Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 1

p.1

Cambian Childcare Ltd

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children who may have emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Routine inspection activity is currently suspended because of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. A monitoring visit was completed on 23 February 2021 to ensure that children remain safe following concerns identified from safeguarding notifications. Following this visit, two compliance notices and a restriction notice were issued due to concerns about the safety of children and poor leadership and management practices.

p.1

This monitoring visit

On 31 March 2021, a monitoring visit was completed to assess the progress made by the provider to meet the steps in the compliance notices issued. These relate to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Since the previous visit, one child has moved out of the home. One child remains living at the home and was spoken to as part of the visit. The monitoring visit was completed onsite at the home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The home does not have a registered manager. The interim manager who is in day-to-day charge of the home and has been in post since June 2020 has still not submitted a full application to Ofsted. The responsible individual did not attend the monitoring visit but requested that the visit was conducted with the interim manager.

p.1

This monitoring visit

At this visit, the inspector found that there continues to be shortfalls in the registered provider’s oversight of risk management. Some records relating to the Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 2 care and safety of the child, such as risk assessments, provide conflicting information and do not include robust and effective strategies for managing and reducing risks. The management monitoring systems in place have not identified these shortfalls. In addition, staff spoken to during the visit provided conflicting information on how they will manage behaviours and minimise the risk factors as the plans and agreed strategies remain unclear. For example, the actions staff are required to take if a child goes missing from home.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The provider has made changes to the staff team, including a new deputy manager and experienced residential care workers. Staff have started to build positive relationships with the child who reported that the house is better.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The provider has arranged training courses, workshops, quizzes, and additional team meetings to improve the interim manager’s and staff’s understanding of their roles and responsibilities. However, not all staff were able to demonstrate the application of the knowledge gained during these sessions. Some staff lack an understanding of why the child who they are responsible for is known to be at high risk of child sexual exploitation, and not all staff have a knowledge of the previous significant safeguarding incidents. This limits the staff’s ability to safeguard the child. The interim manager has also failed to identify that staff lack knowledge and insight into the child’s key risks and vulnerabilities.

p.2

This monitoring visit

New systems have been introduced so that decision-making processes relating to safeguarding are clearly recorded. Furthermore, the interim manager has updated records to include debriefs with staff and the child and to include her evaluation following incidents. The effectiveness of these changes could not be evidenced at this visit as there has been no significant incidents in the home since the last visit.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The interim manager has introduced a management checklist, which enables her to routinely monitor, evaluate, and analyse the work undertaken by the staff. Daily, weekly, and monthly monitoring systems are in place to enable the manager to identify weaknesses and to take remedial action. Staff have also been assigned specific key tasks with clear actions and timescales for completion.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The quality of management monitoring and review systems has improved due to the additional checks and audits in place. However, despite these improvements, the interim manager has failed to identify the shortfalls in the child’s plans and the inconsistent safeguarding strategies contained in the documentation. During this visit, the interim manager acknowledged the shortfalls identified in the plans and accepted why staff may be confused.

p.2

This monitoring visit

It is Ofsted’s view that the shortfalls highlighted at the visit demonstrate that safeguarding practice is not sufficiently robust. Despite the improvements which have taken place since the last visit, leadership and management practice has failed to identify the shortfalls. These shortfalls continue to compromise the safety, experience, and progress of the child living in the home. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 3 Previous requirements were not considered as part of this monitoring visit.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.3

Recent inspection history

N/A Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans.

p.4

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to ensuring that children engage in structured education either informally or formally. 09 May 2021

p.4

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.4

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.4

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. 09 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.4

Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

p.5

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to helping children use appropriate language with staff.

p.5

Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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. 09 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 6 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff can meet children’s individual needs, understand the risks in relation to children and how to reduce any risks.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Ensure that children’s risk assessments are up to date and include all known risks, including effective strategies to reduce risk.

p.6

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—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is particularly in relation to the manager’s oversight and evaluation of children’s plans and any incidents within the home.

p.6

Requirement Due date

Ensure that the manager reviews and evaluates children’s ongoing needs to best support children and reduce risk. 09 May 2021

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

is an organisation or a partnership; 09 May 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 7 does not satisfy regulation 28; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

p.7

Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 09 May 2021

p.7

Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 8

p.7

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.

p.8

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Inspector

Suzanne Birchall, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2556596 9 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9