Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 1 SC454647 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides a therapeutic service for up to five children who have experienced, or are at risk of, child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has an experienced manager who was registered with Ofsted in 2017 and holds a level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 10 September 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/09/2019 Full Outstanding 16/05/2018 Full Good 22/08/2017 Full Good 03/05/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 3

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outstanding

Children at this home make exceptional progress from their starting points. Due to the excellent support and commitment from staff, children no longer experience the level of risk which necessitated them being looked after away from their families.

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outstanding

Children’s well-being has improved because of the care and support they receive from staff and other professionals. Children are eating healthily, engaging with other professionals and participating in exercise. For one child who was struggling to sleep, staff were able to identify that she needed a new mattress, and they researched the most suitable option. Staff are also in the process of creating a quiet, relaxing space in this child’s bedroom where she can do yoga and relax. The excellent support from staff has helped children to start the recovery from their past experiences and trauma.

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outstanding

Staff offer consistency in a nurturing environment in which children are seen as individuals with potential. Children are not judged on what has previously happened to them, but on what they can achieve with the right support and guidance.

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outstanding

Staff develop individualised programmes of care and support. They consider each child individually and talk to children about what they want from the placement, and how staff can support them in achieving those goals. Consequently, children feel part of the decision-making process and want to engage in their care.

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outstanding

Managers have researched the benefits of caring for animals with children who have experienced trauma. Children have raised and nurtured orphaned lambs, cared for chickens, ducks and rabbits, and had a cat which had kittens. Children rehomed the kittens, but only after interviewing potential owners to make sure the kittens would be well cared for. One child said that having animals had given her a purpose and now she wants to work with animals.

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outstanding

Staff help children to understand how important education is for their future. As a result, children who were reluctant to attend are now going to education and achieving. One child has taken GCSE English a year early and passed. She is now motivated to do even better as a result of work with her school. For another child, they are considering a mainstream provision. One child who struggles in education has been supported with alternative education which has involved animals and horses. This has meant that the child has found an interest and undertaken vocational qualifications. As a result, children are aspirational about their futures, wanting to go to college or university to pursue a career that interests them.

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outstanding

Children are helped to find interests outside of the home. Staff encourage children to try new things and join clubs. For example, one child is part of a pony club, another is doing ju-jitsu, and one child is about to start a photography course. Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 4 Consequently, children have opportunities to develop lifelong interests and to improve their confidence and self-esteem.

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outstanding

Children receive additional support from an inclusion worker. This work has focused on engaging children in arts and crafts to develop conversation while doing something fun. Consequently, children learn new skills and strategies to cope with stresses and distress. For example, creating sensory boxes helps when a child is anxious and may otherwise have self-harmed. As a result, children at the home rarely self-harm and are better able to manage their emotions.

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outstanding

Staff have helped children to maintain their identity and culture. For example, the manager employed a translator to engage and promote a child’s language skills, and went out of their way to discuss with families what their culture and religion mean to them and how to promote these as the family would. Consequently, children feel valued and respected.

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

Staff have built excellent relationships with children based on trust and consistency of care. This trust and consistency, along with well-formulated plans of support, means children are better able to understand risks, and have developed strategies to manage their emotions and the pressures placed on them by others who would take advantage of their vulnerability. As a result, children have become safer and are better able to keep themselves safe when online and when they have free time out in the community.

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

Staff are very alert to any potential risks and take their responsibility to safeguard children extremely seriously. Due to previous risk-taking behaviours of children, the home is based in a rural setting. Staff are aware of high-risk areas in the wider area and will plan journeys to avoid those places until a child is settled and has begun to engage in the placement. This promotes children’s welfare.

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

Staff are confident in their roles to protect children and have developed robust behaviour management plans to improve children’s safety. These plans have proved to be effective and ensure that a consistent approach is used by staff. As a result, children do not go missing from the home. When incidents do happen, staff manage these appropriately without the need for physical intervention. This demonstrates staff’s skill in supporting children to increase their ability to manage their feelings and frustrations more positively.

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

A careful balance is maintained between managing risks and allowing increased independence. Managers provide the children with opportunities to experience greater autonomy while being given the tools and training to keep safe. For example, one child is able to have free time at a local horse stable. Before the child started this activity, managers reviewed the location and identified any possible risks in the area. This proactive approach meant the child was able to become more independent while being kept safe. Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 5 Managers complete robust impact assessments on children moving to the home. These assessments are reviewed when managers receive new information to ensure that children living at the home are suitably matched to the home and each other. As a result, there have been no placement breakdowns or unplanned endings.

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

The fire service has advised the manager to install an anti-barricade door. This is yet to be completed. This has not had a negative impact on children’s safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is an exceptionally child-focused practitioner. She is inspirational, leads by example and has high expectations of herself and the staff team. The manager is aspirational about the care given to the children and children achieving their full potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is aware of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and how COVID-19 has affected the home and children. During the pandemic, the home faced many challenges such as children and staff having COVID-19. Despite this, managers and staff pulled together to make sure children received consistent care. This included some staff and managers remaining at the home for eight and 10 days until other staff were well enough to return. This ensured that children were safe and well cared for by those who knew them best.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, managers have continued to progress the quality of care. The manager has undertaken research and created a resource file with relevant information for staff to refer to on a variety of topics. This research has shown to be very beneficial for children, such as the research into the benefits of animals with children who have experienced trauma. Consequently, children have continued to make exceptional progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff say they are well supported by the manager. One worker said, ‘support given has been above and beyond’, and another said, ‘the manager is brilliant, very therapeutic, makes things make sense’. As a result, staff want to work at the home, feel inspired, and want to do the very best for the children living there.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager responds to concerns raised by children and others promptly. She makes sure all are aware of what is happening throughout the process and the outcomes of any concerns made. Consequently, children feel confident to raise concerns and know that they will be listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager liaises well with others and has made sure specific support is provided to children, even when she has had to find the support outside of the organisation. For example, by employing a translator, a child continued to have opportunities to talk in Spanish and maintain those skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has systems in place to monitor and review the home. However, the last regulation 45 report was not sent to Ofsted. This omission meant that the Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 6 regulator did not have the opportunity to oversee progress at the home, prior to the inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 7

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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

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to an assessment and consultation with the fire service regarding an anti-barricade door. 9 November 2021

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that the regulation 45 report is sent to Ofsted and to the placing local authority of all children in the home.. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.2)

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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: SC454647 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare LTD

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC454647 9 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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