Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 1 SC476231 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to four children. The home specialises in providing care for children who have experienced or been at risk of child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has an experienced and qualified manager.

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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 good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Full Outstanding 11/07/2018 Full Good 20/12/2017 Full Good 09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved out of the home and four children have moved in. There are four children currently living in the home. One of these children has lived there for 18 months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well presented. Soft furnishings and photos of the children help to create a warm and homely environment. Children’s bedrooms are personalised to their individual taste and are kept clean and tidy. This helps children to feel valued and enables them to take pride in their environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive consistent care from a stable staff team. This enables children to develop trusting relationships with staff. Children will speak openly to staff about their worries and feelings. This helps children to regulate their emotions and provides staff with a better understanding of what children are experiencing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are successful at promoting children’s education needs. In part, this is because staff work closely with teachers to understand children’s targets and how best to meet these. Those children who have previously not been attending education are supported to attend. Children’s achievements are celebrated. For example, when children receive certificates, these are placed proudly around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff focus on supporting children to learn new skills to allow them to be more independent in the future. One child is preparing for semi-independence. Staff have carried out work with her to help her to develop her budgeting and independence skills. This means that children are well prepared for when they move on from the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide support to children to help them maintain good relationships with their family. This includes supporting children to spend time with their family members at the home or out on an activity. In addition, staff have developed positive relationships with children’s family members. A parent told the inspector that the staff have been great with supporting her and her daughter to have quality time together.

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

Overall, staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and behaviours. This enables staff to keep children safe and promote their well-being. During the inspection, children told the inspector that they felt safe living at the home. Furthermore, a social worker informed the inspector that they had seen a reduction in their child’s risk-taking behaviours. Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 4 The registered manager plans well prior to any child moving into the home. Detailed risk assessment ensures that staff can meet the needs of the new child and that they will not compromise the safety of those children already living in the home.

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

In the main, staff are successful at assessing and managing risk. For example, risk assessments are reviewed regularly and are understood by staff. Despite this, one child’s risk assessment did not include all relevant information. This has the potential to undermine the effectiveness of staff’s response in keeping this child safe.

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

Children rarely go missing from the home. However, one child, who has a job, went missing from their workplace. On this occasion, poor oversight on the part of staff resulted in a delay in the child being reported as missing. Following the incident, the responsible individual completed an investigation and an action plan is now in place to reduce the risk of this reoccurring.

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

When allegations into possible harm are made, these are investigated thoroughly and swiftly. Children are supported and protected throughout the process. The registered manager ensures that any identified learning is actioned and verified.

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

Staff use rewards to encourage children to make positive choices. Children respond well to this and enjoy receiving rewards for their good behaviour. This helps children to feel valued and to want to make positive choices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since September 2021 and provides good leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel valued and well supported by the registered manager and deputy manager. Staff receive the advice and guidance they need to meet the needs of children. Team meetings and formal supervision sessions take place regularly, providing staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice. New staff are equally well supported and have thorough inductions and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that all staff have the training needed to meet the needs of the children living in the home. Most staff hold a level 3 qualification. This ensures that suitably trained staff are equipped with the level of knowledge and skills needed for the role.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is suitably staffed to ensure that the needs of children are met. While there have been changes in the staff team, these positions were quickly filled by other staff within the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partner agencies are positive about the care provided to children and can easily identify the progress that children have made since moving into the home. Parents are also very positive about the relationships that they have with staff. One parent informed the inspector that staff provide them with regular updates. This good partnership working enables children to thrive in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 5 The registered manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. Despite the registered manager’s good oversight, in some instances there have been missed opportunities to identify concerns with staff practices and to take action. Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 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 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff understand risk assessments and that they supervise children in line with risk assessments that are in place. 10 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that required monitoring systems are in place and are regularly reviewed and evaluated. 10 January 2022 Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 7

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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: SC476231 8

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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

Lydia Isaac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476231 9 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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