Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Whinfell School Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 1 SC066821

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Cambian Whinfell School Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care, accommodation and education on site for a maximum of 14 young males who have learning disabilities, including complex needs and autism spectrum disorders. Accommodation is split, with most young people living on the main site and facilities for some to experience semi- independent living a short distance away. The manager was registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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This monitoring visit

This monitoring visit took place due to escalating concerns from safeguarding notifications. A young person suffered a significant injury and alleged that this was caused during a restrictive physical intervention. There were some concerns about the timeliness of the action taken by the manager in response to this allegation. Further concerns were shared by the designated officer about misuse of physical intervention and a culture of disrespect. These issues had been brought to the attention of the designated officer by two former residents of the home.

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This monitoring visit

A young person suffered an injury. The likely cause was an unrecognised ground hold. The hold used was not in line with the MAPA (managing actual and potential aggression) techniques that staff are trained to use. The record of the physical intervention did not reflect the actual hold. A staff member who was a witness to the incident did not sign the record due to it being inaccurate. This staff member failed to raise concerns with senior staff, either about the hold itself or the inaccurate record.

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This monitoring visit

The young person subsequently alleged that he had been hurt during a restrictive intervention. Managers did not link his injury to the allegation, and so did not take immediate action to safeguard all of the young people in the home. The member of staff who was the subject of the allegation continued to work with young people in the home for several days before a decision was made to suspend this staff member, Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 2 pending investigation. The investigations are not yet concluded, therefore there is no definitive cause for the injury sustained.

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This monitoring visit

A compliance notice is served, under regulation 12, as a result of: the inappropriate physical intervention; the failure of a member of staff to whistle-blow; the inaccurate intervention record; and the delay in taking effective action to safeguard all children at the home.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, a requirement is made under regulation 35. This relates to the standard of physical intervention records. In general, the records are very detailed and give a good account of the techniques staff have employed to de-escalate the situations. However, some records do not clearly detail why a hold has moved to the floor, and why it was not safe for staff to release the hold once the young person had taken themselves to the floor. Not all of the signatures on the records are legible. This causes uncertainty about who has witnessed the incident, and who has signed the record to say that it is an accurate reflection of the intervention. Young people’s debriefs are often written up by the young people themselves, and in several records they are impossible to decipher, which leaves the young person without a voice.

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This monitoring visit

Managers understand the gravity of the incident described above. They have commenced remedial action. They are working hard to ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities in relation to safeguarding young people. Supervisions and team meetings are used as platforms for disseminating information about whistle-blowing, and for reinforcing safe practice. Staff spoken to as part of this inspection had good understanding of their responsibilities relating to safeguarding young people. They were also clear about the whistle-blowing procedure.

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This monitoring visit

Medication administration and medication training were looked at as part of this inspection due to medication errors having occurred. Inspectors were satisfied that appropriate steps had been taken to ensure that staff are trained and competent to administer medication safely.

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This monitoring visit

Most of the 13 boys who live in the home were spoken to. In the main, they reported that they were happy and felt safe. They said there was not a culture of teasing, mocking or disrespecting them. They reported that they had positive relationships with the staff, and felt they were well looked after. One young person was less happy, and his comments were listened to and shared with managers.

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This monitoring visit

One hugely significant issue raised by the young people was the poor Wi-Fi in the home. The young people who were spoken to felt incredibly frustrated, and said that the poor Wi-Fi had an impact on several areas of their lives. They said that the internet froze during education. They said that contact with their families, which cannot currently be face-to-face due to COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions, was compromised by the poor internet speed. They also complained that it had an impact on their free time, when many of them like to use the internet in typical teenage ways, for example gaming, browsing the web, using social media and watching YouTube and films. The internet has particular importance for these young Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 3 people. They are living away from their families and cannot access their usual activities due to COVID-19 restrictions. It was possible to see the level of anger and

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This monitoring visit

frustration this caused when speaking to the young people. Some became visibly heightened and raised their voices. Additionally, the incident described above, where a young person sustained an injury, was a result of him becoming heightened because a film was not loading, which in turn was due to the poor Wi-Fi in the home. Had the film loaded, it is likely that this incident could have been avoided. Young people have already expressed their views about the Wi-Fi to the home’s manager and school principal. Although efforts have been made to improve the internet speed, the issue has not been resolved. A compliance notice is therefore served under regulation 7, the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, for this issue to be addressed.

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This monitoring visit

Requirements made at the home’s last inspection were not considered at this monitoring visit. They are therefore carried forward to be considered at the home’s next full inspection.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/02/2020 Full Outstanding 29/01/2019 Full Outstanding 15/05/2017 Full Outstanding 12/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 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)) 20 March 2020

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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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action when there is serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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)(v)(vii)(b)) 24 February 2021

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Requirement Due date

*The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them; and

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Requirement Due date

engage with them. 24 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

take children’s views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives. (Regulation 7 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the functionality of the Wi-Fi is improved, so that children can use technology to its fullest extent in order to participate in education, entertain themselves and to keep in touch with family and friends.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— 24 February 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 6 has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the incident records provide a clear account of the hold used, and in particular why releasing a hold is not an option when the child goes to the floor. This requirement also relates to ensuring that records of children’s views about the hold are legible, and that the staff’s signatures are decipherable.

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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.

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Whinfell School 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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Inspectors

Charlie Bamber, Social Care Inspector Cheryl Field, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC066821 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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