Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 1

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Cambian Childcare Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered for up to 16 children who have mental disorders. It is privately owned and has a separately registered school on site.

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This monitoring visit

On 20 February 2018, two inspectors carried out a monitoring inspection of the home. The inspectors found that the organisation had been compliant with the restriction of accommodation notice, and had taken no new admissions. However, the acting manager had failed to take actions to ensure the children’s safety in regard to the electric gates not working. Additionally, the registered manager had failed to implement the home’s safeguarding policy following concerns about staff’s practice. There is a lack of action, guidance and strategies following some other incidents in the home. Ofsted issued a further restriction of accommodation from 1 March 2018 to 23 May 2018.

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This monitoring visit

On 6 March 2018, two inspectors carried out a monitoring inspection of the home. This was to monitor the compliance notice relating to leadership and management of the home, issued on 17 January 2018. The inspectors found that the provider has met this compliance notice.

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This monitoring visit

Interim management arrangements are currently in place. The acting manager has the relevant experience and qualifications. She receives daily support from one of the senior managers at the home. Although this is a continued arrangement that requires continual monitoring, there appear to be clear lines of communication, decision-making and defined roles and responsibilities. The acting manager has implemented a number of changes to systems and practice in the home. For example, pen pictures of the children provide clear guidance and key information for the staff regarding the children’s care. These changes are not yet embedded to an extent that positively impacts on the quality of care. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 2 A recent recruitment drive reduced vacant staff posts from 35 to 14, with further staff awaiting recruitment checks. Planned changes to the rota and staff working

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This monitoring visit

patterns will strengthen the quality of care for the children. These changes will result in an experienced deputy shift manager leading shifts, and a better combination of experience, skills and qualified staff on each shift. The acting manager has implemented monitoring systems for all senior staff. These include systematic meetings to inform and discuss information with the appropriate professionals, and the children where appropriate. Systems for monitoring records identify shortfalls and the action required, such as a recognition of the need for further staff training in recording and reporting. However, while intended plans address these issues, they are not embedded in practice and therefore have made no impact as yet. The managers have reflected on further shortfall areas that require improvement. These include changes to the admission and impact assessment document to reflect the service provision, and to the required information from placing authorities to fully

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This monitoring visit

inform whether the home is able to provide the required level of care for the child.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has met eight requirements made at previous inspections. The acting manager has taken sufficient action in regard to the broken gates. New signage at the gate instructs visitors to manually open and close the gate, while a new part is ordered. The staff at reception monitor this system. The location risk assessment identifies this strategy, and other potential risks to the children and staff, and the actions taken to reduce these risks.

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This monitoring visit

Changes to the office layout enable easier accessibility of the grab bag identified in the location risk assessment. The grab bags contain the identified items a member of staff may require if a child was to leave the home without permission. These actions support the risk reduction strategies to reduce the potential risk of harm to children.

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This monitoring visit

The staff and managers have involved the children in making improvements to the furnishings and décor of the home. New furniture, rugs, pictures, curtains and murals, along with fresh paintwork and maintenance, have resulted in a homely environment. The children’s individual bedrooms are personalised by them, in line with their personalities, interests and hobbies. Those children who require minimal fittings in their rooms, due to high risk of self-harming, have clean and newly painted bedrooms. These changes provide the children with a more welcoming and homely environment. The involvement of children in the refurbishment encourages them to respect their environment.

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This monitoring visit

A senior member of the organisation with suitable experience has updated the home’s fire risk assessment. Previous issues identified have been actioned. All fire doors have door closures fitted, where required. This action ensures that the children and staff are kept safe from potential fire hazards.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s liberty is not restricted, unless they place themselves at significant risk. All children move freely around the whole home, and some children have a fob for the front door, allowing them to leave the home independently. The children who Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 3 are at high risk of self-harm are supervised by the staff at all times.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager has updated the home’s statement of purpose and this has been received by Ofsted. This document ensures that interested parties are knowledgeable about the service, and the calibre and experience of the staff working at the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has implemented a system to notify the appropriate agencies of significant events in the home. This enables Ofsted, as the regulator, to monitor the action the home is taking following incidents. However, further information relating to some of these incidents is not consistently shared. This fails to ensure that all the appropriate agencies have the full information needed to ensure that the required action to safeguard children is taken. It also fails to enable monitoring of patterns and trends to reduce recurrence.

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This monitoring visit

The staff implement sanctions when required. The children are asked for their views of the incident, and the sanction. However, the sanction record fails to include all the required information, such as the location of the incident or whether the record was reviewed within the required timescales. This shortfall does not ensure that the manager can identify potential trends and patterns to the children’s incidents. In addition, the staff have debriefs following these incidents, but some of these have taken place a considerable time after the incident. Debriefs do not fully support the staff to understand the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children do the same. This shortfall results in staff going home without reflection, after supporting children through high-risk self-harm incidents. The debriefs fail to consider potential triggers, trends and patterns, and new strategies to support both

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This monitoring visit

A recent recruitment drive has slightly improved the number of staff with a level 3 qualification or equivalent. However, the home continues to have a relatively high number of staff without a level 3 qualification. This includes two staff who have worked at the home for over two years and have not completed their qualification. While this was due to a change in assessors, this continues to be a shortfall.

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This monitoring visit

The visit identified that while improvement has been made in some areas, there remain a number of shortfalls in the home. Three of the requirements made from previous inspections have been repeated with new timescales. Some staff continue without supervision in line with the home’s supervision policy. In addition, one member of staff has not had an annual appraisal. While there is a management team that is accessible and provides staff with informal discussion, these discussions do not ensure that each individual member of staff is given the time to reflect on practice, raise any concerns and discuss their own personal development.

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This monitoring visit

The monitoring systems in the home have improved. However, the review of the quality of care fails to consider the feedback from the children, parents, placing authorities and staff. The lack of consultation fails to ensure that the review conducted is fully informed to improve the quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 4 Three requirements made at the last monitoring inspection were not looked at on this occasion. Ofsted will continue to monitor the home.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 26/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 5

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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 relationships 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 do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular regard to ensuring that all staff receive a debrief within a timely manner following an incident within the home. 06/04/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk, 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. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(i)) 09/03/2018

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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. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. This is with particular regard to taking effective action, identifying new strategies to reduce the risk of recurrences following incidences. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vi)) 23/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have the appropriate qualifications for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)) 13/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees 13/04/2018 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 6 receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular, provide for the prompt referral of an allegation about current or ongoing abuse or neglect in relation to the child to the placing authority, and if different the local authority in whose area the home is located. (Regulation 34(2)(b)) 09/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation must include details of the matter and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40(5)(a)(i)(iii)) 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating the quality of care provided for children, provides for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(5)) 13/04/2018

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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 Ltd

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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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Inspectors

Natalie Burton, social care inspector Clive Lucas, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1257796 7 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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