Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 1 SC457506

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Cambian Childcare LTD

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to two children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

An assurance visit took place on 13 October 2020. This visit identified significant shortfalls in practice relating to the leadership and management of the home, the protection of children and care planning. Three compliance notices were issued as a result of this visit.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place on 2 December 2020. The purpose of this monitoring visit was to assess the progress made by the provider to meet the three compliance notices issued. These relate to regulation 12, the protection of children standard; regulation 13, the leadership and management standard; and regulation 14, care planning. At this visit, the inspector found that the provider had not taken sufficient steps to improve practice in the home and the leadership and management is weak.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager failed to demonstrate a clear understanding of her role and responsibilities. Action to address concerns are reactionary and not always shared with all team members. Likewise, amended guidance for staff is contradictory and confusing, leading to inconsistent care. During discussions with the registered manager, she was unable to reasonably validate her decision-making process other than as a response to crisis situations. This lack of leadership and vision creates a chaotic environment for children.

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This monitoring visit

The staffing of the home remains inconsistent. There is a high turn over of staff. Children are regularly cared for by staff from the organisation’s other children’s homes and bank staff. Duty rosters are confusing because they are frequently Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 2 changed. This means that children are unclear who will be providing their care each day. Likewise, the registered manager is rostered to spend a considerable amount of time at a different home. Consequently, staff are reliant on the guidance of a deputy manager who has limited managerial experience. The failure to ensure that the home is operated with a strong, stable and consistent team does not support children to form trusting relationships with staff.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team had the opportunity to understand the home’s shortfalls through the attendance of a team meeting and inspection debrief. Records demonstrate that the team voiced concerns regarding inconsistent staff and the decision to place a child when the home was already unsettled. As a result, children’s placements broke down and their placements ended. The registered manager failed to recognise the impact of the shortfalls on the children living in the home and the views of staff, and defended her decision to admit a child during a time of crisis.

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This monitoring visit

Community complaints about the home are now managed by a liaison officer appointed by the organisation. The registered manager is provided with the responses to all complaints but is not directly involved in the management and oversight of them.

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This monitoring visit

The admission procedures for the home is flawed. While some work has taken place to develop the admissions process, information is confusing and contradictory. For example, the responsible individual’s understanding of the admission process is different to that of the registered manager and the protocol held in the home. The registered manager failed to demonstrate any learning from previous failed placements, unsuitable matching and the impact this had on the children living in the home. Consequently, without a suitable robust admission procedure, the home continues to be at risk of accepting inappropriate placements.

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This monitoring visit

Despite a requirement being made at the last assurance visit, door locks in communal areas of the home remain in place. The use of locks is to purposefully restrict children’s access to areas of their home. This practice does not promote a homely and nurturing environment.

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This monitoring visit

The protection of children in the home remains poor. Risk assessments do not provide structured guidance to staff. This is because assessments are regularly changed and consequently, contradict any previous guidance. For example, the missing-from-home risk assessment states that staff should follow the child should they leave the home. However, the missing-from-home plan states that the child is allowed free time and should only be reported missing should they not return at the agreed time. This lack of clarity compromises the safety of children.

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This monitoring visit

The steps to reduce risk are inconsistent and are hindered by the lack of a reliable and stable staff team. Where risks are identified, such as a child being at risk of exploitation and using a mobile phone to contact unknown adults, immediate action is not taken. The registered manager said, ‘I do not have the powers to remove the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 3 child’s phone.’ Consequently, this lack of effective action results in children remaining at risk of harm. The registered manager’s lack of understanding of her role in promoting robust safeguarding practice compromises her role and responsibility to the children placed in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Although staff are reported to have completed a range of online training courses, the registered manager could not provide the evidence of this training. The registered manager initially stated that all staff had completed safeguarding training, which included a safeguarding quiz to assess their knowledge and understanding. However, the registered manager was unable to provide any evidence to support this and later stated that they had not undertaken the course. The failure to prioritise the understanding of safeguarding practice within the team is an ongoing concern.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager’s lack of understanding with regard to the shortfalls in the care and protection of children is of concern. The registered manager demonstrated a superficial knowledge of safeguarding practice. Throughout discussions with the inspector, she was evasive, appeared confused and was unable to explain the risk reduction process.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/10/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/06/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 17/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

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)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(b)) 01 January 2021

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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 promotes their welfare. 01 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

*The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; 01 January 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 6 manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the kitchen and lounge should not be locked as part of routine and locks need to be removed from these doors. 01 January 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 8 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 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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