Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bolton

Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 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

The children’s home is one of a number of homes operated by a large private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children with social, emotional and/or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted on 30 January 2021.

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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

The inspector discussed any continued effects of the pandemic with the provider and has taken the responses into account in their evaluation of the provider.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 8 and 9 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 requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 9 April 2019 Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 2 Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/09/2018 Full Good 24/07/2017 Full Good 06/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 4

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requires improvement to be good

Children benefit from living in a warm and welcoming home. The home has been decorated throughout, although the kitchen units are old and one kitchen drawer front is missing. However, there are plans to further develop the home, together with additional improvements as identified by the inspector during this inspection. These include replacing thumb locks on all exterior doors to match the existing ones on fire exit doors. The garage overhead door was also identified as broken. One child uses the garage as a gym, and this area requires improvement to provide an appropriate space to exercise in.

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requires improvement to be good

Despite the restrictions related to COVID-19, staff help children to take part in activities outside the home, individually and together as a group. One child spoke to the inspector about how they value staff supporting them to engage in a wide range of physical exercise. This was validated by feedback from a social worker, who highlighted the positive support staff provide to help children participate in activities.

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requires improvement to be good

Staff understand children’s needs well. Children’s individual support plans provide staff with guidance on how best to meet each child’s needs. However, staff are not provided with consistent advice across these different plans. For example, children’s health plans do not detail all the support children need when they are struggling with their mental health, in particular access to the organisation’s clinical team as detailed in the home’s statement of purpose. This access has been important for one child when they felt unable to access external mental health services.

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requires improvement to be good

Children’s education is promoted well by the staff team. Staff support each child’s individual learning plan appropriately. This includes travelling some distance to one child’s school. Staff provided informal learning opportunities for another child when they arrived at the home. This child now has a new education placement, having struggled to engage in learning prior to moving into the home.

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requires improvement to be good

Children experience positive and well-planned moves into the home. Staff have supported three children to move in during recent months, providing each child with an individual support plan, including visits to the home before moving in. The registered manager fully considers children’s individual needs, alongside those of the children already living in the home. Staff have helped children to adapt to the changes in living together in the home.

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requires improvement to be good

Staff have struggled to develop trusting relationships with some children currently in the home. This has negatively affected the staff team’s ability to confidently respond to the needs of one child. As a result, the police have been called to assist on more than one occasion. However, the children who spoke Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 5 with the inspector during the inspection said that they feel able to talk with staff if they have any worries. They also understand how to make a complaint should they wish to.

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requires improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with their families. Staff understand the importance of children maintaining these relationships for their sense of identity.

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improvement to be good

Children previously living in the home were assessed as being at risk outside the home, including at risk of child criminal exploitation. Risk-management plans for two of these children did not provide consistent guidance for staff when significant risks of child criminal exploitation were identified later by the police. This resulted in no appropriate strategies being put in place to prevent this risk. However, staff subsequently responded immediately when the two children went missing from home and were subject to child criminal exploitation.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensured that the children accessed independent support on their return to the home. Staff subsequently worked effectively with statutory agencies to put in place strategies to address the identified risks of child criminal exploitation. However, the recording of staff’s response to a separate missing-from-home episode involving two other children was not effective. This included no clear rationale for the delay in staff searching for the children, who were found later that night.

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improvement to be good

When children currently living in the home have gone missing, there has been an effective response by staff, including staff working appropriately with police to address possible concerns.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of the individual known risks of each child currently living in the home. Children are helped to better understand how to keep themselves safe through the direct work staff undertake with them. Risk- management plans now help to provide clearer guidance to staff on how to keep each child safe. There is a continued focus on improving the quality of these plans to ensure consistency with the support plans and the case recordings for each child. This follows a recent internal audit by the senior management team which identified areas for improvement.

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improvement to be good

The inspector identified a good example of joint working, where there were emerging concerns regarding one child’s behaviours towards another child. This included effective sharing of information with the first child’s new placement as part of their move on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Since the assurance visit in September 2020, there has been an effective response to an allegation made against a staff member. The internal investigation concluded that no further action was required, following consultation with the Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 6 designated officer. However, Ofsted was not informed of this allegation as required in line with regulation.

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be good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the children and their individual needs. She is empathic to children’s lived experiences and understands how these may be communicated through a child’s behaviour. The registered manager has applied this understanding when sensitively supporting each child’s move into the home.

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be good

There have been significant changes to the staff team, particularly since the new manager has been in position. However, a significant number of new staff do not have the relevant skills or experience for their roles. While staff are provided with a comprehensive induction and training programme, there are gaps in their knowledge and skills. This affects the staff team’s ability to meet the needs of all children living in the home effectively.

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be good

Staff feel well supported by the registered manager and feel very much part of the team. The registered manager is committed to the development of the team’s skills and knowledge. The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and has identified some of the areas for improvement.

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be good

The registered manager has, in part, met the requirements of the last inspection, with one requirement repeated in respect of leadership and management. They are supported well by the senior management team. Together with the senior management team, the registered manager responded proportionately to the emerging issues identified during this inspection. Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 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

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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 each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c)) 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. 31 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 8 (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix))

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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; and are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)) 31 January 2022

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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 31 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 9 child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(f))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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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. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)) 31 January 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 31 January 2022

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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: 1156098 10

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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, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Maria Lonergan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1156098 11 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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