Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockton-on-Tees

Inspection report for children’s home: 2597736 1 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

The home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered in November 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 outstanding

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 13 September 2023

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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: 2597736 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/09/2023 Full Good 04/05/2022 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/07/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2597736 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress from their starting points. This is possible because of the stability and nurturing care that they receive. One child has lived at the home for eighteen months and another child has lived at the home for over a year. This provides children with a strong sense of permanence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children develop meaningful and lasting relationships with staff. This is because staff show that they are committed to the children and keep them at the centre of their practice. There are warm and nurturing interactions between children and staff members in the home. The staff are compassionate and determined to support the children to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a welcoming feel and caters well to the children’s needs. Children have their own bedroom containing their personal belongings and they have been encouraged to decorate their rooms with a theme of their choice. There are several communal areas across the home that are tailored towards the needs of the children. This includes an arts and crafts corner, which is well used by the children. Another room contains items related to the children’s interests and an area to relax in. This helps the children to feel settled and provides a sense of belonging in their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to take part in a range of activities and days out. Children are encouraged to try new things and participate in activities they enjoy. Some examples of this include trips to a theme park and the seaside, and celebrating special occasions such as Easter and birthdays. The children are encouraged to complete activities individually and together, which provides a family atmosphere. This helps children to build their relationship skills and social skills. Activities are well documented in a book for each child, which will be a valuable record of memorable occasions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make their own decisions around family time. When children wish to spend time with family, staff support them with activities. When children are unsure about spending time with some family members, the staff at the home respect their decisions and provide support. One family member said, ‘The staff communicate well and do a good job, providing [name of child] with dignity.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are actively encouraged to be involved in decision-making regarding their care. Staff support children to participate in their multi-agency meetings, and when they are unable to attend staff ensure that their views are shared. Children are kept well informed about events in the home and local community and are provided with regular opportunities to share their thoughts. These include children’s meetings, a monthly newsletter produced for children and frequent daily discussions with staff. Children’s opinions matter to the staff, and therefore children feel that their voices are heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2597736 4

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

Children’s risks and needs are well documented in their file along with action plans to manage these risks. When children’s risks fluctuate, staff remain vigilant to their changing needs. For one child, staff work closely with the child’s school to implement a safety plan. This enables staff and school to manage the risks and provide consistent care to the child.

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

Staff speak warmly about the children and know them well. Staff use de-escalation techniques to calm challenging situations when they arise. This means that children are not physically held by staff and there have been no occasions when police are called to support staff in managing children’s behaviour.

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged through a rewards system where children can gain extra money during the week. When consequences are used, children can work towards earning back privileges by acknowledging their behaviour and making amends. This helps children to increase their sense of personal responsibility.

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

Staff are familiar with each child’s care plan should they go missing from the home. This means that when children are missing from the home, there is a well-coordinated response. This helps to reduce the risk of harm and protect children as effectively as possible. Staff are welcoming to children on their return to the home, helping them to understand that staff care for them and their well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The experienced and qualified manager is highly ambitious and enthusiastic, ensuring that all children have the opportunity to thrive in their environment. The manager is supported by a deputy manager, who is equally determined. The strength of the management team is driving effective practice in all areas of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home benefits from a dedicated staff team, whose members are long-standing in their roles and in terms of providing consistent care to the children. Staff members are willing to work extra shifts when necessary, meaning that agency staff are not required. This demonstrates that staff who work in the home are committed to prioritising the children they care for. A stable staff team enables children to build trusting relationships with staff and feel settled in their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager speaks highly of the staff team members, who are skilled and experienced and who have built excellent relationships with the children. Staff feel well supported by the managers and say that they thoroughly enjoy their role. All staff members are supported with regular supervision that is reflective in nature and focuses on the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

All staff have completed their mandatory training and have access to other training opportunities to support them in meeting the specific needs of the children. There is a Inspection report for children’s home: 2597736 5 strong focus on, and opportunities for, staff development in the home. This enables staff to feel they are well-respected and valued team members. This provides consistency for children and a skilled, experienced staff team to care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings take place on a regular basis and enable staff to reflect on their roles and the care they provide to children. They provide an opportunity for staff to share their views and ideas and consider areas of improvement. The manager organises team meetings to follow on from children’s meetings. This ensures that the children’s views are shared quickly and remain central to any discussions and decision-making.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has strong oversight of all aspects of the home and strives to understand and address safeguarding concerns for children. Daily records have management oversight and, when incidents occur, the manager considers areas for improvement. Children’s progress is tracked and patterns of behaviour and incidents are analysed so that the manager can understand what impacts on the children. This assists staff to effectively plan for and manage the risks and needs of the children.

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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: 2597736 6

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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 EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2597736 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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