Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in West Northamptonshire

Unique reference number SC456719 Inspector Catherine Honey Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Cambian Childcare Limited Registered person address Pinnacle House 2 Oakwood Square, Cheadle Royal Business Park CHEADLE Cheshire SK8 3SB Responsible individual Victor Takadiwa Registered manager POST VACANT Date of last inspection 10/09/2014 2 of 5 Inspection date 06/01/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the last inspection.

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

This home has declined in effectiveness as it has been without a Registered Manager for over 5 months. Although interim management arrangements have been in place to ensure the home continues to function, there has been a lack of direction and leadership. This has meant there have been few improvements both in outcomes for young people and in the functioning of the home since the last inspection. A new manager has recently come in to post and is preparing her application for registration with Ofsted. The new manager is becoming familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of the home and has identified areas for further development.

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This inspection

Some young people are progressing well; they are in full-time education placements or receive education within the home from tutors. They enjoy taking part in activities in the community and are achieving well at school. However, others have made little progress since the last inspection and are currently not engaging in education.

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This inspection

Some young people still go missing. If young people are missing, the home follows all appropriate procedures to help ensure young people’s needs are being met. However, incidents of missing from home have not decreased since the last inspection indicating the home have not made a positive impact in supporting young people to change their behaviour. In addition, the specialist missing from care police team report a decline in general communication from the home.

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This inspection

At the last inspection, one requirement and two recommendations were made. Both recommendations are met. The majority of staff have now had self-harm training which better ensures young people are cared for by a staff who can meet their individual needs. Clearer recruitment information is now held in the home for staff who visit the home occasionally, such as a psychologist. This helps prevent unsuitable people having access to young people. 3 of 5 However, the requirement made at the last inspection, to ensure the home environment is maintained sufficiently, is not met and is repeated. Although there has been slight progress with the maintenance of the home, such as the porch and hallway being re-plastered and painted; the majority of communal areas such as stairway, upstairs hallways, and bathrooms remain in urgent need of refurbishment. Young people’s bedroom doors are marked, there are stains on some walls and the

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This inspection

internal home environment is not inviting and homely. As a result, young people are less likely to respect their surroundings and there is evidence of increased damage to certain areas. Although any damage which could post a health and safety issue is rectified quickly, refurbishment and maintenance of the home has not been prioritised sufficiently by the provider. Although there is a maintenance plan in place, deadlines have not been met, resulting in this requirement being repeated. 4 of 5

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children's home is part of a large national organisation. The home can provide care and accommodation for up to six young people who display emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2014 Full good 13/03/2014 Interim good progress 18/04/2013 Full good

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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 all parts of the children’s home used by children are reasonably decorated and maintained. (Regulation 31 (2) (e)) 03/02/2015

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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 the care and support provided to children minimises the risk that they will go missing. (NMS 5.1) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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Information 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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Information about this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the framework of inspection for children's homes.

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