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 home is made up of separate houses in the grounds of a residential special school. Both the school and the home are owned and managed by a private company.

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Information about this children’s home

The children may be 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. The registration of the home is currently suspended.

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This monitoring visit

A monitoring visit took place on 29 March 2021, following concerns raised about the safety and protection of children and ineffective leadership and management. At that time, Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulation 12 (the protection of children standard) and regulation 13 (the leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out a further monitoring visit on 13 May 2021 to review the actions taken to address the steps detailed in the compliance notices. The inspectors found that leaders and managers had failed to take sufficient action to meet all aspects of these notices. Consequently, these notices were reissued.

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This monitoring visit

At a monitoring visit on 22 June 2021, inspectors found that leaders and managers had again failed to complete all the necessary steps required to meet the compliance notices. The manager and head of care acknowledged that these had not been met and that they were still ‘a work in progress’. As a result of that monitoring visit, Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 2 Ofsted reissued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 and suspended the registration of the home.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out this visit on 3 August 2021. A tour of the site and discussions with the head of care confirmed that there are no children living in any of the homes that are linked to this registration. An action plan is in place to address the shortfalls found at the previous visits. Leaders and managers are monitoring this plan and some progress has been made.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed a new risk assessment document. Staff have attended workshops and team meetings to familiarise themselves with the new document and have practised writing risk assessments using the new format. Although the quality of the risk assessments is not yet consistent, leaders and managers are quality assuring the documents and providing feedback to the staff. They are also discussing the risk assessments during supervision and team meetings. This is helping staff to become more skilled and confident. There are plans to further embed learning from these over the coming weeks. This means that the required steps in the compliance notice under regulation 12 have been met.

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This monitoring visit

A workforce development plan is in place and the staff team is completing a programme of training and development activities. This will continue over the rest of the summer period while the notice to suspend the registration of this home remains in place. Leaders and managers do not have sufficient oversight of staff’s attendance at this training. This means that it is difficult for managers to easily ensure that all staff are completing all the sessions.

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This monitoring visit

The provider has developed processes and guidance to provide better oversight of critical incidents and a checklist to ensure that actions are followed up after incidents. However, this new process is in its infancy and has not yet been shared with staff. Consequently, until staff are appraised of the amended process, it is not known if these will require further amendments to ensure their effectiveness. Currently, senior leaders are unable to test whether the management monitoring systems are consistently used and are effective in preventing repeat concerns being highlighted. Consequently, Ofsted has reissued the compliance notice under regulation 13.

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This monitoring visit

The notice to suspend the registration of this home remains in place. The provider has not yet demonstrated sufficient improvement through the action plan, and children may be at risk of harm if they were to live in the home.

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This monitoring visit

The head of care is currently in day-to-day charge of the home but has yet to apply to register with Ofsted. This post has been vacant since July 2019.

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This monitoring visit

The remaining six requirements issued in March 2021 have not been reviewed at this visit and are repeated. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 3

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Recent inspection history

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

understand the children’s homes overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This is carried over from the monitoring visit on 29 March 2021. 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner; and 5 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 5 that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b)(c))

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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

*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

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)) 5 September 2021

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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))

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Requirement Due date

This is carried over from the monitoring visit on 29 March 2021. 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 5 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 5 September 2021 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 7 there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

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. 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

Any person who carries on or manages an establishment or agency of any description without being registered under this Part in respect of it (as an establishment or, as the case may be, agency of that description) shall be guilty of an offence. (Section 11 (1) Care Standards Act 2000)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the person in day-to-day charge of the home registers with Ofsted. 5 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 8

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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. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 9

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

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Inspector

Louise Hollick, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 1227060 10 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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