Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Autism Services Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 1227060 1

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Cambian Autism Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is made up of separate houses in the grounds of a residential special school. Both the school and home are owned and managed by a private company. There were three houses providing residential care at the time of the monitoring visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The children are placed by various local authorities from across the United Kingdom. Their residential placements are for 38 or 52 weeks of the year. The school also caters for day pupils. The children may have learning disabilities and/or a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. They all have an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been without a registered manager since July 2019. An appointed manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted previously carried out a monitoring visit on 29 March 2021 in response to increasing concerns relating to the management of children’s behaviour. The focus of that visit was to review significant incidents, and associated documents and reports, with regard to the use of physical restraint and behaviour management.

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This monitoring visit

During that monitoring visit, Ofsted identified breaches in the leadership and management arrangements of this home. These failings had an impact on children’s safety, protection and welfare. Consequently, Ofsted issued two compliance notices, under regulations 12 and 13, and made one additional requirement.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken to meet the compliance notices. This monitoring visit was completed on site. The visit included the review of documents and case records, and discussions with staff, relevant professionals and children. The inspectors identified that leaders and managers had not completed all of the steps required to meet the compliance Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 2 notices. There are continued regulatory breaches that have an impact on children’s safety, protection and welfare.

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This monitoring visit

Behaviour incident records provide a clear and concise account of incidents involving children. Clear recordings enable managers to review if staff practice is in line with the children’s positive behaviour and risk intervention plans. However, management oversight is not embedded or evident within all incident records. Shortfalls in staff practice and recording are not routinely identified by the manager, and this can lead to lessons not being learned and care practice not being improved for children.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments do not fully reflect known risks to children’s safety. They are not updated following incidents. These documents do not include the risk of exploitation for some children, despite a catalogue of concerns within the children’s case file records. Risk assessments also fail to consider the risks associated with the age of a child, for example when children live at the home past their 18th birthday. This lack of information and guidance for staff places children at risk of harm.

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This monitoring visit

Children are being deprived of their liberty. One child’s movement is being restricted without any legal order from the court. These decisions have been taken to protect children from risk of potential harm, but the manager has not adequately escalated this unlawful practice to the child’s placing authority.

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This monitoring visit

Staff are developing their knowledge and understanding of de-escalation techniques. Incidents requiring a physical hold for a child are reducing. However, when restraints occur, the impact of holding a child is not routinely captured in case records or reflected upon. Written reports do not include each individual hold. Debriefs with staff and children are not always happening and on occasion these have been completed by staff that have been involved in the incident. The significance of these shortfalls is increased as the manager is not consistently reviewing these records to address practice shortfalls.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment minimises risks to children. Children do not have access to items that could cause injury or harm to others. When managers actively listen to children and review incident reports, they understand how the environment has an impact on children. Changes are made to the home to prevent future incidents and minimise risks to children. However, some areas within the houses are not inviting for children as they are unwelcoming, unappealing and sparse.

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This monitoring visit

Monitoring systems enable managers to scrutinise the quality of care that children receive. There is scope, within the children’s records, for reflections with staff and children to be recorded and referred to by management. Effective management oversight has enabled lessons to be learned and action to be taken to support the outcomes for children. However, monitoring by management is not embedded in practice. This lack of oversight means that children’s risk assessments, and positive behaviour and risk- intervention plans, are not up to date. This is because incident records are not consistently reviewed. As a result, managers are failing to identify continuing shortfalls in staff practice. The absence of good monitoring processes Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 3 prevents the development of effective strategies to support the well-being and protection of all children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 21/05/2019 Full Good 29/01/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/11/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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 the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1) (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 21 June 2021

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 20 June 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

promotes their welfare. 20 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

These Regulations do not prevent a child from being deprived of liberty where that deprivation is authorised in accordance with a court order. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2) (3)) 21 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used; 21 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 6 the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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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

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 21 June 2021

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires; and

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and 21 June 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 7 the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This is carried over from the monitoring visit on 29 March 2021.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Limited

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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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Inspectors

Jennifer Fenlon, Social Care Inspector Brian Wood, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 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

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

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