Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Unique reference number SC456911 Inspection date 17/12/2013 Inspector Clive Lucas Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 22/08/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This home is able to accommodate six young people. It is privately owned and provides care for children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making inadequate progress .

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Progress

At the previous inspection the home was judged to be good. Since that time the Registered Manager has left and the deputy manager has taken on the manager's post. Her application to become Registered Manager is in progress.

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Progress

At the previous inspection shortfalls were identified relating to the provision of a telephone for young people, risk assessments, and decisions on admissions to the home. The young people's telephone has been repaired so that they can use a telephone at reasonable times without having to ask staff first. Some risk assessments still do not include all significant information. This results in some areas of risk for young people not being clearly identified. Consequently, strategies to reduce risk are not planned and recorded to inform staff practice and provide consistent and effective safeguards for young people.

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Progress

There is an impact risk assessment completed when a young person is due to move into the home. When young people leave the home these are archived and not readily available for inspection. Those looked at during the inspection were appropriate. However, another emergency placement to the home have caused some disruption and had a negative impact on those young people already living at there. While the impact risk assessment was not available to be looked at the manager and staff say that there was limited information due to the emergency nature of the placement. Making such placements without sufficient information can destabilise the placements of other young people who live at the home and whose placements are long-term.

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Progress

There are regular external monitoring visits to the home. The person who carries these out regularly speaks to young people and staff, but has not attempted to contact parents since the previous inspection. This limits the information they have available to inform their reports. These visits regularly monitor the frequency of safety and equipment checks in the home. The electrical system was inspected on 31 July 2013 and found to be unsatisfactory. While matters requiring urgent remedial action have been addressed, other identified issues have not yet been resolved and the system has not been re-inspected to ensure it is now satisfactory. Failing to complete this work in four and a half months does not ensure that the home is physically safe for young people to live in.

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Progress

The number of incidents of young people going missing from care has significantly reduced since the previous inspection. Consequently, the risks to young people from being missing have reduced. Equality and diversity issues are identified and clearly recorded. As a result there is good support for young people to develop as individuals.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the welfare of children accommodated there; this relates to having full and accurate risk assessments for young people (Regulation 11(1)(a)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the person carrying out Regulation 33 visits shall interview parents of young people living at the home as appears necessary in order to form an opinion of the standard of care provided in the home (Regulation 33(4)(a)) 31/01/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their health or safety. (Regulation 23(a)) 14/02/2014

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that only children whose assessed needs can reasonably expect to be met are admitted to the home, this relates to ensuring that records demonstrate robust decision making on admissions to the home. (NMS 11.2)

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection.

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