Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Cambridgeshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 1 SC456846 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

This privately run home provides support, education and care for up to three children who may have experienced neglect, abuse or trauma that has left them vulnerable.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2019.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 28 September 2020, to carry out an assurance 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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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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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: 3 December 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/12/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/01/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/06/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 3

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outstanding

The staff provide care that is of outstanding quality and has transformed the children’s lives. The home’s practice is based on a strong therapeutic model that all staff are trained in and believe in. Consequently, the staff give the children care that is consistently nurturing and loving, which enables the children to heal from previous adverse life experiences and past trauma.

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outstanding

Since the assurance visit, one child has moved on from the home to semi- independent living, and one child has moved into the home. A detailed moving-in plan and impact assessment enabled thoughtful moves to take place. This helps the children to feel secure and to settle into their new home quickly with support in place.

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outstanding

Staff recognise their role in supporting the children’s learning. Two of the children, before living at the home, had not been in full-time education for significant periods. However, with support from staff, all children are now in full-time education. The staff work closely with the children’s schools and are confident in their ability to positively challenge when provision is not good enough. Furthermore, staff are proactive and address the gaps in children’s learning. For one child, the staff have organised additional tutoring. Actions like these ensure that the children achieve their potential and continue to make exceptional progress from their starting points.

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outstanding

Most of the children’s families live a considerable distance from the home. Despite this, the staff prioritise the children’s visits and have built close relationships with children’s families. One child was denied family visits by his placing authority, despite lockdown easing, but the manager challenged the placing authority and continued to escalate concerns until the child was able to see his family.

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outstanding

The staff are attentive to the children’s health needs and are tenacious in the care that they provide. One child was taking a high dose of medication when he moved into the home. The staff recognised that his behaviours were related to his past trauma. They advocated for him and worked closely with health professionals to safely reduce his dosage. He now takes no medication at all and has been able to consistently self-manage.

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outstanding

Children enjoy creative opportunities to engage with their local community. These have included fun activities like holidays and participating in hobbies and clubs locally. They have also included specific fundraising events for local charities that are meaningful to the children. Children therefore can practise their social skills and understand how to contribute positively to society.

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outstanding

The children enjoy the family atmosphere that the staff and manager have created. They described the manager and the staff as their family. They feel listened to and Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 4 respected, and said that they are involved in making decisions about the running of the home. Consequently, the children take pride in their home and want to spend time with the staff.

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outstanding

The home is clean, comfortable and spacious. Renovations have been thoughtfully completed, taking the children’s preferences into account. The children’s furniture and decor are personalised. However, the garden is not so well maintained. Although there is a plan to redesign the outside space, the garden area currently detracts from an otherwise welcoming and charming home.

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outstanding

Staff take the time to develop strong, trusting relationships with the children. They have a thorough understanding of each child’s history and how their life experiences affect their behaviours and needs. These relationships, supported by rewards and consequences, enable staff to set consistent boundaries for the children.

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outstanding

The staff take a non-judgemental approach that focuses on dealing with the underlying factors which lead to any negative behaviours. The children thrive with this approach. As a result, physical interventions are not used, there are very few incidents of children leaving the home without agreement and there have been no complaints.

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outstanding

When incidents arise, staff and managers take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. For example, when one child had an incident at the local park, in addition to providing responsive key-work sessions, the staff and managers worked with the local community to repair relationships through a series of meetings. Such restorative and thoughtful parenting enabled the child to feel safe in their community.

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outstanding

Safeguarding and incident records are comprehensive. All records include children’s views and staff reflection. These are shared with social workers to promote continuous multi-agency care planning and review. The manager scrutinises all incidents and carefully monitors emerging trends. She ensures that there is robust challenge in these processes, so that all partner agencies fulfil their responsibilities and safeguard children.

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outstanding

As well as addressing immediate safeguarding incidents, the manager seeks advice from relevant specialist services to inform future safety planning, and explores any underlying needs that children may have. In doing so, the manager promotes positive longer-term safeguarding outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is experienced and has a clear vision for the home that is aspirational and ambitious for the children. Such passion and commitment have enabled her to drive considerable improvements. Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 5 The manager has achieved these improvements through recognising the value of the staff team. She identifies and nurtures the staff’s talents, empowering them to develop their knowledge, make decisions and share their experiences and interests with the children. Consequently, the children benefit from a team that shares its knowledge and skills with them. One child has been supported to pursue her interests in artwork and paint portraits of her family. These activities create positive memories and enrich children’s lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff value the manager’s commitment to developing their practice. They feel well supported by her. They enjoy the opportunity to reflect on research, new frameworks of practice and legislation that the manager discusses with them in their supervision. In addition, the manager ensures that she regularly celebrates success, nominating staff members and the team for recognition of their practice. This has created a positive team culture and a permanent stable workforce that provides children with consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There are excellent and effective internal and external monitoring mechanisms in place. The manager is well organised and has developed her own internal quality assurance systems. This means that she knows the progress that children are making and, if needed, what development actions she needs to take in order to ensure that progress is maintained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The feedback from the children’s families and from professionals is unanimously positive. They appreciate the time and effort which the manager and the staff put into ensuring that their views are included and that there is a coordinated approach to care planning. The manager continued to attend statutory meetings and work with the professionals to support a child who recently moved on from the home. This enabled the child’s wishes and feelings to be heard. Consequently, professionals were better able to tailor their support for the child as she moved to adult services. It is the manager’s high level of commitment to achieving the very best for children that is making a positive difference to their lives. Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is a well-maintained environment that meets the needs of the children. In particular, repair the rear garden fence and fix the broken patio slabs in the rear garden. (‘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: SC456846 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: Metropolitan House, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Leemya McKeown, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456846 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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