Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 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 provider states in its statement of purpose that this home provides care for two children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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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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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

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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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 2

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improvement to be good

The home is newly registered and is owned by a large private provider. Since registering in March 2021, two children have moved on in unplanned ways. Poor care planning prior to children moving in led to unsuitable matching between children. This resulted in additional moves for them.

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improvement to be good

One child has since moved into the home. The manager has requested additional support to help the staff meet his individual needs. Staff have implemented a structured day and helped the child engage in a number of activities. He has begun to settle in the home and started to build relationships with staff. As a result, he has made progress in a relatively short time.

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improvement to be good

There have been delays in one child starting education, as it was not clear if they would remain at the home. The child’s views have been considered when looking at suitable schools for him to attend. The manager and staff are not aware of the local offer setting out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a missed opportunity to access additional resources for children.

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improvement to be good

Additional clinical support has been given to the staff team. Staff have also been given the time for one-to-one support when needed. Staff are developing an understanding of children’s different attachment needs and how these can present in a number of ways. This building of resilience in the team means it is more likely that staff will be able to support children effectively.

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improvement to be good

The home is clean, tidy and comfortable. Any risks in the local area have been assessed regularly and plans are in place to reduce them. Staff discuss any restrictions in the home environment with all children. For example, when locks were previously required due to one child’s deprivation of liberty order, staff made sure that the other child living in the home felt comfortable and understood that they could leave the home without restriction.

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improvement to be good

Plans are not written in a way that is accessible to children. Goals within the plans are not always given clear timescales for review. This reduces the opportunities for children to review the areas they have made progress in and to celebrate their successes. However, incentive plans are child-focused and allow and encourage children to be recognised for the positive steps that they are taking.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans provide staff with clear steps to take. However, there have been times when staff have not followed the plans and incidents of damage to Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 3 property have escalated. Staff have not reviewed the strategies in the risk management plans in light of what has and has not been effective. As a result, staff have called the police on a number of occasions, as they have needed additional support to manage behaviour and escalating incidents.

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improvement to be good

One child moved to the home due to being criminally exploited. Staff were proactive in following his plans in order to reduce the likelihood of the child being at risk again. All information was shared with other agencies. Unfortunately, the staff were unable to sustain the restrictions in the child’s plans on a longer-term basis, resulting in the child moving on from the home.

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improvement to be good

Complaints and allegations are not recorded in line with policy. Steps have been taken to try to rebuild relationships with the neighbours after a complaint was made. However, as there is no central log of the complaints received, the manager is unable to monitor effectively and review the outcomes. Ofsted has not been informed of all serious incidents. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of events in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to spend time with staff. On the occasions when children have been reported as missing from home, staff have made all attempts to locate them and welcome them home as soon as possible.

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improvement to be good

Staff are trained in de-escalation. The managers have had oversight of the physical interventions used. However, following such incidents, staff are not always encouraged to reflect on ways that they can change their approach. Efforts are also made to ensure any sanctions are restorative, to help children to reflect on their choices.

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improvement to be good

Staff are clear on the steps to take if a child is harming themselves. Risk management plans are in place that include the need to seek an opinion from a medical professional when needed. However, staff are unaware of the location of the ligature cutters in the home. Although this is not a current presenting risk, this has the potential to have an impact on a child’s life.

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good

The previously registered manager no longer works for the company. A good handover was completed between the old manager and new manager to ensure that information was shared. This helped the child and staff with the change of leadership. The new manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted. He is currently completing the relevant qualification in leadership and management.

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good

Staff have felt supported by both managers. They have received regular supervision from a trained supervisor. Newly recruited staff have received additional support through induction and additional supervision. The staff also meet on a monthly basis for a team meeting, which bank staff are also encouraged to attend. As a result, staff are becoming more consistent in how they care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 4 The managers regularly debrief staff after incidents to ensure that they feel supported. However, it is not always clear that poor practice is addressed effectively. For example, after a serious incident, a critical analysis was completed. However, the fact that the staff could have prevented the incident was not addressed with them. This lack of appropriate reflection from the leaders makes it less likely that staff will develop their own skills and knowledge.

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good

Staff have attended a range of training to help them meet the needs of the children. Additional training has been requested and received in response to increasing risks of sexually harmful behaviour. The managers raised concerns with one placing authority when information on the referral documents did not disclose all known risks.

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good

Monthly visits take place by an independent person. Efforts are made by the visitor to seek feedback from the children and others who are involved in their lives. This gives a holistic view of the care provided. The manager has also completed a review of the quality of care provided. Although this is a reflective report, the manager has not taken it as an opportunity to review the events leading to children moving on from the home.

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good

The manager and staff try to seek the views of the child regularly. Boundaries around time spent on computers have been agreed with the child. This has meant he has been more accepting of the planning around this. As a result, staff have been able to help the child spend more time building relationships and engaging in different activities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 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, the 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 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

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers reflecting on the weaknesses in this staff team and taking steps to address poor practice. 15 April 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

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(e)) 15 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b)) 15 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 6 This relates to managers having sufficient information about the needs of children to inform their placement decisions and reviewing the matching of children prior to agreeing a placement.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to the children’s plans being written in a way that is accessible to them.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that all complaints and allegations are logged, reported and investigated independently when necessary and resolved in a timely manner. 31 March 2022

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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

that 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)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to staff being proactive in keeping children safe and not calling the police to manage behaviours.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to staff being aware of where the ligature cutters are kept in the home in case they are needed in an emergency. 31 March 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should be aware of the local offer for children with SEND. Staff need to understand the specialist support children may need to be able to engage positively and achieve in education. Staff must be aware of whether a Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 7 child has an education, health and care plan and the information in it. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 26, paragraph 5.4)

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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 for children’s home: 2620950 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, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Sylvia Eboigbe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2620950 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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