Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 1 SC456719 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

The home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to six children and young people who have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties and who require high levels of support. One of the placements is facilitated in a separate annex. This is currently not in use.

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Information about this children’s home

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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are not being kept safe in this home. One child has moved on from the home in an unplanned way following a serious incident involving another child living in the home. At the time that the children moved into the home, robust risk assessments and strategies were not in place. Consistent guidance about acceptable behaviours has not been given to children from the start of their placements.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been an increase in missing-from-home incidents since the last inspection. There has also been an increase in substance misuse by two children. This has resulted in more aggressive behaviours, more damage to property and more challenging behaviours. Staff have not consistently followed agreed risk management strategies and there has not been effective behaviour management practice. There has also been poor Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 2 oversight of staff practice by managers.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is growing concern that two children are at signficant risk of criminal exploitation. One child moved on from the home in an unplanned way because staff and specialist services were not able to reduce his level of vulnerability. This was not a good outcome. The second child remains subject to negative influences by peers in the community. He continues to place himself at risk by going missing from the home. Independent return interviews, which may have informed interventions to reduce missing from home incidents, have not been undertaken in a timely way. There has been an increase in reports to the police of criminal behaviour by this child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During the inspection, information, that had not been reported to managers, was identified that raised additional concerns about the safety of a child. Child protection procedures had not been followed. As a result, staff and other professionals were unable to accurately assess risk to the child. This has now been responded to by senior managers. There are plans in place to ensure the immediate safety and welfare of the child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes to the staff team. There are several staff vacancies. Interim staffing cover has been arranged, but a lack of staff consistency has exacerbated inconsistent behaviour management approaches.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff, professionals and children reported that there have been regular occasions when staff are on duty who are new to the children. This means that children are not receiving continuity of care from familiar staff. There has been little individual work with children. On the day of the inspection, an agency member of staff was on duty who had not worked in the home before. One child said: ‘I do not want a member of staff I do not know taking me to school and collecting me.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been changes to the management team. The deputy manager has been seconded to another home. The registered manager has given notice and is currently not in work. As a result, staff and children are experiencing additional disruption. Staff have not received regular supervision, which means there has not been meaningful oversight of practice by managers.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers have not monitored the quality of care effectively. Record-keeping is not to the required standard. One child’s records were missing essential information from the local authority. A social worker reported that she was not receiving up-to-date information about significant events in a timely way. Medication administration records do not support an accurate assessment of, or effective response to, children’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff require additional training in preventing peer-to-peer harm and in the risks associated with the use of digital technology. One child reported inconsistent practice by staff in respect of the monitoring of mobile phones when there are known risks. Staff also require refresher training in child protection procedures, including their individual responsibility to report concerns and take effective action when a child is at risk of harm. Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 3 Managers have recently recruited staff and are in the process of recruiting a new home manager. In the meantime, a manager has been seconded to the home to support improvement and stability. Senior managers have reported that they will carefully manage admissions to the home while undertaking a robust review of practice and provide essential training and support for staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/07/2018 Full Good 09/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, 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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; 30/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 4 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v) (vi)(vii))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(e)) 30/04/2019

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d)(e)) 30/04/2019

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 30/04/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 5 registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Recommendations

 Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.5)

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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.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 6 Responsible individual: Jolanda Brookes

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Inspector(s)

Cathey Moriarty, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456719 7 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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