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

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

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This monitoring visit

The home received an assurance visit on 13 October 2020. This visit identified a number of significant shortfalls in practice pertaining to the leadership and management, the protection of children and care planning standards. Three compliance notices were issued as a result of this visit to address the shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

On 2 December 2020, a monitoring visit was undertaken to assess the progress made in meeting the steps of the compliance notices. The outcome of this visit concluded that insufficient steps had been taken to address the significant shortfalls. Two compliance notices under regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, were issued as a result of the visit. At the time of this visit, there were no children living in the home. A decision was then taken by senior management not to admit any children until January 2021.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was undertaken to review the progress in addressing the shortfalls as identified in the two compliance notices issued in December 2020.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments and impact risk assessments have been developed. The assessments are now condensed to provide a clear and concise depiction of children’s known risk-taking behaviours. Furthermore, guidance for staff on how to manage risk factors is now in place. However, because there are no children currently accommodated in the home, this could not be suitably tested. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 2 All referrals to the home are now assessed by the responsible individual, the organisation’s psychologist and the registered manager. This is to ensure that children are only offered a placement where it is deemed their individual needs can be reasonably met and that they are a match for any other child that may already be accommodated.

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This monitoring visit

The staff team has received safeguarding and risk management training. Further safeguarding training is planned with the designated officer of the local authority in which the home is located.

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This monitoring visit

Since the child moved out of the home, the registered manager and the staff team have reflected on the shortfalls in practice. This provided the staff with an opportunity to discuss inconsistent practice and confusing guidance. The registered manager has accepted that she failed to rigorously monitor and assess the practice in the home, leading to the significant shortfalls. It is anticipated that the development of new risk assessments, care plans and monitoring tools will enable the registered manager and staff to work in a more cohesive and consistent manner.

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This monitoring visit

The organisation has created a new monitoring tool for all registered managers. This is currently being used in partnership with the registered manager’s development plan. This means that the registered manager has a formal guide to ensure that all practice matters are routinely and thoroughly assessed. Where shortfalls in practice are identified, these must now be shared with the responsible individual.

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This monitoring visit

There are no children currently living in this children’s home. The staff team is currently deployed to other children’s homes operated by the organisation. However, arrangements for supervision, staff training and the attendance of the children’s home team meetings are in place. This ensures that staff are suitably prepared for when a new child moves in to the home.

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This monitoring visit

At the assurance visit on 13 October 2020 and subsequent monitoring visit on 2 December 2020, it was identified that the registered manager had not addressed the matters being raised by the independent visitor. The registered manager accepted this shortfall and has devised an action plan to address this. Any future recommendations will be delegated throughout the team and tracked for effectiveness and consistency. However, independent visitor reports are not consistently forwarded to the regulatory body for review. This means that the regulatory body is not afforded a consistent oversight of the home’s practice. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has failed to ensure the timely completion of the biannual internal monitoring report. This means that a review of the quality of care at the home has not been provided and any actions needed to improve practice have not been completed. Furthermore, the failure to maintain an up-to-date biannual report means that the regulatory body and placing authorities are not provided with a Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 3 current analysis of the service provided in the home. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has not progressed in the Level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare. The registered manager must ensure that this training and qualification is prioritised to aid her continued professional development as a registered manager. A requirement is made to address this matter.

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This monitoring visit

Senior managers have made the decision not to place any children in this home until February 2021. This will allow time for the remainder of the staff training to be completed. In addition, the children’s home will only accommodate one child and remain a solo placement until July 2021.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/10/2020 Assurance visit Not judged 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 registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the home at least once each month;

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Requirement Due date

the independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HMCI. (Regulation 44 (1) (5) (7)(a)) 05 February 2021

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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

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— 05 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 5 supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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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. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b)(5))

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if the person is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children— the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children; and

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Requirement Due date

the person is physically and mentally fit to manage the home; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the person in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

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Requirement Due date

within the last five years, worked for at least two years in a position relevant to the residential care of children;

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Requirement Due date

worked for at least one year in a role requiring the supervision and management of staff working in a care role; and

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Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

The relevant date is— 05 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457506 6 in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls three years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1 April 2014, 1 April 2017.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person—

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Requirement Due date

does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(c) (2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii) (3)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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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.

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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 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 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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