for the input one staff member had in the therapeutic work they had completed, recognising the positive impact this would have for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress with education and training in subjects which reflect their interests. One child was supported to contact local businesses to enquire about work opportunities, which has led to them securing an apprenticeship. Another has been able to carry out voluntary and paid work in their area of interest.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to build and maintain important relationships with their family and friends. A family member recognised the positive experiences of care that one child has had at the home and commended the staff team for the opportunities the child has been given. Children receive recognition and praise for their progress through regular recordings in a ‘my achievements’ log.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop their independence skills around shopping and batch cooking. However, one child requires more intensive support around hygiene and basic housework, to limit the potential negative impact on the child and others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is careful planning for children moving in and out of the home. This results in a gradual transition and ongoing support, in consultation with family members.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home’s decor is dated and tired and would benefit from being updated. Staff have made the environment warm and welcoming by using comfortable furnishings and adding photos to personalise the space. There are some refurbishment works currently being undertaken and the manager has been assured by senior leaders that there are plans for a new purpose-built home to replace the current one.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the individual risks for children. Risk assessments are kept up to date and show the change in risks from month to month, as well as the strategies staff should use to safely support children. Staff are considerate of external factors which might impact on children’s behaviour. For one Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 3 child, there was an increase in them going missing from the home while they struggled to cope with changes in their family relationships.

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

Leader and managers have improved their assessment of the suitability of new children moving into the home. They now consider the impact this will have on other children already living at the home.

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

There are clear and consistent boundaries in place for all children, which helps them to feel safe and secure. This, along with the therapeutic support children receive, enables them to prepare for moving out of the home. Staff work well with family members to support them to understand the importance of good routines and boundaries, which results in children experiencing consistent care if they return home.

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

Staff carry out regular key-work sessions with children to discuss risks and to support and encourage them to consider how to keep themselves safe. Staff work hard to balance the need for children to be safe with their need for increasing independence. As a result, children feel they are listened to, and their views are acted on.

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

There have been some incidents of children going missing from the home. However, these are managed well by staff, who follow the missing-from-home protocols and ensure that there is effective follow-up when children return home.

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

It is rare for children to be physically restrained in the home, which reflects the positive relationships children have with staff members.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children and staff speak highly of the manager. Staff say that they enjoy working at the home and feel supported by the manager. The manager is aspirational for the children’s futures and about the standard of care they provide to children. The manager has proactively challenged leaders to ensure that there are clear plans in place for the development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable, experienced staff team who have a shared vision for the home and who provide a supportive environment for each other. The manager and her team have an in-depth understanding of the children, their individual needs and the progress they have made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are well-established professional relationships in place, particularly with therapists, which have a positive impact on the outcomes for children. The manager of the emotional health and well-being team commended the manager and her deputy managers on their collaborative working and empowerment of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is thorough and meets the needs of the children in their care. Two members of staff have completed training to become exam invigilators, to support Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 4 one child to sit their exams at the home as they struggled to attend an education setting.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and appropriate supervision and appraisals with opportunities to reflect on their practice and identify any learning needs. Staff meetings are held regularly and are well attended but they do not provide opportunities for staff to engage in reflective discussions as a team. Children’s views. which are captured through ‘you said, we did’ feedback forms and a ‘grumbles’ book, are incorporated into staff meetings to ensure that staff are aware of and act on children’s feedback.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home and uses feedback from external monitoring to make improvements. Additionally, recruitment practices are robust and safe. Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure improvements are made to update the home’s decor. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should help each child to develop the skills they need to live independently, including doing housework and maintaining their personal hygiene. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)  The registered person should ensure that staff have opportunities to reflect on their practice, to provide a culture of learning. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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: 2733281 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cumberland Council, Cumbria House, 117 Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1RD

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Inspector

Andrea Foreman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2733281 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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