Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 1 SC457506

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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

This children’s home is owned by private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The registered manager is not in operation in the home.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged declined in effectiveness at the interim inspection on 17 January 2019. Following this inspection, Ofsted issued the provider with two compliance notices under section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. The compliance notices were issued in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out an unannounced visit to the home on 19 February 2019 to monitor the actions that the provider has taken to comply with the notices. There was one child in placement at the time of the monitoring visit. The registered manager was not in operation. The inspector identified poor practice relating to care planning, safeguarding and risk assessments. This poor practice does not demonstrate that the young person’s safety, welfare and progress are prioritised. In addition, the leadership and management of the home are poor and insufficient action has been taken to meet the two compliance notices issued following the last interim inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Safeguarding practice in this home is not sufficiently robust and does not promote the safety and welfare of the young person. Staff have failed to demonstrate that they had consistently followed child protection procedures to address safeguarding concerns. The protection of children compliance notice required the provider to ensure that staff have the ability to identify risks and take effective action to reduce the risk of harm. Risk assessments have been devised to identify risk factors. Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 2 However, not all staff had read the assessments or were able to demonstrate what action is required when the young person is at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

There continues to be a lack of management oversight of risk management. The manager was not aware that staff had not read young people’s risk assessments and she had not evaluated or signed documentation from a recent missing-from-home incident. As a result, she had not identified that staff had not followed the correct actions to keep the young person safe.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has taken steps to ensure that the premises are safely maintained.

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This monitoring visit

The leadership and management compliance notice required the provider to ensure that there is a manager in day-to-day charge of the home and that there are clear arrangements in place to maintain effective management when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager is not operational in the home, and the interim management arrangements are weak. The provider made the decision to move another registered manager within the company to cover the management arrangements in this home. This manager is responsible for two other homes in the organisation. This has hindered her ability to have full managerial oversight of this home and to be in day-to-day charge.

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This monitoring visit

In the absence of a registered manager, staff have lacked the necessary oversight, guidance and support to work effectively with the young person. There have been failings in management oversight and monitoring of the home. Consequently, areas of weakness have not been identified and decisive action not taken to resolve these issues. These shortfalls meant that there were significant gaps in the care and safety provided to the young person and the effective or immediate action taken when incidents arose.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to ensure that robust systems are in place for monitoring in the home. The manager acknowledged during the inspection that she had not carried out an audit since she has been responsible for the home. As a result, during this inspection shortfalls were identified that she had not identified prior to the inspection.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has failed to lead and manage the home in a way which is consistent with the home’s Statement of Purpose. Since the interim inspection, it is reported that there has been a decline in the young person’s progress and an increase in his challenging behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

During the monitoring visit, further shortfalls were identified in that not all staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of the young person. Only three of the current staff team, including the manager, have obtained their level 3 qualification. Staff work alone at night. Consequently, staff who are not qualified and Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 3 do not have the necessary skills or experience are working in the home on their own.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have attended training in safeguarding and behaviour management. However, some staff remain unclear on the actions required to manage behaviour or do not demonstrate that they have followed the strategies in place when the young person goes missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

Instability in the management and staff team has caused low morale and confusion among staff and concerns for the young person. These include reports of a decline in the young person’s progress and that he is unsettled with the staff changes, further that he likes to know who is coming on shift but, because staff are also unsure about who is coming in and going off, as the staff keep changing, they cannot tell him. This does not demonstrate a stable home environment for the young person or support him to develop positive relationships with a consistent staff team.

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This monitoring visit

The provider does not keep the Statement of Purpose up to date with staff changes. The Statement of Purpose submitted in January 2019 does not reflect the current staff team. This does not ensure transparency about staffing arrangements in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Furthermore, the provider does not ensure that a full record is kept of any action taken and responses to complaints made by young people. The manager was unable to find a record of whether the young person had been informed of the outcome of a complaint that they had made or whether the actions recommended as an outcome of the complaint had been undertaken. Requirements have been made to address the shortfalls identified during this inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted has reissued two compliance notices in relation to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and issued a restriction notice. Three further requirements have been made. A further unannounced inspection will take place to continue to monitor the quality of care provided.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/07/2018 Full Inadequate 17/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 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 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–

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(c)(e)) 08/03/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revision and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) 08/03/2019

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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)) 08/03/2019 Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 5

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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: 4th floor, Waterfront Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, London, Middlesex W6 9RH

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Inspector(s)

Sarah Billett, social care inspector Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report for children's home – monitoring visit: SC457506 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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