Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report children's home: SC458352 1 SC458352 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 provides care for up to 3 children with behavioural and/or emotional needs. It is part of a national organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who has made an application to Ofsted to be 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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 7 October 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Date of last inspection: 4 December 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children's home: SC458352 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/12/2019 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/05/2018 Full Good 08/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: SC458352 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the needs of the children. They celebrate achievements from each child’s starting point to give them a positive experience. The staff’s approach builds the children’s resilience. One child who recently left the home has written to thank the manager and staff and said, ‘You have made me into a better person.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager is ambitious for the children’s futures. She listens to the children and involves them in planning their next steps. The staff encourage one child who was not attending school to complete his end of year exams. He has now secured a college apprenticeship. Another child, who recently left the home, is starting a college course due to the consistent reassurance of staff. Professionals assessed him originally as at high risk of having no education or training prospects.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff improve the children’s health and well-being. Staff and children talk about the importance of diet and exercise. The children and staff take part in related activities such as going to the gym and food shopping. One child has flourished in the staff’s care and has moved out. She keeps in touch with staff and reflects that, ‘Staff were always there for me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children live in a well-kept, modern and nurturing home which is currently being redecorated. This is an opportunity for staff to consider whether they should remove bedroom locks to create a family home atmosphere.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have warm and positive relationships with the children’s families. One parent confirmed that the manager regularly keeps in touch with her. She feels that her son is safe and has no worries about his care or contact arrangements.

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

The manager reviews and updates the risk assessments around the children’s behaviour The manager is dealing with some significant child protection concerns around one child. She has reassured the child that staff will help to keep him safe. She keeps in contact with key professionals to create a coordinated and consistent response to the child. The manager’s and staff’s approach have a positive impact on the child who is more settled.

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

Staff act professionally and consistently when children go missing. Staff look for children and keep in constant contact with them. The staff’s approach is beginning to reduce the number and seriousness of one child’s missing episodes. For example, staff can find the child without involving the police. Inspection report children's home: SC458352 4 The manager responds quickly and openly to children’s complaints and takes external professional advice. At the outcome of a case, the manager considers any points of learning about the staff’s practice and makes sure that it fits in with the home’s culture.

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

Staff treat the children with dignity and respect. For example, staff carry out room searches sensitively to meet the requirements of one child’s care plan by including them in the weekly bedroom tidying activity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has only recently started her role but is making positive changes to the home. She supports staff through a full induction process. The manager ensures that permanent staff are suitably vetted by her. She should develop a similarly robust system for agency staff to ensure that she has full staff records and does not rely on third-party information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager acknowledges that risk assessments are too complex and are set out over several documents. While staff show that they do know the children well, there is scope for the manager to simplify the risk assessments and care planning information. This will help staff to navigate documents effectively and provide a consistent response to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides access to clinical supervision in regular team meetings for staff to feel confident and skilled to supply high-quality care to the children. She creates a sense of belonging for the children in the home. Staff provide firmer boundaries and routines for the children. The children understand that they are an important part of home life. They handle weekly chores and actively take part in planning activities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works collaboratively with her staff and other professionals to keep the focus on the children’s care plans. The manager and staff spend time with children before they come to live in the home to make sure that it is the right match to meet children’s needs. Inspection report children's home: SC458352 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 care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to simplifying the risk assessment documents to make them easier to read. 15/10/2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; 17/09/2021 Inspection report children's home: SC458352 6 the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1)(2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must carry out the same vetting process for all staff including agency staff

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Recommendation

 The registered manager should ensure that the home is a nurturing and domestic environment where bedroom doors should not be routinely locked. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC458352 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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Inspectors

Justine Hosking, Social Care Inspector Michelle Oxley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC458352 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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