Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 1 SC456846 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Judgement at last inspection: good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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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 sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is a new manager in post. He places great emphasis on the importance of education and positive reinforcement. This is resulting in an increase in the use of rewards and a reduction in the number of sanctions implemented. The staff speak positively about the home and their work with the children. The staff say that they are adapting to the new management style, and that the children are responsive to the manager’s approach too.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is in the process of recruiting to ensure that the home has a full complement of staff. Currently, existing staff from the home and across the organisation cover any gaps in the rota. This use of existing staff minimises the use of agency staff and provides the children with consistency. The manager understands that it is not sustainable.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been four admissions and three discharges since the last inspection. The Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 2 manager conducts matching assessments when considering a new placement. This detailed review of the children’s needs ensures that the children placed are compatible with the children already placed. The children receive individualised care and support that focus on helping them to achieve their full potential. The staff build positive relationships with the children, and monitor and report on the children’s progress. This oversight enables easy identification of the progress that the children are making. The children are supported to maintain their relationships with friends and families. A parent spoke enthusiastically about the positive changes that she has seen in her child since the child moved into the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been successful in securing education for each of the children. One child is due to visit a potential school later in the week. Professionals said that the staff are proactive advocates for the children. A school worker said proudly, ‘They [the staff] do what I would do for my own child.’ She went on to say, ‘[The manager is] a champion for [the child] as he was fighting her corner.’ This is positive, as children looked after often lack the presence of a passionate advocate.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff support the children to attend their routine medical appointments. They also advocate for the children to be referred for more specific tests to ensure that they are appropriately diagnosed when necessary. The staff have received bespoke training to help them meet the children’s specific needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff seek the children’s views during key-work and residents’ meetings. In recent months, the children’s meetings have not been occurring as frequently as before. The manager has reintroduced the meetings to ensure that the children have the formal opportunity to share their views about the home with the staff and each other.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are familiar with the complaints process, and have made use of it. The complaints received are responded to appropriately. There have been no recent episodes of bullying. However, it is clear that there is tension between two of the children. The staff are managing this effectively. The staff coordinate how they work with the children to offer consistency and to meet the children’s differing needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been a recent increase in the number of significant events. The home has appropriately notified Ofsted on each occasion. These notifications enable Ofsted to maintain an overview of events at the home, and to know how these events are being managed. The children are becoming increasingly safe. The number of missing-from- home episodes is low.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The use of physical intervention is infrequent, as the staff are successful in using de- escalation techniques. Unusually, there were two incidents requiring physical intervention in the previous month. The records of these interventions are incomplete. The manager is aware of this, and has followed this up with the staff to request that they complete the records. The manager recognises that the omission of these debriefs prevents any learning from the events being incorporated into the children’s plans or shared with the wider team. There were also other records of events that had inaccurate and/or incomplete entries. These gaps and errors in the children’s case records mean Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 3 that the information may not provide a full picture of the events.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When the children or staff make allegations or raise concerns, these are managed effectively and proactively. The use of the reporting system safeguards the children and the staff. The children’s risk assessments and the location risk assessment are updated at set intervals unless required sooner. The home’s fire risk assessment is out of date. This prevents the staff from evidencing that they have addressed or are aware of all of the potential fire hazards. There have been incomplete and infrequent checks of the fire and lighting systems. The system checks are not being conducted at the frequency specified in the home’s policies and procedures.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is establishing an auditing process that is highlighting omissions in records. The system also details how the children are developing and includes their future targets as set by their key workers. The manager’s developmental approach extends to developing the staff team. The manager and the clinical lead have recently commenced working with the staff to develop strategies for their work with the children. This process has commenced with the clinical lead visiting the home regularly to enable her to build a rapport with the children and the staff. Her involvement with the children is seen as a way to gradually introduce the therapeutic services that the children could access for support.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff’s training includes mandatory and developmental training. The staff are progressing through their respective level 3 qualifications. The sole requirement made at the last inspection will be removed, as this referred to the last registered manager not completing the level 5 qualification in the expected timescale.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The house feels homely and the children have access to vast amounts of land for outdoor play. There is a schedule of redecoration and renovations underway.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager undertakes quality of care reports that detail the developments and progress of the children and the staff in the monitoring period covered. The independent visitor’s reports are comprehensive and the manager is using these alongside his own audits to improve the standards at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The feedback received from professionals and family members is positive, with communication highlighted as a strong point. A social worker said, ‘[The child] feels safe and settled for the first time in a long time.’

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/06/2017 Full Good 14/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 18/10/2016 Full Requires improvement 18/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 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 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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the fire risk assessment is reviewed regularly. 14/04/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff consistently follow the home’s policies and procedures. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.20) This is with particular reference to conducting and recording the weekly checks of the fire and emergency lighting systems.  Ensure that case records are be 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) In particular, ensure that the staff write case records fully and accurately.

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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

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 5 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 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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Inspector

Sonia Hay, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 6 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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