Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bedford

Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 organisation runs this home for up to four children who have experienced trauma. The manager of the home has been in post since October 2018. She 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 19 September 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/09/2018 Full Good 18/05/2017 Full Good 24/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)) 31/12/2019

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Recommendations

 Ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) In particular, when recruiting staff, make concerted efforts to gather information on any safeguarding or disciplinary issues when previous employers only offer brief information.  The home’s records on each child should represent a significant contribution to their life history. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5) In particular, ensure that the language used in records relating to children makes Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 4 clear that responsibility for abuse lies with the perpetrator and not the child.  The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover

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Recommendations

the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13) In particular, ensure that, in the absence of the manager, the notification is sent to Ofsted without delay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a positive environment for children. The children make progress because of the care that they receive. An external professional said, ‘We have seen a real, vast improvement in [the child] and risk has lowered.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children receive specialist help from clinicians. This enables the children to explore issues that have an impact on their health and well-being. A professional said, in respect of one child, ‘The staff have intervened effectively and stabilised her.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children have opportunities to try new things. Children have joined gyms and theatre clubs. They have also been on holidays. All the children have contributed to an upcoming art exhibition in a nearby town. These opportunities help children to increase their confidence, widen their social circles and develop their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children make progress with their education. They attend regularly, in uniform and on time. This is significant progress for children who previously were refusing to attend school.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff work with local authorities to enable children to spend time with their families. Some children have developed new relationships with extended family members. Other children have experienced improvements in their existing familial relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The language used in some records could be seen to imply that children are responsible for the abuse that they have experienced. This increases the risk of victim blaming.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The children are safer because of the care provided. Professionals said that risks are reducing.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children go missing, the staff and managers actively look for them. A professional said, ‘When [the child] was missing, we had daily updates. We had a number of strategy Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 5 meetings that the staff were always available for. Their whole response was very positive, and the communication was fantastic.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The staff help the children to manage issues such as self-harm. The staff receive training from clinicians to enable them to understand the needs and experiences of the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been few instances of physical intervention since the last inspection. The staff manage behaviour well because of the relationships that they have built with the children.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers do not ensure that recruitment records provide assurance that sufficient efforts are made to challenge previous employers who provide limited references. This lessens the potential for prior employment issues to be explored and any associated risks mitigated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An enthusiastic management team manages the home effectively. The management team has a comprehensive understanding of the children, their needs and their experiences. Managers understand the plans for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers ensure that staff receive supervision and have access to relevant training opportunities. The availability of the clinical team to provide ad hoc training sessions is positive. This enables a responsive approach to new and emerging issues. However, one member of staff has not attained a suitable level 3 qualification in the requisite timeframe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are reflective and keen to learn. They encourage staff to behave in the same way. The modelling of this behaviour has a positive effect on the children, who are also beginning to reflect on their behaviours and experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

In one instance, the management team did not ensure that a notification was made to Ofsted in a timely manner. This affects Ofsted’s ability to regulate the service. However, management actions to safeguard children were appropriate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team has strong relationships with external professionals. Feedback from professionals is very positive. Comments included:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

 ‘The staff work really well with the local authority and really well with the young person.’  ‘I have found that it there are boundaries with kindness and warmth. The flexible team is very child-focused.’  ‘You feel welcomed and part of a whole package of support wrapped around the young person.’

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Information about this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 6 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: 1230416 7

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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 W6 9RU

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Inspector

Ashley Hinson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1230416 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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