Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Wolverhampton

Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 1 SC359846 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full 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. It is registered for five young people. The home provides care for young people who have been though adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and presenting complex behaviours. The home does not have a registered manager. However, a manager has been appointed who is in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 1 and 2 May 2019. Serious safeguarding failings were identified by the inspector. A compliance notice was issued under leadership and management. Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 2 On 3 June 2019, Ofsted undertook a monitoring visit. The inspector found that the manager and staff had not met the compliance notice issued at the last full inspection. The inspector identified that there were escalating and serious shortfalls in safeguarding, behaviour management and monitoring and reviewing the home. Ofsted served a suspension notice and issued a compliance notice.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 15 July 2019, Ofsted undertook a further monitoring visit. The inspector found that the manager and staff had failed to meet both the compliance notice and eight of the nine requirements set at the last full inspection. Consequently, the suspension notice remained in place.

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 29 August 2019, Ofsted undertook a monitoring inspection, and the manager and staff had addressed all the shortfalls. Subsequently, the suspension notice was lifted. Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/05/2019 Full Inadequate 07/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 17/04/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/02/2018 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. (Regulation 8(1)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that–

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10(1)(a), (2)(c)) 28/02/2020

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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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 28/02/2020

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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– 28/02/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 5 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(h)) The care planning standard is that children–

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)) 28/02/2020

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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 date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result 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)(iii)(viii)(b)(i)) 28/02/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which– include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)) 28/02/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.). However, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see Regulations 12(2)(c)). Under Regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 6 suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 7

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improvement to be good

Staff have registered all the young people with relevant health services. However, they do not keep up-to-date health plans for young people. During the inspection, the manager was not sure if one young person had any outstanding health needs. This does not promote this young person’s health.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager are now proactive in ensuring that all young people are accessing school or private tutoring. They have established good working relationships with teachers and tutors, which means that they are kept up to date about young people’s academic progress. However, staff do not consistently ensure that the young people get up in good time to start their school day on time. Although young people are now making small steps of progress with their learning, they are not yet making measurable progress towards meeting their individual set targets.

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improvement to be good

The home’s environment has significantly improved since the last inspection. Communal areas of the home have been redecorated and now provide a warm and welcoming environment for children. However, staff do not ensure that young people’s bedrooms are kept clean and reasonably tidy. Subsequently, young people’s bedrooms do not always provide a cosy environment where young people can relax and unwind at the end of a busy day.

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improvement to be good

Young people new to the home have received practical support to help them to move in and settle quickly. However, the manager did not request further information from the placing authority when it was highlighted that one young person had been involved in some risk-taking behaviours. This lack of professional curiosity has the potential to undermine otherwise good care planning.

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improvement to be good

Young people have opportunities to express their wishes and feelings through participating in key-work sessions, having access to advocacy services and spending quality time with staff. They are involved in the day-to-day running of the home and feel valued.

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improvement to be good

Members of the organisation’s clinical team visit the home regularly and support staff and young people effectively. This promotes young people’s emotional well-being. As a result, young people are more able to regulate their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Staff use restraint only as a last resort to keep young people safe. However, staff do not always record the duration of each restraint and whether the young person sustained any injuries. In addition, managers do not consistently undertake staff debriefings Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 8 following incidents of restraints. These shortfalls do not promote young people’s safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

The manager has recently reviewed the home’s safer area report. However, it is not clear whether the manager has consulted with partner agencies to get up-to-date information and is aware of the current risk factors in the locality. In addition, this means that staff and young people do not have adequate information and guidance about the measures that they can use to keep safe when spending time in the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not carry out regular checks on some food that is kept in the fridge. As a result, it is not clear whether all food products are within their use-by dates. If unaddressed, this shortfall has the potential to compromise young people’s and staff’s health.

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improvement to be good

Young people do not receive good support from staff to understand the risks posed by accessing the internet. As a result, they are not equipped with information about how to keep themselves safe online.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff understand and follow safeguarding policies and procedures. For example, the manager responds promptly and robustly when allegations are made. In addition, when young people go missing from the home the staff take time to understand why, where they went and whether they suffered any harm during that time. Young people also have the opportunity to talk to someone independent on their return to the home. Young people’s missing-from-home incidents have significantly reduced since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

The home has not had any new staff since the last inspection. Newly recruited staff are still undergoing their safer recruitment checks and are not yet working at the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff and the manager are now managing young people’s behaviour better. They are using restorative practice more effectively to help them to understand the impact that their behaviour has on themselves and other people. Young people are more accepting of boundaries and adhere to these boundaries. This promotes young people’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s monitoring of the home has improved and work is ongoing to support further improvement. However, shortfalls remain. For example, the manager did not ensure that all recommendations raised by the home’s fire risk assessment had been acted on within the set timescales. This was addressed during the inspection. In addition, the manager does not always monitor the consequences that staff impose on young people. As a result, it is not clear that she satisfies herself that these are appropriate, proportionate and effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff do not always keep young people’s records up to date and ensure that these contain accurate information. This does not help to ensure that young people have clear records to look back on and that staff have access to current information. Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 9 Staff receive regular supervision and have had an appraisal. They also undertake specialist training to help them to understand and meet young people’s specific needs. Staff told the inspector that they feel supported by the manager and senior managers. Staff morale is improving and they are working more effectively as a team. This improves the consistency of care that the young people receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Senior managers recognised the shortfalls identified during the inspection and have a development plan to continue to improve the quality of care given to young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 10

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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 difference 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: SC359846 11

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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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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC359846 12 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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