Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 1 SC456542 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for one child with EBD (social and emotional difficulties). This home is part of a large private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not yet registered.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2019 Full Outstanding 18/07/2018 Full Outstanding 11/09/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is warm and clean, with soft furnishings used throughout the home that make it feel comfortable. The child currently living in the home has expressed that he likes his bedroom.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Clear admissions processes mean that children moving into the home receive a warm welcome. Staff work consistently to provide the child placed with clear boundaries. Staff use a nurturing approach to educate him about the potential consequences of life choices and ways to improve his future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff communicate well with the child’s family and try to include them in his life experiences. One parent said, ‘Staff are interested in working with us and seeking our opinions. They are always calm and supportive. I can’t speak highly enough of them.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the child to go for long walks. Opportunities for activities have been limited due to COVID-19 restrictions. However, the child previously living in the home was able to engage in a wide range of activities, including spending time at a local farm and taking driving lessons.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Annual health assessments have been completed, meeting a previous recommendation. Staff requested this several times to ensure that the child’s health needs were met. Staff are currently trying to help the child to improve his diet and sleeping pattern.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage education attendance and learning in the home; however, progress made is limited. Although schoolwork is requested, the child and staff would benefit from clearer education plans to ensure that appropriate, well-planned support is in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child moved from the home to ensure that he was safe due to increasing risks in the community. Although this transition plan was motivated by safety planning, it could have been more child-focused and timely to allow the child to be more prepared practically and emotionally.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The child living in the home is safe. Staff are encouraging him to build relationships with them so that they are more aware of any potential risks. Staff follow protocols to ensure that children who go missing from home are located quickly. When there are concerns, staff work with other agencies to share information and agree strategies to keep the child safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 4 Restraint is used as a last resort and has not been used since the last inspection. Behaviour management plans are discussed with placing social workers and expectations are agreed from the start. However, locks on internal doors need to be removed so that the child has access to all communal areas of the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Systems are in place for administering medication. However, records for non- prescribed medication need to be more robust to ensure that a clear audit trail is in place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff work closely with other professionals to help the child reduce substance abuse. A referral has been made to a local support service. Plans linked to spending are also used to encourage a reduction and ensure that the child is safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A manager has been supporting the home in the absence of a registered manager. Staff, professionals and the child’s family all feel that this support has been invaluable. A new manager has now been recruited. Managers are working together to ensure that the new manager is given all the information needed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are experienced and receive regular training. They have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of the child living in the home. Regular, reflective supervision and support from the clinical team are valued by staff. This has been used to help staff understand the impact of trauma and the child’s needs more.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Relevant checks are completed to ensure that staff recruited are safe to work with children and new staff are made to feel welcome. One staff member said, ‘I feel lucky to work at this home, it is a great team.’ As a result, consistent staff are in place to care for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Information is shared with relevant professionals and staff work as part of a multi- agency approach. However, some incidents requiring police involvement have not been reported to Ofsted. This reduces oversight from the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management oversight and knowledge of the events in the home and the child’s life are very good. Appropriate support is requested by managers to help staff meet the needs of the child. If this is not received in a timely manner, it is escalated. Records from the placing authority are up to date, meeting a previous recommendation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Independent visits to the home provide detailed reports that meet regulation. Managers and the responsible individual use the reports as an additional method to improve the care provided. Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 5

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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, the 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

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to removing internal locks on doors of communal areas. 31 May 2021

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. 31 May 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible.

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to having clear, engaging and achievable education plans in place to support children with low attendance at school.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that there are robust systems in place for the administering, recording and auditing of medication, including non-prescribed medication. Managing medicines in care homes (March 2014) is a guideline that applies across both health and social care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.17)  The registered person should work with the placing authority to ensure that each child’s transition is planned and staff help each child to prepare for leaving, both practically and emotionally. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.9)

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, and to consider how well it complies with the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’. Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sylvia Eboigbe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456542 8 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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