Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Gateshead

Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since October 2023; however, there has been an interim manager in post since this time. She is still to submit her application to become registered. This manager also manages another of the provider’s homes.

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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: 2496625 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2023 Full Good 17/11/2022 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good 13/09/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children achieve their goals and targets and are making good progress. Staff have good relationships with children and encourage them to complete daily living tasks. This supports children to develop good self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend college and have successfully completed their college courses. This is a big achievement from their starting points. One professional said, ‘Staff have provided [Name of child] with some much-needed stability. They have worked well to support family time and have supported the child’s college attendance.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. Children attend health appointments, plan their meals, and enjoy a healthy diet. The emotional and mental well-being of children is a priority for staff. Staff’s therapeutic parenting style helps children to speak openly about their feelings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that staff listen to them. Their cultural and diversity needs are met, and children are supported to engage in faith-based activities if they wish. Children are trusted by staff to go out alone in the community to see their friends and engage in community activities. This helps children to develop improved, positive self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a stable and calm environment. Children personalise their bedrooms to give them a sense of pride and belonging. The kitchen is a special place for children, who like to sit at the kitchen table and talk about their achievements and their worries. Staff use these conversations to discuss different topics and to educate children.

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

The manager encourages a good safeguarding culture. Leaders and managers follow safer recruitment practice and staff receive a good induction and training programme. This provides staff with the skills to identify and manage risk to the children. There is a strong and proactive safeguarding response from staff, who follow effective and detailed risk management plans. Furthermore, staff follow protocols when children go missing to make sure that they are safely returned to the home in a timely way.

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

The care provided by staff helps children to become increasingly safer at home and in the community. If there are occasions when children are in crisis or have put themselves in unsafe situations, the manager has implemented a system to follow the actions of staff. This increases staff accountability and enhances the safety for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 4 Staff protect children from discrimination from others. Children are supported by staff through the home’s connections with partner safeguarding agencies. Staff help children to learn from their experiences, which helps to develop the children’s sense of responsibility for their safety and actions.

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

Children are rarely physically held by staff to keep them and others safe. Staff use effective de-escalation techniques, which are individualised for each child. Additionally, staff take proactive steps to support children to manage stressful situations in the community. Staff use structured discussions with children to teach them positive strategies for how to manage conflict. When risks to children increase, safety plans are implemented; for example, staff suspend free time with friends to ensure the safety of children.

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

Children know how to complain. Managers address complaints quickly and children know the outcomes through personalised letters. Children are supported and protected when they make allegations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has developed a good understanding of the running of the home. She has formed a good relationship with the children. The interim manager shows an ambitious vision for the home. Children attend young people’s meetings to share their views. Furthermore, the interim manager provides personalised feedback to each child after the staff meetings. This helps children to feel that they are contributing to the running of the home and arrangements for their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems to track the progress made by children, and to identify emerging issues. There are many examples where children have achieved important milestones and goals. However, staff do not capture the children’s achievements or memorabilia for the children so that they have memories of their time living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported by their leaders and managers. Staff receive training, including bespoke training opportunities so that they have the skills and experience to meet the children’s needs and maintain high standards of individualised care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers and staff keep children’s records up to date and written information is child-focused and helpful to the children. Managers are aware that some of the language used in case records has not always been sensitive to children, and refresher training in ‘love language’ is planned for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals are positive about the difference the staff team has made to the children. One professional said, ‘Staff always go above and beyond for the child Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 5 to ensure their needs are met. They are also great at communicating and keeping updates with anything and everything with regards to the child.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them to record significant life events. (‘The Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards, page 62, paragraph 14.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s recording policy on record-keeping. In particular, staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact and opinion, and in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘The Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2496625 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Tenji Wesa, Social Care Inspector Tina Ruffles, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 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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