Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Middlesbrough

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 1 SC454266 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to four children who may have emotional, social or mental health difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2019.

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

Date of last inspection: 10 October 2023

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Good 21/02/2023 Full Good 24/02/2022 Full Good 16/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a welcoming feel and is well furnished and decorated for the children living there. Children can access communal areas across the home, including a sensory room. There are photos of the children throughout the property, which helps the children to feel settled in their home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend school and are making progress. When there are barriers to children attending, the staff provide consistent encouragement. Staff will advocate on the child’s behalf to ensure their needs are being met. This has included supporting one child with a reduced timetable during a difficult period. Another child has recently completed their GCSEs and is now in further education. Staff maintain regular communication with education providers and attend meetings. This helps to ensure children’s educational needs are being met.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children with their health needs, including routine check-ups and emergency treatment. These are documented in children’s files, ensuring that there is clear information for staff. One child is being supported by staff through a complex medical diagnosis that can bring anxiety for the child. This helps children to feel reassured.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are actively involved in supporting the emotional well-being of children. One child has experienced the bereavement of a close family member. The staff have provided support, kindness and warmth to the child and family members. One professional said that although the child continues to experience difficulties, the staff know the child well and continue to support them. This helps children to feel cared for and valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to spend time with their family. Staff maintain positive relationships with family members, which demonstrates to children that their family is important. One child has begun spending time with a parent, following a significant gap. One child’s family member commented that the home provides good communication and described the home as being ‘great’.

p.3

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged in the home. Children’s achievements are celebrated by staff using positive messages. When consequences are used, they are usually restorative in nature and include staff educating children to help them to learn from behaviours that are not acceptable. This supports children to take responsibility for their actions and reduce the likelihood of them being repeated.

p.3

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

Some children in the home can be vulnerable to self-harming behaviour. Children’s risks and needs are documented in their files, along with an action plan to manage those Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 4 risks. This enables staff to manage the risks and provide consistent care. Any incidents of self-harm are well documented, and children are well supported by staff.

p.3

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

Managers and staff know the children well and use effective de-escalation to calm challenging situations. Sometimes children are held to keep them and others safe. Staff have received the necessary training to ensure that they know how to do this safely and effectively. The records of these incidents reflect why this has been necessary and how successful it has been in supporting the child. The manager has oversight of all records, and discussions take place so that the staff can reflect on what went well or what could be done differently next time. This helps to ensure that practice is scrutinised to safeguard children.

p.4

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

Safer recruitment checks are completed; however, they are not always thorough. One staff member was unable to provide a reference for their most recent employment. While this was followed up by the manager, they were unsuccessful in verifying the member of staff’s previous employment. This falls short in ensuring that adults working at the home are safe to do so and could place children at risk of harm.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is enthusiastic and has high expectations for the children living in the home. The manager knows the children well and has a hands-on approach. Positive interactions between the manager and children were observed.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager advocates on behalf of the children to ensure that decisions are made in the best interests of the child. The manager challenges agencies when they have not received the necessary information required to meet children’s needs. This helps staff to meet the children’s needs in the best way possible.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are actively encouraged to share their wishes and feelings regarding their care in the home. Children are reminded of the complaints process, although none have been made during this inspection period. Children are kept well informed about events in the home and community and are provided with opportunities to share their thoughts. Staff supported one child to share their lived experience as part of the UK COVID-19 Inquiry. This has helped to bring about change for children across the country, helping them to feel valued and respected.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision is reflective in nature and takes place on a regular basis. Staff speak positively about supervision as it provides a protected time for them to discuss their role and development. Supervision is supported by additional professional discussions where there may be concerns that need addressing, such as staff practice or well-being.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place on a regular basis and are well attended. Meetings are focused on the needs of the children. This enables staff to develop their knowledge and understanding of key issues. There is also a focus on the well-being of staff who work Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 5 with children experiencing significant trauma. Staff feel well supported by leaders and managers.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager recognises the strengths and areas for development in the home. Where areas of improvement are identified, the manager acts to improve experiences for children. This may include challenging agencies, sourcing additional training and changing practice in the home. The manager is open to change and is enabling positive outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet The Care Standards Act 2000, The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

p.6

Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)) 29 November 2024

p.6

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: SC454266 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Kerry Chater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454266 8 regulates and inspects 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8