Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warrington

Assurance visit report: SC456800 1 SC456800

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Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a large national provider of children’s homes. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered for this home on 29 April 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection date: 26 November 2019

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Information about this children’s home

Previous inspection judgement: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this visit

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), Ofsted suspended all routine inspections in March 2020. As part of a phased return to routine inspection, we are undertaking assurance visits to children’s social care services that are inspected under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF).

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Information about this visit

At these visits, inspectors evaluate the extent to which:

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Information about this visit

 children are well cared for  children are safe  leaders and managers are exercising strong leadership.

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Information about this visit

This visit was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000, following the published guidance for assurance visits.

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Information about this visit

Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills is leading Ofsted’s work into how England’s social care system has delivered child-centred practice and care within the context of the restrictions placed on society during the COVID-19 pandemic. Assurance visit report: SC456800 2

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Findings from the visit

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance visit.

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The care of children

Children and staff have positive relationships. Staff provide children with individualised care that meets their assessed needs. Children benefit from suitable daily routines, structure and consistent boundaries.

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The care of children

Children continue to keep in touch with their families during the COVID-19 restrictions. With the easing of these restrictions, staff have supported children to spend time with their families, where this has been possible. When there are difficulties in children seeing their families, the manager and staff make every effort to sort things out.

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The care of children

Staff promote and support children’s learning. Both children have returned to education. A child’s teachers reported that he is engaging well, now working at a higher level than expected and more likely to gain qualifications. Staff and education providers work together effectively to provide children with individualised support that meets their learning needs and deals with any barriers to education.

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The care of children

Staff monitor children’s emotional well-being carefully and seek professional advice when necessary. Staff’s use of a sleep and incentive programme has helped to improve a child’s emotional health. The child now has a better daily routine, takes part in education, attends health appointments and does things that he enjoys, such as playing football and going to the gym.

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The care of children

Children can talk to staff about their worries about the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff provide children with reassurance. They help children understand the restrictions placed on their lives and how to keep safe and healthy. Staff help children understand the world around them. Children and staff watch the news together, and children share their views freely about national issues, including COVID-19, racism and religious bullying.

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The care of children

Staff understand and monitor children’s health needs. They make sure that children receive safe and effective advice, support and treatment. Children are developing healthier lifestyles. They enjoy healthy and nutritious diets and are physically active. Staff are helping a child to stop smoking, including arranging telephone consultations for the child with the stop-smoking clinic.

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The safety of children

Staff know how to identify and manage risks to protect children from significant harm. Staff support children to manage their own safety inside and outside the home. They are helping children to become safer from the risks of using technology, substance misuse, criminal exploitation and harmful relationships. Assurance visit report: SC456800 3 Staff recognise the signs of abuse and exploitation. They take appropriate action when they have serious concerns about children’s safety.

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The safety of children

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities when a child is missing from the home. They work tirelessly to find the child and encourage them to return home. They have worked effectively with local authorities, the police and safeguarding agencies to find children. The risk of children going missing from home has reduced significantly.

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The safety of children

The children are listened to by managers and staff, who respond appropriately. Children’s concerns about how they are treated by staff are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. Managers use the learning from investigations to improve practice.

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The safety of children

Staff deal with incidents of challenging behaviour safely. They understand that children may communicate their feelings through their behaviour. Staff think about what is happening in the child’s life at the time and what they can do to help the child. The use of incentives for positive behaviour is helping children manage their feelings and frustrations constructively. Children have recognised that things have improved. They are getting on better with adults and are better at walking away from situations to calm down.

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The safety of children

Children live in a safe environment. The house is well maintained and protects children from avoidable hazards to their health.

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Leaders and managers

The manager is very experienced and suitably qualified. The manager and deputy manager are an effective leadership team. They have dealt with the restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic appropriately.

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Leaders and managers

The manager has made the necessary improvements to the quality of care children receive and met the requirements made at the last inspection.

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Leaders and managers

The manager and staff are resilient. They place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice, regardless of the challenges that they may present. The manager and staff have worked persistently to build positive relationships with children and their families. The manager and staff work together successfully to find ways to help children make measurable progress.

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Leaders and managers

Children’s plans have continued to be followed and reviewed regularly. The manager and staff have strong relationships with partner agencies. They work together effectively to identify and meet children’s needs consistently, including their cultural and faith needs.

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Leaders and managers

An experienced and qualified staff team has provided continuity of care for children during the COVID-19 outbreak. There are enough suitable staff available to respond Assurance visit report: SC456800 4 flexibly to any unexpected changes. The manager has made sure that children are always looked after by staff who know them well.

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Leaders and managers

The manager provides staff with the right support, advice and guidance. Staff receive regular practice-related supervision, which enables them to reflect on their practice and children’s progress and to identify learning needs.

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Leaders and managers

The manager uses monitoring and review systems to have a detailed understanding of the effect that the quality of care provided in the home is having on children’s progress and experiences. The manager has used this understanding to inform practice and find new and better ways to support children. For example, the introduction of a targeted incentive system has enabled children to learn to manage their feelings and frustrations safely, take part in education and activities, gain a sense of achievement and improve their emotional well-being.

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Leaders and managers

The lack of consultation with children, families, professionals and other partners about the quality of care provided by the home is limiting the manager’s understanding of the home’s strengths, children’s experiences and areas for development.

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Leaders and managers

Safer recruitment practice is not consistently robust. In particular, the manager does not always obtain documentary evidence of new staff’s qualifications relevant to their job.

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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, the 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 31/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC456800 5 (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that documentary evidence of any qualifications that the person considers relevant for the position is obtained. When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the independent person seeks the views of placing authorities and external professionals to assist them in making their assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. 31/10/2020

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 45 (1)(2)(5)) 31/10/2020 Assurance visit report: SC456800 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 Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Assurance visit report: SC456800 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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