Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children's home: SC454647 1 SC454647 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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 provides care for up to four young people. It is a privately owned provision, which provides a 12-month therapeutic service for young people at risk of, or involved in, child sexual exploitation.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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Inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected Inadequate

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Inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers Inadequate

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Inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean that young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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Inadequate

Date of last inspection: 17 January 2017

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Inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children's home: SC454647 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children's home is inadequate because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Continuing weaknesses in leadership and management have been detrimental to the progress and safety of young people.  Staff fail to adequately supervise young people in the community. This has led to young people going missing.  Fire safety procedures are inadequate. They do not take into account incidents in the home, such as young people smoking in their bedrooms.  The registered manager does not rigorously investigate serious incidents in the home. As a result, she has failed to promote young people‟s safety and well- being.  Staff supervision is ineffective and irregular. It does not focus on the young people‟s needs, safety or progress.  The registered manager was not aware of the shortfalls found during this inspection. This is because she does not monitor and review the quality of care effectively.  Relationships between young people are poor. The registered manager has not ensured that young people feel safe following a physical assault and threats

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Key findings from this inspection

made by another young person.  Staff do not implement consistent boundaries. As a result, young people do not have consequences for their behaviour.  The registered manager does not actively seek young people‟s views about the quality of care that they receive, or act on their wishes and feelings when they voice them.  Poor recording, including incomplete and inadequate health plans, risk assessments and placement plans, do not help to safeguard young people. Inspection report children's home: SC454647 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 28/06/2016 Full Good 21/01/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 09/09/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children's home: SC454647 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet the Care Standards Act 2000, 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.

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(b)(vi) help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult. 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the children‟s views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(c) take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children‟s care and welfare and their lives

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(iii) help each child to understand how the child‟s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) the health and well-being needs of children are met

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Requirement Due date

(c) children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standards, the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(b) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour 23/06/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC454647 5 (c) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on positive responses to other children and adults

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(iii) staff encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding

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Requirement Due date

(iv) staff help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone

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Requirement Due date

(x) staff are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child‟s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child *

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Requirement Due date

(iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm

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Requirement Due date

(v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person

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Requirement Due date

(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child‟s welfare. 11/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must ensure that they:

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Requirement Due date

(1)(a) enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children‟s home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential

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Requirement Due date

(b) enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children‟s home that promotes their welfare

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent 11/06/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC454647 6 with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose

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Requirement Due date

(b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate

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Requirement Due date

(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. * The registered person must compile in relation to the children‟s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1 and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(b)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2)(b)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children‟s safety. For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32 (4)(a)) 03/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that within 48 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”) has spoken to the user about the measure; and has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children‟s home. The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37(1)(2)(a)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on 23/06/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC454647 7 which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (4)(a)) The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1)) 23/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Poor safeguarding, inadequate leadership and ineffective management mean that young people are not adequately protected. They do not have a good experience or make adequate progress while living in the home. Managers have failed to resolve significant shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people do not always enjoy positive relationships with each other or with staff. Poor dynamics between young people and a lack of response from staff to incidents have resulted in physical assaults by a young person who also made threats to kill one of their peers. Staff have not undertaken follow-up work with the young people despite a young person feeling „petrified and scared‟. Young people are not learning essential life skills about how to reconcile differences; they are living in a home where they do not feel safe. This has a serious detrimental effect on young people‟s emotional and social well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The quality of record-keeping is poor. Records are not always kept up to date, they have gaps in information and staff do not have easy access to important documents, for example health assessments, immunisation records and medical consent forms. Health plans are incomplete and contain information about other young people. This means that staff do not have important, individualised information that they need to inform their practice and to make sure that they meet young people‟s health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people‟s views do not influence the running of the home. Although staff do consult with young people during regular young people‟s meetings, these meetings are repetitive and focus on the same agenda items each week. A young person was asked what the home could do better. They responded, „Nothing, because nothing will get done.‟ Young people do not have confidence that their views are considered or taken seriously.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people‟s cultural needs are not met. Case records do not contain significant information about their religious and cultural needs. Young people who do not speak English as their first language do not get the support that they need to help them understand or be involved in their care planning. Consequently, staff are not delivering care that meets young people‟s needs. Inspection report children's home: SC454647 8 Young people attend an on-site school. Their progress in education is variable. One young person has started to re-engage with education after a significant period of non- attendance. However, other young people have disengaged. During the inspection, a young person attended education in their pyjama bottoms and did not start school at the expected time. Staff do not make sure that young people are awake and prepared for the school day at an appropriate time. This results in young people attending education

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

late. This does not help to establish a regular routine, an understanding of appropriate behaviour, or help young people to fulfil their potential.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people are not encouraged to develop their independent living skills. For example, young people receive the „living allowance‟ at the same rate that they will receive when they live independently. However, staff continue to cook young people‟s meals and provide additional money for toiletries, the hairdresser, activities and mobile phone top- ups. As a result, staff fail to help young people develop the skills that they need as they move into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff help young people to maintain relationships with their family and friends. Staff support young people to travel considerable distances to see the people who are important to them. This helps young people maintain a sense of family and social identity.

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

Young people are not kept safe. Poor risk management practices have put young people in dangerous and preventable situations. Staff have allowed unsafe situations to continue and have failed to safeguard young people. For example, some young people are at risk from groups in the wider community. Staff have failed to make sure that there are adequate safeguarding measures to protect young people. For example, staff fail to manage young people‟s access to mobile phones. In addition, staff failed to adequately risk assess a young person‟s visit to see her family and friends. Consequently, a vulnerable young person went missing for two days, during which they were placed at significant risk of harm.

