Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in East Riding of Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 1 SC460063

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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 privately run children’s home is registered to accommodate up to five children and young people with social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager in post. The previous registered manager left in February 2020. A new manager was appointed but left within eight months, prior to making an application to Ofsted for registration. There is currently a manager from another home providing part-time cover.

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This monitoring visit

This home had a full inspection in August 2019 and an interim inspection in December 2019. Owing to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the home has not received an inspection visit since.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the leadership and management arrangements in the absence of a registered manager. This visit was conducted remotely. Concerns identified by the independent visitor also relate to the effectiveness of the leadership and management arrangements, including concerns about staff not being provided with training, repairs in the home not being done, serious incidents not being notified to Ofsted, and children and young people being admitted to the home when staff were not equipped to meet their complex needs.

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This monitoring visit

Online and bespoke training has been available for staff during the pandemic, but this has not been comprehensive. The previous manager did not consistently monitor or take action to address the training needs of staff. This has led to gaps in some staff’s skills in delivering mental health support and first aid, and in using restraint. This means children and young people are sometimes cared for by staff who feel overwhelmed, or who do not have up-to-date knowledge and training. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 2 Repairs have been completed during the pandemic, but only those deemed essential to keep the home safe. Routine improvements in communal areas of the home have been delayed, leading to visible wear and tear. However, since the acting manager arrived in December 2020, staff have started to redecorate and make changes to the home to make it look welcoming and homely. The children and young people’s

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This monitoring visit

rooms are personalised to reflect their interests, encouraging an increased sense of their own identity.

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This monitoring visit

There have been serious incidents in the home which were not notified to Ofsted. While the provider has addressed these issues appropriately, the lack of notification means the regulator has not had adequate oversight of the practice within the home. This does not support the safety and well-being of the children and young people.

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This monitoring visit

There are currently staff vacancies at the home, including the position of registered manager. Sometimes, staff from other homes cover shifts so that there are always enough staff to care for the children and young people. The lack of a registered manager and changes in the staff team limit opportunities for children and young people to form secure and trusting relationships. The temporary, part-time management arrangements currently in place do not provide a sense of stability for staff and children and young people.

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This monitoring visit

Not all known risks are reflected in the pre-admission risk assessments, and some records are undated and unsigned, meaning it is unclear when and by whom they were completed. This resulted in a child moving into the home with records that did not accurately reflect their complex mental health concerns and led to a high number of incidents relating to the child’s mental health and emotional instability. In addition, some staff are not adequately trained to respond to these needs. This brings into question the effectiveness of matching decisions and the suitability of staff.

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This monitoring visit

Communication between the home and school has broken down, following the latter raising concerns about the quality of care that the home was providing. This was escalated by the child’s social worker, which has led to regular formal meetings for the parties to exchange information about the child. However, there is still a lack of spontaneous communication, which means the school and the home do not share concerns in the periods between formal meetings. This can lead to delay in acting on concerns for the child.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/08/2019 Full Good 22/10/2018 Interim Not judged 10/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 3

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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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (d)) 31 March 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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff completing training around understanding mental health and responding to young people in crisis, first aid, and use of restraint (including being trained and assessed as competent to physically hold a child safely). It also relates to the manager using systems to identify and address gaps in staff knowledge and training. 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 4 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should undertake a thorough pre-admission risk assessment that identifies all known risks and progresses or refuses admission, taking into account the home’s ability to safely care for the child.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 31 March 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 31 March 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 5 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that case records are clearly signed and dated.

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 31 March 2021

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Fitzsimmons

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC460063 6 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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