Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 1 SC457182

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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

This home provides care and accommodation for one child who may have emotional and social difficulties. It is operated by a large national provider of children’s services.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since 20 March 2020.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 23 March 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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This monitoring visit

On 23 March 2021, a monitoring visit took place due to escalating concerns about children’s safety. The visit was in response to notifications and external monitoring reports that have raised concerns about the management of the home and staff’s ability to protect children from harm. Two compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this visit was to monitor and review the actions taken by the provider to meet the compliance notices issued under regulations 12 and 13. On the day of the visit, one child was moving into the home. The child that was present at the previous visit has moved to another home.

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This monitoring visit

The acting manager present at the previous monitoring visit stood down on 19 April 2021. A deputy manager from within the company was appointed to be the manager of this home on 4 May 2021. During this period, there was a lack of management oversight at the home, which has impacted on the home’s improvement journey. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 2 The home has not had a consistent, experienced manager to lead the team for some time. This is hindered further by the lack of support and oversight from the responsible individual. As a result, staff have not been provided with the support, guidance and training that they need, which has impacted on children’s safety and lived experiences.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors found that risk assessments have been routinely updated. These provide clear and detailed guidance to the staff. Staff demonstrated insight into the risks that children present and an understanding of what to do if a child, for example, should go missing from home.

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This monitoring visit

Incident reports show that staff were following the child’s risk assessments when the child went missing from home. However, not all actions are being taken to safeguard the child during self-harm incidents. The lack of staff training in self-harm and effective management oversight of serious incidents are undermining safeguarding practice in this home.

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This monitoring visit

Some staff demonstrate insight and understanding of children’s emotional needs. The inspectors found examples of staff successfully supporting a child during a time of emotional crisis. Furthermore, the child benefited from structured sessions with staff on building positive relationships. This has helped the child manage her emotions, leading to a reduction in incidents.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received appropriate physical intervention training and demonstrate, through discussion, methods of safe handling. The restraint record sampled indicates that physical intervention is proportionate and only used when necessary.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors observed in the home’s records that allegations of a child protection nature are referred to the designated officer for safeguarding. Staff demonstrate a good awareness of the procedures to follow in the event of allegations being made. However, the manager was unclear about the correct procedures to follow or the role of the designated officer. She would, therefore, benefit from further training in this area.

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This monitoring visit

The inspectors found that the strategies in place for managing behaviours are disproportionate and unrealistic. The strategies are not conducive in helping children in times of emotional crisis. Furthermore, there has been no management oversight or review of the methods used to manage behaviour.

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This monitoring visit

Not all staff have had the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills in understanding how children’s experiences of trauma can influence their behaviour and how to support children. The inspectors found that only three out of seven staff have received training in attachment and trauma.

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This monitoring visit

The lack of strong leadership and management is hindering effective monitoring and oversight of the quality of care and protection provided in this home. For example, there was no review or evaluation of a serious incident involving self-harm by a child. There was no staff debrief following a restraint incident. The deputy Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 3 commented that staff receive debriefs if they ask for them. This is not in keeping with the home’s statement of purpose that states, ‘Staff members continuously improve the quality of care we provide to young people through vigorous monitoring and evaluation of our practices and procedures . ’

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This monitoring visit

Although staff demonstrate an understanding of children’s needs, managers are not ensuring that key documents such as impact risk assessments are read and signed. This can potentially result in outcomes and progress for children being hindered. At the last team meeting, there was limited reflection about practice, which means that staff do not have the maximum opportunity to learn and develop as a team.

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This monitoring visit

Shortfalls within the leadership and management of the home remain. As a result, a further compliance notice has been issued under regulation 13.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/04/2019 Full Good 03/07/2018 Full Good 27/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans; help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; 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; help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate

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Requirement Due date

according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual, and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful; help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; strive to gain each child’s respect and trust; understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have 11 July 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 5 the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same; de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive

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Requirement Due date

relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(b)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vi)) This specifically relates to ensuring that medical guidance is obtained as appropriate in response to self-injurious behaviours. 11 July 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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 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; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications, and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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; 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 6 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)(b)(c)(e)(f)(h)) This specifically relates to the need for robust management and oversight of practice to inform improvement and learning from incidents and strategies. No measure of control or discipline which is excessive, unreasonable, or contrary to paragraph (2) may be used in relation to any child. The following measures may not be used to discipline any child— any restriction, other than one imposed by a court or in accordance with regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), on— visits to the child by the child’s parents, relatives or friends. (Regulation 19 (1) (2)(c)(ii)) This specifically relates to ensuring that behaviour management measures are proportionate, achievable and their effectiveness is regularly reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

An individual may only carry on a children’s home if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (5). A responsible individual must— satisfy the requirements in paragraph (5)(a) to (c); and have the capacity, experience, and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (1) (7)(a)(b)) This specifically relates to providing strong leadership and oversight of the home in support of the newly appointed manager. 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) This relates to the interim manager making an application to Ofsted for registration. 11 July 2021

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Requirement Due date

*This requirement is subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 7

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

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Inspectors

Mike Charnley, Social Care Inspector Marina Tully, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457182 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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