Children's home run by Area Camden Limited

Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 1 Registered provider: Area Camden Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in May 2017 and the manager registered with Ofsted in March 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

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

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection, and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/06/2023 Full Good 01/12/2022 Full Good 09/06/2021 Full Good 24/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All children are happy, settled and making exceptional progress. Children benefit from stability and have a genuine sense of belonging. Children interact freely with each other and staff. Staff fully understand children’s needs and are excellent role models. Their interactions with each other and children create a calm and respectful culture. One child said, ‘This home gave me options for my future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children receive outstanding care from a dedicated and consistent staff team. The staff work hard to maximise and enrich children’s experiences. This creates an atmosphere which is full of warmth and love, where staff are nurturing and supportive of the children. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Our child has done incredibly well there. It’s homely, staff seem to really care. It’s one of my best experiences with a children’s home.’ Children who have had multiple previous placement breakdowns are settled at the home and making exceptional progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for all the children. The children’s achievements are celebrated with pride and joy. Staff record positive messages in praise books that the children read. Staff focus on setting personal goals with children, and help children to progress towards gaining independence. Staff understand the children’s backgrounds and the support they need to achieve. The children’s life journey and memory books contain pictures of them engaged in tasks such as baking and on outdoor activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff take effective action when children are not in school. They talk with education professionals and provide children with individualised educational activities at home. Staff are ambitious for children and education is clearly a priority at this home. The registered manager advocates strongly on the children’s behalf and ensures that they are given the same opportunities and support as other children. For example, a child who had not been in school before moving into the home is now going to school, has good attendance and is enjoying learning. A social work manager said, ‘The most significant progress our child has made has been in education. They were out of formal education for such a long time that returning to such an environment felt overwhelming…but they are now in full-time education.’ This is a good example of children making significant academic progress while living in this home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home’s physical environment is maintained to a high standard and is safe for children. Children’s bedrooms are colourful and welcoming and capture the individuality of each child. Staff clearly value the importance of an environment that is maintained to a very high standard, with the children at its heart. There are good health and safety arrangements in place at the home to keep children safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s voices are central to the home. Staff encourage children to share their wishes and feelings in a variety of ways. House meetings are a fun forum where children plan things that they would like to do. Children participate well in their meetings and are able Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 4 to express their feelings about the care provided. Children say that they feel listened to and are actively encouraged to be a part of their own care planning. This inclusive approach to gathering children’s views helps children to feel listened to and to know that their views are important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported to lead healthy lifestyles. All children are registered with local health services and staff encourage them to attend their appointments. Children learn to cook healthy meals and have healthy snacks in the home. This has helped children to maintain a healthy weight and improve their overall health and well-being. When necessary, children receive appropriate specialist support to manage their health needs. Staff carry out individual sessions to help children understand their health, for example, one child’s use of recreational drugs has reduced significantly since moving into the home.

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

Children say they feel safe and are safeguarded effectively. The stable home environment, together with the warmth and confidence of the staff, helps the children to feel safe. Parents and social workers say that children feel safe and that the staff protect them.

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

Children benefit from high staffing levels and there are clear behaviour support plans to support children’s needs. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents requiring physical intervention. There is a strong emphasis on implementing preventative strategies and liaising closely with other agencies to provide consistent care and support to children. One school reported seeing remarkable changes in a child’s behaviour since moving into the home and a significant reduction in restraint incidents involving the child in the classroom.

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

The children’s positive behaviour support plans are effective. There is a clear reward system that promotes and encourages positive behaviour. The home uses trauma- informed practice to understand children’s past experiences and how these experiences may impact on their behaviour. This excellent approach to behavioural support means that children with the most significant needs have research-informed care and support.

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

Children’s risk assessments are detailed and include clear strategies to reduce the risks. They are updated regularly or when incidents happen, however, some updated assessments contain historical information that is no longer relevant.

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

Social workers speak highly about the prompt and good level of communication they have with staff, particularly when issues arise which may impact on a child’s well-being or safety. The children’s records demonstrate that external agencies are promptly informed of any incidents and that staff work in partnership with external professionals .

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

The managers take swift action in response to safeguarding concerns. There is prompt consultation with the local authority designated officer when necessary. The managers inform Ofsted of all allegations and provide ongoing updates. Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is run by a highly experienced registered manager, who has a strong vision for the home and the care the children receive. The manager’s organised approach means that records are maintained meticulously, and the home is managed to the highest standards. Leaders and managers continually strive for excellence, drawing on different models of care to inform the vision for the service. The strength of the leadership team inspires a culture where the staff are focused and committed to children’s positive outcomes. Leaders and staff work together to deliver an exceptional level of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is determined in her efforts to advocate for and champion the rights of the children. She ensures that any decisions made in respect of children are planned, well thought out and in the children’s best interests. This has led to her challenging placing authorities when plans do not meet children’s individual needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager places great emphasis on staff’s personal development. Staff receive regular child-focused supervision and annual performance reviews. Training is extensive and varied; it includes reading and research to inform the staff’s learning process. Staff say that training is effective and helpful, and speak highly of the management team. Staff respect the clear direction that they receive from managers. They feel both valued and supported, which encourages them to extend their knowledge and skills and maintains their high morale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager’s monitoring, scrutiny and evaluation of the children’s care are highly effective. The manager identifies actions which are used to underpin and inform the staff’s development, as well as contributing to the strategic development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager values professional discussions with the independent visitor and other professionals, and uses these discussions to generate new ideas to further enhance the quality of the care provided to children. Professionals speak highly of the manager and staff. A foster carer described the quality of care provided to children as ‘exceptional’ and said that the support the home provides is excellent. The foster carer said that as a result of the care provided by staff, a child has made significant progress in the home. Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the behaviour management strategy is understood by staff and kept under review and revised where appropriate. In particular, they should review historical and out-of-date information when updating individual behaviour management plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)

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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: 1251364 7

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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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Inspectors

Ann Adesoye, Social Care Inspector Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1251364 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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