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

Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 1 SC065261 Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is registered for up to 60 children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The service operates as a residential special school that also provides accommodation for 52 weeks of the year. As a result, it is registered as a children’s home. The home provides care across nine houses. The home is owned by a private national organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since 23 June 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: restriction of accommodation Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/07/2021 Full Inadequate 25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/01/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 3

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inadequate

Over several years, leaders and managers have failed to provide all children with good quality care and consequently, for some children, their experiences have been poor. Weaknesses in the quality of care and knowledge and skills of staff found at previous inspections, continue to be a concern. This is the second full inspection in 2021 when the home has been judged as inadequate.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers have not tackled effectively, long-standing inconsistencies in the quality of care that children receive. For example, too m any children continue to be looked after by temporary or new staff who do not always have the knowledge and experience to meet their needs. Too often, this impacts negatively on the quality of these children’s experiences.

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inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that staff in some houses are ambitious for the children. These children are not being given the calm structured routines, care, and support needed to help them to make good progress. In addition, some children live in houses that are poorly maintained and unclean.

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inadequate

Not all children’s plans contain detailed up-to-date information on how staff are expected to meet the children’s needs. Targets set for some children are too broad and risk assessments are not clear or concise. As a result, staff are not provided with sufficient information about how they are to meet children’s needs, how to support their development, or on how keep children safe by managing and mitigating risk. Some parents remain concerned about the lack of progress being made.

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inadequate

Other children receive care from staff who can meet their needs and most children live in houses that are well-furnished and homely. As a result, these children are having more positive experiences and are making better progress.

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inadequate

Typically, children are provided with a varied diet that meets their individual cultural, dietary and health needs. Leaders and managers are considering ways to improve children’s dining experiences.

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inadequate

Children are supported to attend a range of leisure activities. These include swimming, walks and trips out within the local community. However, on occasions, staffing shortages have impacted on some children’s daily activities.

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

Children’s safety continues to be compromised because turnover of staff means that some children do not receive care from a consistent team of staff who know them well and understands their specific needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 4 Three children are living in rooms that are unhygienic and hazardous. Leaders and managers have not taken sufficient action to remedy these concerns.

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

Since the last inspection, the head of care has been appointed as the school’s designated safeguarding lead (DSL). Since the monitoring visit in August 2021, there have been two reported safeguarding concerns. The DSL has worked closely with the safeguarding agencies to manage and resolve these safeguarding concerns. However, some safeguarding records are not well maintained. As a result, leaders and managers do not have a clear audit trail of what action has been taken, when the action was taken and what the outcome was.

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

Fire evacuation drills take place regularly. However, records of these evacuations do not consistently detail the names of the staff who have engaged in the fire evacuation. This means that leaders and managers do not know whether all temporary and new staff know what to do in an emergency.

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

Managers have taken action in response to a concern raised by one child’s parents and the investigation into the concerns has not yet concluded. However, complaint records do not detail whether the parents are happy with the actions taken so far.

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

Behavioural incidents have reduced in number since the last inspection. Children are only physically restrained as a last resort and for a minimal amount of time. Social stories are used effectively, and staff are provided with an opportunity to reflect on their action and identify potential triggers for behavioural incidents, to help reduce reoccurrence.

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

The management of medication has improved , and audits are now effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection in July 2021. At that inspection, Ofsted made statutory requirements relating to the quality of care, safeguarding and leadership and management. As a result of the seriousness of these concerns, Ofsted restricted the number of children who could live in the home. At the monitoring visit , inspectors found that leaders and managers at all levels had not taken timely and decisive action to address these concerns.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

At this inspection, inspectors found that while some improvements have been made, leaders and managers have still not taken sufficient action to address all the concerns. As a result, the restriction on the number of children who can live in the home remains in place. Ofsted will continue to monitor this restriction and the ongoing performance of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is not meeting the conditions of her registration because she has ineffective oversight of the quality-of-care children receive and the operation of the home. While there is an experienced management team in place, this team has not ensured that every house operates safely and effectively. In some houses, Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 5 this lack of ownership by managers has meant that the children who live in them do not always receive consistent, good quality care and accommodation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The recruitment and retention of staff continues to be problematic. In recent months, senior leaders have introduced positive employment incentives. As a result, recruitment is slowly improving. However, at this point it is still too early to have had an impact on improving the quality of care for all children. Exit interviews are now being completed. However, information gained is not routinely followed up or used to improve staff retention.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that all staff receive regular good-quality formal supervision. Records are not always well maintained. They do not always reflect the discussions held or agreed actions when concerns are raised. This limits managers ability to drive improvement in the quality of care received by children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback gained from social workers is mixed. Some social workers raised concerns about poor communication, delays in reporting incidents and children’s access to the community. In comparison, some social workers spoke positively about children’s progress and the care and support children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

As a result of this inspection, requirements set at the previous inspection in relation to the quality of care, safeguarding and leadership and management remain in place. New requirements in relation to the quality of record keeping and the safety of the homes physical environment have been added. Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 6

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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 home’s 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(vii) (3)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that there are sufficient permanent staff to meet the care plan needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that the home is maintained in good condition and is clean, and repairs to damage are actioned without delay. 3 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 7 This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staffing shortages do not impact on children’s opportunities to enjoy meaningful and enjoyable activities in the community.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated. 3 September 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated. 3 September 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. 1 December 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with and act in accordance with the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that child protection records provide a clear audit trail setting out what action has been taken, when the action was taken and what the outcome was.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that 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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and 3 September 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 9 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that the monitoring carried out by the manager and independent visitor is effective.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated.

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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, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the reg- istered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider should ensure that all care plans are clear, concise and relevant to the child’s current needs and behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated. 3 September 2021

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that fire evacuation records include details of all the adults who engaged in the evacuation. 1 December 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 Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 10 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: SC065261 11

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Melanie Micklewright

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Inspectors

Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Wendy Anderson, Social Care Inspector Kendra Bell, Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC065261 12 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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