Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 1 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 is a privately owned children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to five children. The home specialises in providing a 12-month therapeutic programme for children who are at risk of or subject to child sexual exploitation.

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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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be 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: 24 September 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: 1159385 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2019 Full Good 15/05/2019 Full Inadequate 02/10/2018 Full Good 27/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Three children live in the home. Two children have recently had a planned moved into semi-independent living. One child, who moved out six months ago, told the inspector that they were moving in to their own apartment. They spoke with affection of the support they received from the manager and staff. They said, ‘It was a sweet and sour goodbye…sweet because I was moving on and sour because I didn’t want to leave. They helped me to achieve my goals.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say that they are happy living in the home. The environment is cosy and homely. The manager and staff create a family feel for children. They are passionate about children experiencing equal opportunities outside of the home. For example, one child is a member of a local football team and another goes horse riding in the local area. Children form friendships outside of the home. This helps them to develop their identity and a positive sense of self-worth.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care. This focuses on helping them to develop independent living skills, such as learning to prepare healthy meals and do their laundry. One child has passed their driving theory test and is hoping to start driving lessons. These experiences raise children’s self-esteem and prepare them well for later life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Given their starting points, children make good progress with their education. Staff help them to maintain good attendance after being absent from education. For example, they attend with them if they are anxious. This provides children with reassurance. For example, one child with high levels of anxiety was able to achieve a qualification. They also attended their school prom. As a result of these achievements, they gained a place at college. This will help them to have further opportunities to succeed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop healthy emotional well-being. The company’s clinical team provide support through therapy. They also coach staff in respect of their approach when working with children. The manager has good links with the child adolescent mental health service. As a result, children are learning to express their emotions in safer ways. They are also more able to explore sensitive issues, such as their experiences of trauma. This means that children are able to receive the help they need to navigate their journey of recovery.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children do not always experience planned transitions into the home. One placing authority did not inform a child that they were moving in to the home until the planned day. They also failed to provide the manager with necessary information about the child. Another child moved in during the early hours of one morning after being in police custody. Senior managers agreed that they could move in to prevent them remaining in custody any longer. Despite this, the child described a positive experience of moving in to the home. The registered manager escalates concerns Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 4 about the performance of placing authorities when necessary. However, they do not always receive support from senior managers when doing so.

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

Children live in a safe environment. The appropriate staffing ratio ensures that children receive the necessary supervision and support. Safeguarding practice is good. Staff have received safeguarding training and they know how to raise safeguarding concerns.

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

The manager uses an impact risk assessment when matching children to the home. They thoroughly consider children’s individual needs, as well as the needs of children already living in the home. As a result, children successfully move in to the home. They settle in well and build positive relationships with other children and staff.

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

The manager completes detailed risk assessments and behaviour support plans. These enable staff to understand each child’s risks and vulnerabilities. Sometimes, children display behaviours that may present as a challenge for staff. The manager provides clear guidance in safety plans for staff to follow to keep children safe. As a result, significant incidents are low.

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

One child’s mental health has recently deteriorated significantly. Staff follow a safety plan to ensure the child is safe. This sometimes involves staff physically holding them to protect them from harm. The registered manager is relentless when seeking specialist support for this child. However, this has been unsuccessful. As a result, they have escalated their concern with the placing authority. A meeting has been arranged with them to discuss the viability of the placement. During the inspection, the police gave positive feedback about how the home have done their ‘level best’ to keep this child safe.

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

The home has an intervention support coordinator. They complete excellent work with children around keeping safe. Staff have a good understanding of the risks to children when using the internet. The necessary restrictions are in place to monitor children’s internet use. Staff complete key-work sessions with children about online risks. They then undertake calculated risk assessments with children, which are regularly reviewed. Children have opportunities to practice the tools they learn to keep themselves safe. This encourages children to be open with staff about their experiences online.

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

Children do not go missing. Staff follow missing-from-care plans, which children contribute to. These are excellent tools which explore with children the pull and push factors. This helps staff to understand how to respond to children’s emotional needs. As a result, children feel understood and a sense of belonging. This reduces any desire they may have to leave the home. Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 5

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good

The registered manager has recently returned to work after a period of absence. They are currently working towards their level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager is passionate and keeps children at the heart of all they do. They strive to achieve a family environment in which children can thrive.

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good

There is a stable and consistent staff team. This ensures that children have consistent and predictable care. Staff work well together and have positive relationships with one another and children. The home has their own well-being coach who staff can approach for emotional support. One staff member said the home is ‘the best place I have worked’. Another described the home as a ‘family home’.

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good

The manager has good systems in place to monitor and review the quality of care children receive. They have a good understanding of the areas in need of development in the home. As a result, they are aware of children’s progress and celebrate their achievements.

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good

The registered manager has not received adequate support during their return to work. This is despite external professionals identifying that this is necessary. Neither have they received adequate supervision. Nevertheless, the manager is proactive in sourcing their own support.

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good

Important checks to ensure that staff are safe to work with children are not always completed. Two staff members have not had their previous employment appropriately verified. This is because reasonable steps were not taken to do so. These staff members commenced employment during the registered manager’s absence.

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good

Some staff do not receive regular supervision. This is a missed opportunity to develop their practice. The recording of some supervision is poor as they lack detail and reflection on children’s experiences.

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good

Three staff members have not completed the relevant qualification within the required timescale. Furthermore, not all staff receive training pertinent to children’s needs. As a result, children may receive care by staff who do not understand them, in addition to staff who are not suitably qualified or vetted.

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good

Feedback from professionals was unanimously positive. However, one professional said that they do not always receive a clear view from the clinical team. This is in relation to a child with particularly complex behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to senior managers escalating concerns expressed by the registered manager about the performance of a placing authority. 21 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

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the monitoring, review and support of staff and their practice, particularly when staff have returned to work after a period of absence, in addition to ensuring that staff receive training pertinent to children’s needs. 21 December Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 7 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 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 has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma"); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which falls two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all of the appropriate checks are undertaken when recruiting new staff members. This includes taking reasonable steps to obtain information that has been delayed. Additionally, ensure that staff obtain the relevant qualification within regulatory timescales. 21 December Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision of their practice. A detailed record of supervision should be completed, which details discussion and includes clear actions for staff to undertake to further their professional development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations including the quality standards’ page 61, paragraph 13.2 and 13.3)

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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: 1159385 9

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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

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1159385 10 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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