Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 1 SC476252

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Cambian Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care for up to five children who have suffered early-life trauma. The home provides therapeutic support from an in-house clinical team. There is a registered manager in post.

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This monitoring visit

This visit was undertaken in response to safeguarding concerns. At the time of the visit, five children were living in the home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not always take prompt action to safeguard children. They lack professional curiosity and do not recognise potential risks indicated by children’s behaviours. During one incident, which occurred at night, staff failed to discover that a child had hidden in another child’s bedroom. This child later disclosed that sexualised behaviour took place between the two children. Furthermore, bedroom-door alarm systems are ineffective. This meant that staff were unable to identify which child had left their bedroom. In addition, staff failed to ensure that each child was in their own bedroom.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have been unable to improve the monitoring and supervision of children during the night. The internal and external alarm systems in the home continue to be ineffective. As a result, a further serious incident occurred where one child left the home during the night without the staff’s knowledge, and went missing. The child was in the care of the police by the time staff reported this to them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not follow the correct procedures or children’s risk assessments when children are missing. This undermines the effectiveness of strategies to ensure children’s safety. Furthermore, on one occasion, staff shared inaccurate information with the police. They informed the police that a child had not been missing before, even though the child had been missing on two previous occasions. Also, serious Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 2 incidents are not always recorded accurately. Managers have failed to recognise these shortfalls in staff practice. This compromises children’s safety and well-being.

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This monitoring visit

In addition, the inspector found that external doors have locks which pose a fire safety risk. The home’s fire risk assessment also identifies that these locks are a hazard. This means that if it was necessary to use the doors, the locks could prevent children and staff from being able to evacuate the home in the event of a fire.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have responded by introducing waking night staff as a temporary measure. Their intention is to install a fob system for the external doors overnight. The registered manager says that the fob system will deactivate if the fire alarm activates. The manager has also arranged for the installation of an additional alarm system.

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This monitoring visit

The managers’ risk assessment of the environment is weak. The garden of the home is not secure, as part of the fence around the garden is very low in height. This means that if staff did not supervise children in the garden, the children would be able to leave. In addition, the blinds in one bedroom and a bathroom have cords on them which may pose a risk to children’s safety.

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This monitoring visit

Children say they are happy living at the home. The home has a calm atmosphere and the environment is homely. Children like their bedrooms and are able to personalise them. One child described their bedroom as their ‘calm place’.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff respond to children’s behaviour well. They provide children with reassurance and use distraction techniques. Sometimes staff ‘hold’ children to prevent them or others from getting hurt. Children understand why they do this and describe staff as being ‘fair’.

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This monitoring visit

Staff celebrate children’s identities. One child spoke with pride about how they cooked a meal for everyone and taught staff and children about their culture. Pictures of children’s achievements and photos of activities they have been doing are displayed on the walls. Children complete key work with staff which helps them learn how to keep safe.

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This monitoring visit

The outcome of this inspection is that one compliance notice has been issued in relation to regulation 12 (the protection of children standard).

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This monitoring visit

A recommendation which was raised at the previous inspection was not considered at this monitoring visit and has been repeated; this will be considered at the next inspection. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 3

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/09/2019 Full Good 31/01/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/05/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 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 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

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

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 whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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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) (1)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the overall safeguarding arrangements and security of the home. In addition, staff must understand and implement the home’s safeguarding 12 April 2021 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 5 policies and procedures, including children’s risk assessments, and must understand their role in keeping children safe.

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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 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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to management oversight and monitoring of the quality of care children receive. In particular, ensure that the staff’s practice is based on a sound understanding of children’s needs and behaviours, and that staff exercise professional curiosity while caring for children. 12 April 2021

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make improvements around the house to create a more homely environment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.7) Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 6

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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 Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476252 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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