Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456330 1 SC456330

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Cambian Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit 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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This monitoring visit

An interim inspection took place on 13 September 2017. This inspection was brought forward 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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This monitoring visit

The interim inspection found that the home had declined in effectiveness. Due to the serious concerns identified during the interim inspection, a compliance notice was issued in relation to Regulation 13 of The Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015, alongside a notice restricting accommodation. The primary significant shortfalls related to:

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This monitoring visit

 A failure to provide effective management of the home.  A failure to monitor effectively the quality of care and experiences for children.  Lack of consistent care from staff who are adequately skilled and trained.  Inadequate responses to bullying.  A failure to notify relevant professionals about significant incidents.  Inaccurate and inadequate risk assessments.  Inadequate location risk assessment. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456330 2  Inaccurate and incomplete rotas that failed to show which staff and managers had worked at the home.  A failure to follow up concerns about agency staff and failure to demonstrate that suitability checks had been made for agency staff.

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This monitoring visit

On 16 October 2017, two social care regulatory inspectors, Debbie Young and Clive Lucas, undertook a monitoring inspection to review the action taken to address the steps in the compliance notice and to monitor the restriction of accommodation.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit found that, although some progress had been made, a number of significant concerns remained. Therefore, the restriction notice remains in place. A meeting is being convened with the responsible individual. The home is likely to be subject to further enforcement action.

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This monitoring visit

Despite known bullying incidents at the home and at the school, there is little evidence that the staff are tackling the concerns well to make sure that children are safe and feel safe. Bullying has not been discussed at the team meeting or in staff supervisions. Incomplete records mean that it is unclear whether the concerns about bullying have been passed on to those people who need to know. The follow up action is weak. It does not address the significantly detrimental effect that some children are having on another child. Management oversight and monitoring is not effective because these concerns have not all been identified. There is a failure to ensure that children are safeguarded from harm and that their well-being is promoted.

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This monitoring visit

There are plans to implement new staff rotas which are clearer but these are not yet in place. The rotas are not clear and do not consistently state the times that staff are working, who is working as the waking night staff or which managers are at the home. Names are not clear or are shortened, so it is difficult to know who is working and when. One of the children is spending a lot of time away from the home and so the staffing numbers are reduced. This is not clearly outlined on the rota nor is the required staffing ratio detailed. It is unclear what the contingency plans are should the child return. The lack of accuracy in the rotas does not provide a clear trail of who has worked at the home and raises concerns in relation to consistency and accountability or allow senior managers to monitor this.

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This monitoring visit

Despite a previous compliance notice, issued on 21 September 2017, detailing the serious concerns about significant gaps in risk assessments, there is a continuing failure to ensure that risk assessments are sufficiently robust and include important information and risk reduction strategies. This is of serious concern because highlighted shortfalls have not been addressed and therefore children’s safety is not promoted.

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This monitoring visit

Although some progress has been made in the frequency of supervisions, the supervision records do not demonstrate that the staff receive the formal support Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456330 3 that they need or that there is good managerial oversight of practice and reflection on the experiences for children. This continues to be of significant concern given the number of incidents at the home, the absence of the registered manager and the known concerns about bullying and children going missing.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is currently absent. Managers from other homes/senior managers oversee the day-to-day running of the home. This means that there are up to four managers supporting the home, which leads to inconsistencies and does not enable effective oversight.

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This monitoring visit

The locality risk assessment now includes the information that was missing at the last inspection, and some control measures.

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This monitoring visit

Significant progress has been made in ensuring that a dedicated staff team is employed to work at the home. There are some new staff in post, which has reduced the number of vacancies. An experienced deputy manager and senior have been appointed to provide additional management support.

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This monitoring visit

There have been no concerns about agency staff raised since the last inspection. There is now a clear process that information will be passed from staff to named managers if they do have a concern.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/09/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/06/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2016 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 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)) 19/11/2017

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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)) 19/11/2017

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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 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; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is 19/11/2017 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456330 5 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)(c)(f)(h)) *Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children's home.

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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)) 19/11/2017

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children's home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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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 Mr Lucas, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC456330 6 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.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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