Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 1 SC478468

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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 home is one of a number operated by a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people who may have emotional or behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in place who registered with Ofsted in February 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit was carried out in line with Ofsted’s procedures for monitoring services during the current period of suspended routine inspection activity.

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This monitoring visit

The visit was carried out using off-site activity. Telephone discussions took place with young people and their families to ensure that their views were considered.

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This monitoring visit

Feedback from young people and their families was consistently positive. One young person commented, ‘The staff are all really nice. We have a good laugh, but they can be serious if you need them. You don’t feel silly telling them if you are upset about something.’

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, the home has experienced unsettled periods with frequent incidents of young people going missing, some for significant periods of time. However, in recent months, there has been a vast reduction in episodes of young people going missing and such events have almost ceased. As a result, young people are safer. A family member of one young person said, ‘This is the most settled he has ever been. At one point we thought he might have to go to a secure placement, but he has really turned things round.’

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This monitoring visit

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the risks to young people’s safety and well-being. They are able to describe the measures required to protect young people from harm. However, in some examples, written guidance lacks clarity. This must be Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 2 addressed to support consistently effective safeguarding practice.

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This monitoring visit

Young people have been supported to develop safer and more appropriate behaviours over time. This is reflected by the significant reduction in the number and severity of behavioural incidents within the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have developed positive relationships with young people and, as a result, are able to engage them in meaningful direct work about personal safety and safe behaviour. Individualised guidance helps staff to support young people presenting challenging behaviours in a consistent and confident manner. However, guidance about the use of physical intervention and consequences could be more individualised.

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This monitoring visit

Young people receive care and support that is centred on their individual needs and wishes. Staff take time to understand the things that matter to young people and are responsive to any changes in young people’s needs. An external professional commented that in a recent situation when a young person developed a serious health condition, vigilance and quick action by staff resulted in long-term and significant damage to his eyesight being avoided.

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This monitoring visit

Staff and external professionals speak positively about the leadership of the home. They express confidence in the manager and in the care and support that young people receive. Despite the home having a vacancy, the manager has decided not to admit any more young people at present, to help ensure that the home remains settled. This demonstrates that the home is run in the best interests of young people.

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This monitoring visit

The manager demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas where further development is required. She has a good overview of the home and takes appropriate action when concerns or potential learning from a significant incident are identified. However, these actions could be evidenced more effectively by maintaining clearer records.

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This monitoring visit

The manager generally makes appropriate notifications of significant events. However, it was identified during this inspection that Ofsted had not been notified of two serious incidents. It is important that Ofsted is notified of significant events to enable it to monitor services effectively. A requirement is raised in relation to this matter. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/09/2019 Full Good 05/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 22/05/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the need to ensure that young people’s risk assessments and risk management plans include all the necessary information required to identify and manage areas of risk. 12 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or 12 February 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 5 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should undertake a review, every six months, that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of young people and the impact the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. This review should include the feedback and opinions of young people and other stakeholders. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff have clear guidance about how to respond to each child’s individual behaviour to enable them to manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogues and react appropriately and consistently if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, Page 39, paragraph 8.14)  The registered person should ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help young people recognise the impact of

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Recommendations

their behaviour on themselves, other young people, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for young people to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the young person to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in

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Recommendations

reviewing incidents and be proactive in implementing lessons learned from incidents. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: SC478468 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: Caretech Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Marie Cordingley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC478468 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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