Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 1 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

This home is registered for up to 16 children who have ongoing mental health needs and challenging behaviours that may prevent them from functioning in the community without continued support. The privately owned home has a separately registered school on site.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2018.

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Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the full inspection, the registered manager and staff have gone some way to addressing the shortfalls that were identified. Some of the requirements and recommendations have been fully addressed, and others partly addressed. This is leading to improved care and outcomes for children, although there is still more to do.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recruitment checks are carried out to reduce the risk of the children being looked after by staff who may pose a risk to them. These checks include identifying and following up any gaps in applicants’ employment histories. Safeguarding concerns are identified and responded to quickly and appropriately. The designated officer said that she has very positive contact with the home and that the staff work well with her. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 2 The staff keep memory boxes for the children. Some children are engaging with this and keeping the boxes in their rooms. Other children are not so engaged, but the staff are still keeping photographs of the children’s time at the home to give to them when they leave. This helps the children to keep mementos and maintain their memories of their childhoods. These are things that could be lost for children who move placements and do not have continued contact with their caregivers. The memory boxes will help

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

children to remember and make more sense of their time in care.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Improvements to the home continue to provide a homelier environment. This is a challenge due to the structure of the building. Work is ongoing due to the damage that some children cause at times. However, the building is currently providing a better and more homely living environment for the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff who were spoken with during the inspection were enthusiastic about their work and positive about the support that they get from managers. The staff team is gradually becoming more experienced and qualified. However, this is limited by a continuing turnover in the staff team, although the rate of turnover is less than it was previously. As more staff gain experience and achieve a suitable qualification, they are able to provide better and more informed care for the children. However, overall, the staff team continues to lack the experience and level of qualification needed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The process of identifying and reducing risk to children has improved. In some cases, very good, well-written documents with clear direction help staff keep children safer. However, this is not consistent. One risk assessment that was looked at during the inspection lacked an assessment or evaluation of an area of risk that had been identified as an issue by the placing social worker. While some good risk assessments keep some children safer, this is limited when potential risks are not fully assessed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been an improvement in the way that complaints are dealt with, so that children can feel listened to and their concerns can be looked into. However, in one case, a complaint by a child was missed and this child’s concerns had not been looked at. Despite the improvements, the system is not yet working well enough to provide consistent safeguards for the children.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The frequency of supervisions has increased. Although the number of supervisions are still not at 100% of the target, the level is acceptable. Staff practice is discussed, and areas of concern are identified and followed up. However, the records of supervisions are, in some cases, vague, and concerns about practice are not clearly recorded. This makes it difficult to monitor and address the concerns if they persist over time or come up again in the future. There is a new supervision recording system, but it is so new that the impact of it is not evident yet.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of physical intervention are recorded well and reviewed by managers. In one case, a child spoke of hip and wrist pain following restraint. The registered manager consulted the child’s social worker and looked at ways that the child could be held, when this is needed, without causing this pain. The child was included in this process. This is Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 3 clearly recorded in the child’s records so that staff are aware of the methods to be used. However, there has not been a thorough follow-up with the doctor to try and find out if there is an underlying cause to the pain that needs to be addressed. It is positive that such a quick and clear response was made to look at how the child can be held safely, but her health needs have not been fully addressed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

When children move on from the home, the registered manager, at times, prompts and chases appropriate plans for their future care. Staff support the children with the moves, for example by taking them to their new placements and helping them to settle in. The staff also help new children to move into and settle into this home. This support can make the process less traumatic and more successful for the children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/07/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good

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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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 30/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 4 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1)(3)) 15/03/2019

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Recommendations

 Children’s homes staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. When children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10) In particular, encourage children to seek medical advice on health issues that they report.  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and their placing authority, must include details of the steps that the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33(4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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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 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. Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 5 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: 4th Floor, Waterfront Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RH

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Inspectors

Clive Lucas, social care inspector Natalie Burton, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: 1257796 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 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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