Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 1 SC457175 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 owned by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager‟s post is currently vacant.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 22 January 2019

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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 requires improvement to be 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

There has been a new admission to the home since the last inspection. The child was not able to visit the home prior to admission. Leaders and managers were unable to evidence how the child‟s risks and needs had been assessed comprehensively to show that the home could care for the child safely.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There was no assessment of the impact and risk to the child of being placed in the locality of the home. A bus route near the home goes directly to the child‟s home area, where she has previously been found after being reported missing.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments do not consider current known risks. Some risks are not assessed that are highlighted in the child‟s relevant plans or shared at the initial placement meeting, including risks regarding the child‟s emotional and mental well-being and self-reported Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 2 risk-taking behaviours while missing from home. These risks have not been adequately assessed by the management team and consequently no support strategies are identified for staff to follow in supporting the child. This reduces the ability of staff at the home to recognise new risks or to take agreed steps to keep the child safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The risk assessments that are in place do not provide specific guidance and strategies for staff to follow to support the child effectively and keep her safe. For example, a risk management plan fails to provide enough guidance for staff around the use of social media, other than she must be supervised for one hour per day. Risk management plans also refer to support from a clinician. However, there is no evidence to support that it is available for the child to access currently.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child has been reported missing from the home seven times since her arrival, including overnight and for several days at a time. Staff follow procedures and share information with other safeguarding agencies. They have tried to engage the child in activities that she enjoys. Although she has positively engaged at times, this has not been successful in preventing her from going missing regularly.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home uses door alarms to alert staff if the child leaves the home. However, there is no written consent from the placing authority for their use. There are always two staff on shift, due to assessed risks. Previously, they would look for the child together if she went missing. Staff are now responding to advice from multi-agency meetings to change this approach, to increase the likelihood of locating the child to bring her home safely.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff undertake direct work with the child after episodes of going missing. However, they do not complete further work in response to information the child provides about risk- taking behaviours or risks posed by people with whom she associates while missing from the home. This means that the child is not being helped to understand risks to her safety or how she can keep herself safe.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child was arrested after an incident in the home. The manager failed to provide support to the child during a prolonged period of custody, despite her young age. The manager also failed to challenge the police‟s view that the child should remain in custody due to a high risk of going missing. This is despite high levels of staffing in place to support the child at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

On one occasion, an incident occurred during which staff members needed to physically intervene to prevent the child from causing damage in the home and harm to others. A member of staff was assaulted. Managers could not confirm whether an agency worker involved in the incident was trained in the organisation‟s preferred methods of physical intervention. Records do not show that any work was undertaken by staff to help the child to understand her actions or how her behaviour might affect her future life opportunities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

During this incident, a member of the public, known to a staff member, entered the property to offer support. At the time of the inspection, no investigation of the circumstances of why the member of the public was present had taken place. There was Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 3 no debrief with the member of staff, analysis of the effect of the member of the public‟s presence on the child‟s protection, welfare or privacy, or plan to prevent a similar incident occurring in the future.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positively, the child has recently started to attend one of the provider‟s schools, which she says that she enjoys. She likes to spend time with peers and says that she would prefer to live in a home with other children. The staff are persistent in trying to build relationships with the child, and provide nurturing care, but this is hindered by the child‟s frequent missing episodes.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has recently left her post. A new manager was identified but is unable to take up the post and the provider is therefore in the process of recruiting a replacement. The deputy manager will be the acting manager until the new manager is in post, supported by the responsible individual. She has recently commenced management training to support her understanding of her roles and responsibilities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager had been providing leadership in the home in the absence of the previous manager due to sickness but was still working shifts as a member of the team. The responsible individual has identified the need for the deputy manager to work regular days to support the stable and highly committed team. The team is experienced and communicates well. Staff have requested refresher training to support their understanding and skills to meet the needs of the child placed. The responsible individual confirmed that this is to be arranged to ensure that staff can meet the specific needs of the child more confidently.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This interim inspection was undertaken in response to the high number of safeguarding notifications received by Ofsted. The due date of previously set requirements had not yet expired. An action plan was recently completed by the deputy manager and responsible individual to address the requirements.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/07/2016 Full Good Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 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 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

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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(v))

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Requirement Due date

This is in relation to ensuring that all risks for the child, including those identified in relevant plans, are assessed clearly, and management plans clearly specify the actions staff need to take in response to presenting risks and behaviours. Staff need to help the child to understand how to keep safe and how the child‟s behaviour may affect future life opportunities. 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children‟s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard). (Regulation 46(1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this should be reviewed in relation to a child being considered for admission and that any specific risks in the locality are considered as part of the assessment of suitability of the placement. 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

Receive effectively planned care in or through the children‟s 14/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 5 home.

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that a comprehensive assessment is made to ensure that the home is a suitable placement for a child prior to admission, based on the child‟s presenting risks. If the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority‟s or a relevant person‟s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child‟s needs are met in accordance with the child‟s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, staff should challenge the police about a child being detained in custody due to a high risk of going missing. 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child‟s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance (Regulation 24(1)(b)) 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure

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Requirement Due date

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”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, if a member of staff is involved in a restraint, the recorded incident should be evaluated for the effectiveness of the measure by another manager. Debriefs with staff are necessary to ensure quality of practice and that any further investigations can be identified. 14/04/2019

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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— 14/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 6 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. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This refers particularly to ensuring that staff receive refresher training to ensure that they are confident in their knowledge and skills and that leaders and managers can evidence that any agency staff have suitable training in physical intervention. Leaders and managers should ensure that investigations into incidents that compromise a child‟s privacy and welfare are completed in a timely manner. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child‟s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child‟s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child‟s behaviour, in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child‟s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child‟s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child‟s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be 14/04/2019 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 7 supportive or harmful (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)) The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‟s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and the registered provider—

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Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership (Regulation 27(1)(a)(b)(i)) 14/04/2019

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Requirement Due date

* This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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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: Cambian Childcare Limited, 4th Floor, Waterfront, Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, London W6 9RH

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: post vacant Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 8

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Inspector

Karen Willson, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC457175 9 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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