Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 1 SC457068

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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 owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children who have been subject to early-life trauma, causing them to have social and/or emotional difficulties.

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This monitoring visit

The home was last inspected in January 2020. This monitoring visit was carried out to enable the regulator to obtain an up-to-date assessment of the staff’s ability to safely manage children’s behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Ofsted did not carry out a physical visit to the home. The inspector gathered evidence in several different ways, including holding video calls with the manager and the staff, and asking them to provide electronic documents for the inspector to review.

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This monitoring visit

Careful planning by managers at the start of the global pandemic has ensured that children have experienced consistent care. For example, since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and two children have moved in. Managers have ensured that there have been careful matching of children and that each child receives support from a consistent staff team. Consequently, despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, children have settled into the home and are making good progress.

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This monitoring visit

When changes have occurred, these have been managed well. For example, since the last inspection, the registered manager has left the home. This was a planned move and the deputy manager, who has worked in the home for four years, has taken on the manager’s position and was registered with Ofsted in September 2020. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 2 Staff know the children very well. They talk enthusiastically about children’s talents and hobbies, and about children’s future aspirations. One child told the inspector that her key worker ‘knows me inside and out’.

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This monitoring visit

During the periods of national lockdown and restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, children have been supported to stay in touch with people who are important to them. When it has been allowed, staff have driven children long distances to meet up with family members. This has helped children to sustain important relationships.

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This monitoring visit

Staff work with a range of health professionals, including the organisation’s clinical team. When necessary, bespoke support has been sought. This coordinated approach to healthcare means that children’s physical and emotional health needs are met.

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This monitoring visit

When there is a concern about staff practice or when children complain about a staff member, managers are quick at carrying out a thorough investigation. This includes ensuring that children are happy with the outcome. This means that children feel that managers listen to them and take their concerns seriously.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff understand the importance of working with partner agencies. Good communication with other agencies ensures that there is a joined-up approach to meeting the needs of children.

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This monitoring visit

When children are at risk online, staff follow detailed plans agreed with children’s social workers. They educate children in planned key-work sessions and day-to-day discussions. As a result, children’s online risks reduce, and they learn how to keep themselves safe.

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This monitoring visit

Although staff are knowledgeable about children, sometimes staff do not ensure that risk assessments capture information about children’s emerging risks. For instance, despite a child going missing from school on several occasions, the child’s risk assessment has not been brought up to date with clear guidance about how to minimise this risk. Also, another child’s risk assessment has not been updated for eight months.

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This monitoring visit

Children are cared for by a well-qualified staff team. Four staff have a level 3 diploma in residential childcare and the remaining four staff are enrolled.

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This monitoring visit

Managers do not always monitor key aspects of children’s care, such as the effectiveness of key-work sessions and incidents. This means that managers are missing opportunities to evaluate staff practice and improve the quality of care.

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This monitoring visit

Managers have not ensured that the statement of purpose is brought up to date. This means that the regulator and local authority commissioners do not have accurate information about staffing. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 3 Despite the restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, managers have worked hard to ensure that staff have still been able to receive relevant training to help them to meet children’s needs. This includes training to keep children safe and to meet children’s medical needs. It is acknowledged that the staff’s face-to-face training has been impacted by restrictions associated with COVID-19. However, managers have not been creative enough in updating the staff’s skills in behaviour management training.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/01/2020 Full Good 18/04/2018 Full Good 26/04/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 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.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to risk assessments not being regularly updated and not containing guidance for staff on a child’s risks of going missing. 01 May 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h)) 01 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 5 This relates to deficits in behaviour management training and in managers’ monitoring of incidents and key-work sessions. Also managers have not updated the statement of purpose when staff have passed their probationary period.

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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 Estates Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Karen Gillingwater, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457068 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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