Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Nottingham

Inspection report children's home: SC457500 1 SC457500 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 home is owned by a private organisation. It cares for up to six children and young people who have moderate learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been registered since 2015.

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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 15 September 2021 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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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 failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 10 December 2019

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC457500 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/12/2019 Full Good 29/08/2018 Full Good 21/08/2017 Full Good 04/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC457500 3

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inadequate

Children have not been adequately protected from harm. There have been serious failures in relation to the staff not following safeguarding procedures. Additionally, protocols for administering medication have not been followed. Two children with complex needs currently live at the home, although the home is registered to care for six children.

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inadequate

The staff team has been through a turbulent period. Several experienced staff have now left the home. When new staff have joined, they have quickly left, leading to ongoing fluctuations in staffing. Experienced staff report that changes to the staffing have led to a negative impact on the quality of care provided to children.

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inadequate

Despite shortfalls, some children have made progress. Three children have been supported by staff with planned transitions into supported living arrangements. A parent said: ‘In the four years that [name] was here, we were confident in the way that staff were dealing with him. He had fun and happy times at the home.’

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inadequate

Children are supported to engage in and attend education. The manager and staff have been proactive in engaging children in education and supporting their attendance and progress. However, for one child, there has been significant delay in the responsible local authority identifying an education provision. The manager has advocated strongly for an appropriate provision to be found, and she has recently been successful.

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inadequate

Children know how to complain and report any worries they may have to staff. When children have complained, there has been a mixed response. Some staff know and understand children’s needs and understand their responsibilities to follow safeguarding procedures. There have been other incidents when children have not been listened to.

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inadequate

There have been incidents of harmful behaviours between children. Following an incident, managers and staff implemented care practices designed to keep children safe. In addition, relevant safeguarding agencies were notified. However, despite these measures, a further safeguarding incident occurred. This incident and the harm to children would have been fully preventable if staff had followed the safe care protocols that were in place.

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inadequate

Staff failed to take immediate action following a disclosure of harm being made by a child. No action was taken until a day later when the child repeated the Inspection report children's home: SC457500 4 disclosure to another member of staff. This response by staff is inadequate in relation to keeping children safe.

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inadequate

There have been repeated incidents of failures to administer and record prescribed medication to a child. This led to the child requiring further medical intervention. This intervention would not have been necessary if the medication protocols had been followed appropriately.

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inadequate

The safeguarding culture in the home is not yet safe or effective. Incidents have been managed poorly, and staff practice has fallen below expectation at times. This leaves children at increased risk. A child said: ‘I feel unsafe.’ The child talked about a lack of confidence that staff would keep him safe. An independent reviewing officer for a child also raised concerns about the number of safeguarding incidents that have taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home is managed by an experienced and appropriately qualified manager. The manager has a positive track record of managing the home before this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

In response to safeguarding shortfalls the manager has been transparent with the safeguarding agencies involved. Information has been shared with the relevant professionals. There has been some immediate action taken to address the practice shortfalls. Staff have received guidance to update them on safeguarding and medication administration.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager understands that there are significant problems with staffing levels. The recruitment and retention of residential care staff are at very low levels. This has a detrimental impact on staff already working at the home, who are working additional shifts to cover shortfalls and provide consistency of care for children. The manager and leaders are prioritising the recruitment of additional permanent staff as a matter of urgency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children are seeing and experiencing significant changes with the staff who care for them. However, a number of core staff know the children well. The team is fragile; a child said: ‘Staff are getting sick and there has been a lot of changes.’ The children currently in placement have complex needs. This means new staff will need to develop the skills and knowledge they need to meet children’s needs and provide a good quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager is aware of the strengths and weaknesses at the home. She recognises that the staff team has been through a difficult period. She understands that at times, care practice and safeguarding have not been effective. The manager and leaders have decided not to admit additional children until they are more confident in staffing levels and the abilities and skills of staff to meet children’s needs. Inspection report children's home: SC457500 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 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff understanding and following safeguarding and medication processes to keep children safe. 12 December

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 12 December Inspection report children's home: SC457500 6 ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This refers specifically to the deployment of sufficient staff with the relevant skills, knowledge and experience to care for children.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC457500 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

Bev Allison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC457500 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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