Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 1 SC456910 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 home is registered for up to two children. It is owned and operated by a national provider of children’s services. The home looks after children who may display complex emotional and behavioural needs and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2021.

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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 17 and 18 September 2020 to carry out an assurance visit. The report is published on our website.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/06/2019 Full Good 10/12/2018 Full Good 11/01/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/09/2017 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 3

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improvement to be good

The home lacks a homely feel. This is due to damage caused during incidents. This damage is recent, and plans are in place to address it. Staff do not support children to tidy their bedrooms enough. One child’s bedroom was seen to be in a filthy state during the inspection. This included piled up plates from previous meals, takeaway wrappers and a barely visible carpet due to clothing all over the floor.

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improvement to be good

One child is fully engaged in education and attends school from Monday until Friday on a residential basis. The other child refuses to engage in any form of education despite several changes in provision to accommodate his wishes. Staff have been unable to ensure this child attends school.

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improvement to be good

Children are consistently supported to share their needs, wishes and feelings with staff. A nurturing ethos is evident within records of the care which staff provide to children.

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improvement to be good

One child is enjoying varied activities and has a fantastic package planned for the summer holidays. This includes sailing, coasteering and many other outdoor fun experiences.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of family relationships and seek to promote positive time between children and their family members. This includes promoting important co-parenting with parents to provide consistency for children.

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improvement to be good

Incidents involving physical intervention are not commonplace. There has been one in several years at the home. Every attempt was made to distract and de-escalate the situation to avoid this. The physical intervention was appropriate and met the needs of the child. This is the first time the registered manager has used this approach within her numerous years as a manager. This demonstrates the registered manager’s nurturing approach and belief that this is used as a last resort only.

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improvement to be good

Staff are using creative approaches to help support a child to manage their emotions. These include dressing up and humour, to help defuse potential incidents. These are often working well.

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improvement to be good

Appropriate action is taken when children go missing. Return home interviews are offered, although children do not always engage with these. Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 4 Boundaries and safeguards are lacking. For example, one child’s internet use and phone use are not monitored or restricted despite concerns. There is a lack of structure for this child which has resulted in them making very limited progress in several months. They eat all their meals in their bedroom and do not engage with staff in a meaningful way.

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good

The registered manager is committed to children and has provided stable management of this home for many years. Record-keeping is of a good standard, and this enables staff to access important information easily.

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good

Case records reflect children’s everyday lives and the support they require. These include rewards systems and praise which is working well for one child. Analysis of one child’s needs is weak, for example, increased soiling and incidents are not unpicked to help understand why these have escalated and what needs to happen to reduce them.

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good

The registered manager consistently promotes support for the specialist health needs of one child. However, a concern is evident regarding the approach taken by another agency in respect of this child’s intimate care. Concerns regarding this have been shared although they have not been escalated by the registered manager effectively.

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good

One child has been missing from home on over 45 occasions since moving in during September 2020. Many of these missing incidents have included overnight absences. This child is not engaged in education and does not engage with staff in a meaningful way. There are also concerns regarding criminal activity and possible exploitation. The registered manager has raised concerns and many multi-agency meetings have been held. However, effective action to keep this child safe and to promote progress is lacking. A similar situation was evident during the full inspection which was completed in 2019. Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 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, 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

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must take effective action to safeguard children where concerns are evident. 12 August 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 their full potential; and

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 12 August 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 6 understand the impact of 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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that every opportunity is taken to understand and to meet children’s individual needs.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, safeguards regarding the use of the internet and mobile phones must be in place when children move into the home. 12 August 2021

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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: SC456910 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: Cambian Childcare Limited, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicola McClements

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Inspector(s)

Polly Soper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456910 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(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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