Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report children's home: SC456330 1 SC456330 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns and operates this children’s home. The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children aged between 11 and 18 years who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This inspection has taken place because of concerns raised by the police to Ofsted in relation to staffing and the poor supervision of children in the home and due to the significant increase in the number and seriousness of notifications received from the home in the short period since the full inspection in June 2017.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A number of concerns were identified during this inspection. The management oversight of the home is ineffective. The manager stated that she has little trust in how the staff are managing situations in her absence, which adds to her concerns when she is away from the home. The children do not receive care from a consistent, experienced or skilled staff team. The children do not feel cared for in a way that makes them feel safe. One child said, ‘They [the staff] can’t keep themselves safe, loads of staff have left.’ The Inspection report children's home: SC456330 2 child said, ‘I hate it here.’ Another child said, ‘The staff are scared of [child]. They [staff] are not strong enough to cope with us.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has six full-time staff vacancies. There is a heavy reliance on agency staff, and staff from the organisation’s other homes, to cover gaps. Some of the agency workers have little or no experience of working with teenagers. Incidents have occurred that have placed the children at potential risk. On one occasion, a child was able to take car keys and money from an agency worker. Staff inexperience makes both the staff and the children vulnerable. Limited information about the suitability of agency staff and lack of documented follow up of concerns about practice mean that the manager cannot assure herself that the staff working at the home are able to meet the children’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff do not have strategies to reduce the number of occurrences of some of the children going missing from the home together. This concern is heightened as the children are at risk of sexual exploitation. The staff describe their inability to prevent the children from leaving the home. Although the staff try and follow children, they often lose sight of them and need to report them as missing to the police. On occasions, when staff have located children, they have found the children to be intoxicated or under the influence of substances, and, on two occasions, with older males. During a period of missing from the home, someone had sprayed an aerosol and lit it, and had singed one of the children’s hair. The child’s hair was damaged and had to be cut. A staff member said, ‘We cannot keep the children safe. We are trying our best, but we can’t.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of the last inspection, one of the children had said that she liked the home. At this inspection, she said that a lot has changed since then. The child described her negative experiences in recent months. The child now smokes, and she says that she has, on occasion, tried drugs. This child feels bullied both at home and at school. A staff member acknowledged the negative impact that the other children’s behaviours are having on this child, who is now displaying behaviour that was not prevalent prior to her admission. Managers have failed to take effective action to protect this child. In addition, discussions with the child’s placing social worker raised issues about communication from the home about significant incidents, as the social worker was unaware of some incidents and had therefore been unable to provide support for the child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The rota is incomplete and unclear. It fails to identify which staff members have worked on any given shift. This shortfall means that it is not possible to follow up concerns about practice or staff members adequately because there is no comprehensive record of which staff were working at a particular time. This is not safe practice.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager submits notifications of some significant incidents to Ofsted. However, on occasions, these notifications have not had the full details of the incident, which means that the gravity of the situation is not always conveyed. In some instances, managers have failed to inform Ofsted and other relevant agencies about significant incidents at all. Although an allegation about the conduct of an agency staff member was referred to the designated officer, Ofsted was not notified. The manager failed to notify Ofsted of an external complaint regarding a safeguarding concern about two of the children. Failure to notify or fully describe the severity of incidents prevents Ofsted and other relevant Inspection report children's home: SC456330 3 agencies from having a comprehensive overview of the events and the impact that these are having on the children and staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s location risk assessment fails to describe known risks in the local community. Omission of significant information means that the staff may not be aware of the risks to the children. Providing full information and risk-reduction strategies is particularly important because the agency staff and staff from other homes who are providing cover may not be familiar with the area or have enough knowledge of the home to understand the risks to children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff lack strategies, guidance and support to manage the children’s challenging and risk-taking behaviour. There has been a high number of serious incidents in which staff have been verbally and physically assaulted. In order to manage these situations, staff have needed to contact the police for support, which has resulted in children being arrested. Children continue to go missing from the home and place themselves at significant risk. Some of the children smoke and/or misuse substances, and they are vulnerable to unsuitable people in the community. Individual risk assessments are not up to date, and they fail to inform the staff of the potential risks to children and others, or of risk-reducing actions that will help to keep the children safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff do not receive regular supervision to enable them to raise concerns in a formal meeting, to discuss the children or have their own personal needs discussed. Consequently, staff practice is not monitored sufficiently and the staff do not receive the support that they should be able to expect.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Due to the serious concerns identified at this inspection, the provider is likely to be subject to enforcement action.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC456330 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

The positive relationship standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that 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. (Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(x)) 09/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff: 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; and that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)) 09/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children's home that helps children aspire to fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home's workforce 09/10/2017 Inspection report children's home: SC456330 5 provides continuity of care to each child; 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; use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children's home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31(1)) 09/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. In particular, ensure that they retain a copy of the staff duty roster of persons working at the home, and a record of the actual rosters worked. (Regulation 37(2)(a) Schedule 4(3)) 09/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there, and there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(c)(e)) 09/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should consider agency staff member’s skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.16)  The registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) This is with particular reference to ensuring that records of recruitment are complete.  Ensure that case records are kept up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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 Inspection report children's home: SC456330 6 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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian Group, 4th Floor Waterfront Building, Chancellors Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Inspector(s)

Debbie Young, social care inspector Sonia Hay, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC456330 7 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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