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

Since January 2017, there have been two recorded incidents of restraint. Restraint records do not show that the registered manager reviewed these interventions. As a result, young people and staff do not have an opportunity to express their feelings following an incident. These shortfalls mean that young people‟s risk management strategies are not reviewed or updated appropriately and that the registered manager fails to review the practice of staff.

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

Risk assessments and risk management practices are weak and ineffective. They do not identify risks or outline appropriate strategies that staff need to follow so that young people are kept safe. For example, risk assessments relating to child sexual exploitation are not comprehensive and do not detail what the risks are, should a young person go missing. Physical assaults between young people, and substance misuse are not Inspection report children's home: SC454647 9 recorded as risks. Consequently, these issues go unaddressed and no work is undertaken with the young people involved. This lack of preventative work with young people leaves them at risk of significant harm. It does not support them to change their views or behaviours or to learn how to keep themselves safe.

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

The registered manager does not investigate significant incidents effectively. Consequently, young people are at risk of harm. Young people do not receive sufficient consequences or support after serious incidents. For example, no follow-up work was completed with either of the young people following an incident when one young person assaulted another and threatened to kill them. Staff failed to provide support or a resolution to the young person who was assaulted. Staff also failed to implement any consequences or direct work with the young person who made the threats and carried out the assault. This lack of focus on young people‟s emotional needs and welfare is detrimental to their progress. Young people are not encouraged to reflect on their behaviour or to recognise the risks associated with it. Young people do not receive support to help them to change their behaviours or resolve the difficulties that they are

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

experiencing. This affects young people‟s emotional and physical welfare and their self- esteem.

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

One young person had returned home under the influence of cannabis, and had been smoking cannabis in her bedroom. The lack of learning from incidents such as this was highlighted at the last inspection and continues to be a concern. Staff do not ask young people important questions, such as how and where they got the cannabis. Staff have also failed to pass this information on to their colleagues during handovers and fail to record this significant information. Consequently, risk management plans are poor, behaviour management is ineffective and incidents like this continue to occur, compromising young people‟s safety.

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

The registered person has failed to ensure that the physical environment in which young people live is safe. The home‟s location risk assessment is ineffective and does not take into consideration nearby lakes, wooded areas, fields, a nature reserve and railway lines. As a result, potential risks are not identified, or their impact assessed.

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

Fire safety procedures are weak. For example, one young person smokes in their bedroom. The home‟s fire assessment does not take this into account or outline suitable strategies to reduce this risk. This places young people, staff and visitors at potential risk from fire.

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

The registered manager has not ensured that staff rotas are robust or accurate. They do not detail the full names of staff on duty at the home. Staff remain on the rota despite them working at another of the provider‟s homes. This lack of scrutiny and inaccurate information affects the registered manager‟s oversight and has the potential to compromise young people‟s safety. Inspection report children's home: SC454647 10

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This home has a registered manager. She was registered with Ofsted in February 2017 but has been the manager for 12 months. She is suitably experienced and is currently working towards her Level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager‟s oversight of staff practice and the welfare and safety of young people is ineffective. She has not ensured that staff have the skills to recognise and take action when young people are at risk of harm. Staff do not understand their roles or their responsibilities to make sure that young people are safe. For example, they are not ensuring adequate supervision of a young person to prevent them from going missing. As a result, the individual needs of young people are not prioritised and they are not kept safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior managers are aware of the weaknesses in this home. However, the actions taken to tackle the regulatory shortfalls from the last inspection have not been effective. Significant shortfalls remain. The responsible individual wrote an action plan from the last inspection to improve the quality of care and safeguarding processes and to develop the skills of the registered manager. This action plan has not been effective, and these shortfalls have not been resolved. As a result, young people‟s experiences of living in this home and their safety have not improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight is weak. Managers do not adequately monitor or review practice. Managers have failed to take action to improve staff practice and have not ensured that young people have the support that they need to make progress. Managers have failed to ensure that all young people‟s plans are tailored to their needs. For example, all of the young people‟s plans that the inspector looked at during the inspection had details of other young people recorded in them. In addition, young people‟s recorded risks were almost identical. Ofsted has not received a quality of care review report since September 2016. Managers do not understand the impact that the poor quality of care has on young people so cannot use this information to improve the services provided in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not inform Her Majesty‟s Chief Inspector, Ofsted when the home‟s statement of purpose is updated. In addition, managers and staff are not fulfilling the aims and objectives as set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. Specifically, the statement of purpose guarantees that staff will „address current issues of risk and harm and equip the children and young people with the skills to manage risk after they leave our service‟. In addition, it states that „through interventions we aim to help children identify and address underlying vulnerability issues, build self-esteem, build competence and work towards stabilisation‟. This inspection identified that staff are not working effectively together to deliver the support that young people need and to meet their placing authorities‟ expectations. In fact, vulnerable young people are being placed in a home and, rather than being protected, are at continued risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager‟s approach to behaviour management has been akin to allowing Inspection report children's home: SC454647 11 young people to have control and do what they want, without any consequences. Staff morale is low, as they feel that the registered manager undermines them when they implement behaviour boundaries. As a result, young people do not benefit from consistent boundaries and their welfare is not promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Supervision continues to be ineffective. It is of poor quality, infrequent, and it does not focus on young people‟s needs or staff practice. The registered manager does not enable staff to reflect and learn following significant incidents. The manager‟s lack of monitoring means that she has not been aware of poor staff practice, some of which is unsafe. For example, she was unaware that staff had failed to record or notify other staff of a young person smoking cannabis in the home. As such, staff practice and the care that they provide to young people does not improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff have attained the appropriate qualification to work with young people. One member of staff who has worked in the home for over two years has not achieved the appropriate qualification, or an equivalent. This impacts on their development and has the potential to affect the quality of care that young people receive.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

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 children's home: SC454647 12

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Children's home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Sandra King, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children's home: SC454647 13 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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