Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 1 SC456850 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 privately operated children’s home provides care and accommodation for one child who may need support with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. There has been no registered manager in post since February 2019. Prior to the last inspection, the home had been managed by a number of acting managers. At the time of the last full inspection, a new manager had been appointed. She is suitably qualified and experienced and has submitted an application to be registered.

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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 declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last full inspection, three children have lived in the home. Transitions for children moving in and out of the home are poor. Children do not move in and out of the home in a planned way. The two most recent children admitted to live in the home were not able to visit the home or meet with the manager or staff before they moved in. The two most recent children who left the home did so in crisis. There were no transition plans for any of the most recent admissions and discharges to the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact risk assessments lack sufficient information and consideration of all known risks. The referral information for one child evidenced daily self-harm and the use of ligatures. Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 2 The impact risk assessment, completed by the manager, under the heading of self-harm stated ‘none’. Further concerns in the referral information that were not considered in the impact risk assessment include the child’s low self-esteem and vulnerability to sexual exploitation. The manager has failed to robustly assess the needs of children, including risk factors, and how these will be met by staff at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following a recent admission, plans for a child have not yet been put in place which ensure that staff understand the child’s care needs and day-to-day routines. For example, the child has asthma and requires the use of an inhaler. A risk assessment to detail that the child understands how to store and manage her inhaler is incorrect, having not been updated following changes. As a result, her inhaler is not stored in line with recorded information to ensure that staff could access it if they needed to in an emergency.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The managers and staff have demonstrated a lack of understanding in relation to their roles and responsibilities in protecting children and have not always taken effective action when there is a concern about children’s welfare. They have made serious errors in decision-making that have placed children at risk of harm. In one example, the risk level for a child with a known history of fire setting was reduced from high risk to low risk. This was despite the child continuing to smoke in the home, including in her bedroom, and refusing to hand lighters in to staff. The child set a fire in her bedroom, and as a result the child’s placement was ended.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Risk assessments reviewed during the inspection did not contain sufficient information about all known risks to children such as child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation, fire setting and self-injurious behaviour. For example, one child has a history of self-injurious behaviour, including the use of ligatures. However, the child’s risk assessment does not include the risk of ligature use. The systems for assessing and recording the level of risk are poor and they fail to accurately reflect the actual level of risk.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Furthermore, some risk management strategies in the children’s risk assessments were weak and not being followed. For example, one child’s risk assessment identified that regular, planned sessions should take place in relation to fire setting and the child did not have any sessions relating to fire setting during the time that she lived at the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Serious safeguarding information disclosed to staff by one child, in relation to involvement in child sexual exploitation, was not acted on or shared with relevant professionals to ensure that strategies were in place to manage the risks to the child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspectors found that the registered provider’s oversight of care planning and risk management has declined in effectiveness. Some records relating to the care and safety of children were found to be insufficiently detailed. The monitoring systems in place had not identified these shortfalls. Prior to children coming to stay in the home, managers completed limited assessments about the suitability of the placement. Specifically, the risks children faced and if the staff had the skills and experience to keep children safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 3 Instability in the management and staffing at the home has resulted in a lack of consistency for children living at the home. There have been five acting managers since the last registered manager left the home. Furthermore, due to a number of staff leaving the home, children have regularly been cared for by bank staff. At the time of the inspection, the home was staffed only by bank staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Several requirements from the last inspection had not been met, and further evidence of serious safeguarding concerns has resulted in compliance notices being served by the regulator.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 18/12/2017 Full 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 health and well-being standard is that the health and well- being needs of children are met; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff help each child to achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in 29/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 4 relation to the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 10 (1)(2)(i)(ii)) *The protection of children standard 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 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; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b)) 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that 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 lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(e)(h)) 29/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard In order to meet the care planning standard the registered person must ensure that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. 29/11/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 5 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)(2))

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Jessica Forshaw, social care inspector Lisa Mulcahy, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456850 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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