Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report children’s home: SC457175 1 SC457175 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home is registered to provide care for one child who may have emotional and/or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector did not have the opportunity to speak with the child during this inspection.

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Inspection date: 10 March 2020

Date of last inspection: 18 September 2019

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Inspection date: 10 March 2020

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC457175 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s stability increases when they move into this home. As a result, the child living at the home is settled, happy and has started to make noticeable progress in many areas of his life.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positive relationships, effective direct-work sessions and ongoing staff support are helping the child to make safer choices and thus increase his welfare and safety.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The child is benefiting from being involved in activities that he enjoys, such as boxing, which enhances his self-esteem, improves his fitness and diverts him from unsafe behaviour.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite this, some shortfalls in safeguarding practice continue. Risk assessments lack clear strategies for managing risk. For example, when the staff suspect that a child is under the influence of a substance, they do not routinely undertake regular monitoring to ensure that the child is safe and well.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Additionally, some risk management strategies are not being regularly reviewed to ensure that they are appropriate and not restricting the child’s access to some areas of the home unnecessarily. In particular, the staff routinely lock the kitchen door at night, both as a safeguarding measure and to deter unhealthy eating. However, consideration has not been given to how this measure could present as a fire hazard by restricting access to a fire escape.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Although there has been some improvement in the child’s education since the last inspection, poor routines continue to hinder the child’s educational progress and outcomes. Furthermore, the manager has not challenged the placing authority or school when they have failed to fulfil their statutory roles, such as reviewing and implementing the child’s education plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s plans to refurbish the outside of the home have not progressed as intended. As a result, outstanding maintenance issues are undermining the welcoming and homely feeling of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager’s monitoring of the home can improve to ensure that she has strong oversight of the home’s records and the staff’s safeguarding practice. Consequently, the requirement raised at the last inspection under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, has been repeated. Inspection report children’s home: SC457175 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/09/2019 Full Good 06/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 22/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/10/2017 Full Good 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

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

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that children’s education plans are both updated in line with statutory guidance and implemented. 17/04/2020

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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.

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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 child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers. (Regulation 8(1), (2)(a)(i)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to ensuring that there are good routines in place to help to improve children’s attendance and engagement with their education. 17/04/2020

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard. 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; 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. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(vi)(b)) 17/04/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC457175 5 This is specifically in relation to ensuring that all risk management strategies are clearly recorded in the child’s risk assessments and consistently followed; and that all risk management strategies are regularly reviewed. Additionally, the staff must seek expert guidance and monitor children when they suspect that they are under the influence of a

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Requirement Due date

substance. 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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This is specifically in relation to improving the manager’s monitoring of the child’s risk assessments and her evaluation of the staff’s safeguarding practice. 17/04/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and welcoming environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, refurbish the outside of the house to enhance the welcoming and homely environment.

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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

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC457175 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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

Marina Tully, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457175 7 to 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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