Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Norfolk

Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 1 SC456330 Registered provider: Cambian PLC

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Full 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 long- term care for up to four children aged between 11 and 18. The registered manager resigned with effect from 22 June 2018. A new manager has been recruited but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged as inadequate at a full inspection on 24 and 25 May 2018. Six breaches of regulation were identified. Two of these breaches resulted in compliance notices being served. The notices related to the protection of children standard and the leadership and management standard. A monitoring visit took place on 6 July 2018. The visit established that the provider has met the steps detailed in the compliance notices. A further requirement was raised as part of this monitoring visit. Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2018 Full Inadequate 13/09/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 01/06/2017 Full Good 08/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 3

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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 compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1)(3)(a)(b)) 28/09/2018

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if— full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 28 (1)(c)) 28/09/2018

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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)) This is with particular regard to a member of staff whose last supervision on file was April 2018. 30/11/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— within 48 hours of the use of the measure, 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 of control, discipline or restraint; 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)) 26/10/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 4

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30) In particular, make clear whether a return interview was offered and a clear rationale when a return interview is not offered.  The registered person should ensure that all incidents of control and discipline are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)  Evaluation of missing from home incidents should be undertaken. (‘Guide to the

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Recommendations

children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.31 ) In particular, develop the evaluation of incidents of missing from home to help the staff to understand why the incidents may have occurred.  Regulations 35-39 detail the records that must be kept in children’s homes. Case records must 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) This is with particular regard to ensuring that records consistently make clear who has completed them and when.  The registered person should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection there were no children placed at the home. The staff have been temporarily redeployed. The experiences and progress of the children who have left the home are mixed. Since the last inspection, two children have moved out. One child was reunited with their family. However, another child was moved due to the high frequency of going missing Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 5 and high-risk behaviours. The staff listen to the children. The children participate in decision-making. The home’s management has ensured that there are systems in place to capture the views and opinions of children during house meetings and key-working sessions. Relationships between the staff and professionals are positive. Feedback is encouraging. A social worker said, ‘The staff tried really hard to work with [the child] to keep him safe. Unfortunately, [the child’s] risk-taking behaviours became such that he had to

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improvement to be good

move elsewhere. He really liked the staff and did not want to move.’ Staff at the home receive a comprehensive training package. This helps them to develop their skills in working with children.

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improvement to be good

The organisation has recruited a new manager and is in the process of recruiting a new deputy manager. However, the organisation has not followed its own policy in the recruitment of the new manager. Failure to follow safe recruitment policies and procedures can put children and staff at risk. The recording of physical interventions requires improvement. There have been five physical interventions since the last inspection involving one child. Debriefings with staff are not taking place. Information concerning debriefings with children is not consistently captured. In addition, records are not routinely signed and dated by staff. The staff are proactive in looking for children if they leave the home without permission or go missing. Staff search the local area, liaise with other homes and share information. The quality of missing from care records is variable. Important information is missing, including times, signatures of staff, whether a child was offered a return from missing

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improvement to be good

interview, and the rationale when a return interview has not taken place. Negative consequences are used twice as often as positive consequences. The records of consequences lack important details such as how much money a child has to pay towards replacing an item that they broke deliberately. Managers have not analysed records of incidents of control and discipline. This does not enable reflection and learning to ensure that their use is fair.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There have been significant changes to the staff team since the last inspection. The registered manager and two senior residential childcare workers have left. The registered manager resigned with effect from 22 June 2018. A new manager has been recruited and started in their role on 28 August 2018. He has not yet started the registration process with Ofsted. The statement of purpose was updated after the last inspection. However, a copy of this was not sent to Ofsted within 28 days of completion. In addition, it does not have an up- Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 6 to-date list of the staff who work at the home. This means that Ofsted and others are not presented with all of the required information. Staff supervisions are practice-led, focus on children and look at areas of development for staff. However, records show that one member of staff has not received supervision since April 2018. This does not provide adequate oversight of practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Throughout the inspection, records were found to be inconsistent, they lack staff signatures, and dates and times of incidents. The failure to record information accurately affects the manager’s ability to oversee and monitor the service. External visits from an independent visitor offer challenge. The reports identify actions for the home to address. Internal monitoring has not been effective or timely. The last internal review of care was undertaken in April 2018. The home’s annual development plan was written in July 2017. Neither has been updated in light of the serious failures identified during a recent inspection.

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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: SC456330 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Ricky D’Arcy: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456330 8 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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