Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bradford

Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 1 SC424141 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home is registered to provide care for up to six children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been in post since October 2021. His application to register with Ofsted is in progress.

p.1

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.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

p.1

inadequate

Date of last inspection: 4 February 2020

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/02/2020 Full Good 04/09/2018 Full Good 09/01/2018 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 3

p.2

inadequate

There are failures in safeguarding practices at the home. The shortfalls are significant enough to have an impact on the judgement for this inspection. As a result, the overall experiences and progress of children is judged as inadequate.

p.3

inadequate

The children are thriving. This is due to the therapeutic informed parenting and nurturing care offered by the staff. The staff talk about the children with genuine interest and treat them with affection. As a result, the children are building positive and trusting relationships with the staff. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and identity.

p.3

inadequate

Staff promote the value of education and work closely with education providers to help children to re-engage in their learning. Some children receive home tuition while discussions take place to reintegrate them back into school settings. One older child has put on hold their learning to take up paid employment. This is a positive opportunity for the child to experience the world of work.

p.3

inadequate

Most children attend their health appointments promptly, which promotes their physical and emotional well-being. The staff educate the children about the dangers of alcohol and substance misuse. This is complimented by professionals from drug and alcohol services who visit the home and offer advice and support to the children.

p.3

inadequate

Children’s family time is effectively supported by the staff team. The emotional support that children receive before and after seeing family members is comforting to them. Children are helped to enjoy their free time with friends in the community. They also enjoy spending time with each other, going on holiday, visiting the cinema, playing sports and competing on the Xbox. The staff help the children to enjoy teenage life and to create fond memories.

p.3

inadequate

Children are supported to develop independence skills so that they can do more for themselves. For instance, the children can travel independently, and they can cook and bake. Most children can maintain their rooms to an acceptable standard without support. Having regular key-work sessions with positive adult role models offers children opportunities to learn and grow into responsible adults.

p.3

inadequate

Children have plenty of opportunities to express their wishes and feelings, which makes them feel listened to.

p.3

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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 4 Children are not always safeguarded effectively. Some children have been exposed to harmful situations in recent months. Managers’ and staff’s lack of professional curiosity and their failure to be vigilant around the children have left the children open to harm. The failure to follow a child’s missing-from-care protocol despite their vulnerability and high-risk status all contribute to this.

p.4

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

Leaders and managers have failed to scrutinise and respond to the incident when two children left the home during the night. This is despite there being a waking night member of staff on duty. The incident was not recorded, and no investigation has taken place to understand what happened, how it was missed and what lessons have been learned. There is no robust mitigation to support how this concern has been risk-managed to prevent future incidents. This serious concern leaves children at risk of significant harm.

p.4

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

An injured child was discovered in the home during the early hours of the morning by another child. There is some discrepancy in the written account of events. The contents of the incident form kept by the home differs to the information that was notified to Ofsted, and questions that are crucial to the children’s safety remain unanswered. Managers have failed to undertake a thorough investigation to establish the facts and implement protective safeguards. Managers have also failed to gain a thorough understanding of the child’s probable cause of injury and medical status through consultation with the doctors. This does not ensure robust safeguarding practice.

p.4

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

Children are not always supervised adequately in the staff office. This has enabled one child to access the keys for the home’s car, which resulted in a serious incident in the community that required police intervention. The provider is conducting an internal investigation. Remedial action has been taken to prevent future incidents of this nature.

p.4

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

Children’s risk assessments are not updated consistently following serious incidents. This does not provide sufficient protection for children or guidance for the staff to mitigate the identified risks.

p.4

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

Children are helped to regulate their behaviour within clear and consistent boundaries. The clinical support that is available to the staff team helps them to focus on the children’s specific needs, and the members of the staff team implement the guidance and support offered.

p.4

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

The recruitment checks ensure that children are not cared for by unsuitable adults. Allegations against staff are conducted in line with safeguarding procedures and are taken seriously.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers use a variety of internal and external monitoring systems to continuously improve the service. However, the failure of leaders and managers to robustly identify and investigate the safeguarding incidents has exposed some Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 5 children to significant risk of harm. Furthermore, the missed opportunities to identify and address the discrepancies in the records that pertain to the serious incidents lack professional curiosity and expose children to risk.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The new manager has held the position of deputy manager at the home for over one year. His manager’s application to register with Ofsted is in progress. The manager understands the children’s individual needs. By advocating for the children, the manager ensures that any barriers to their progress is addressed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has a clear vision for the future of the home. He has worked effectively with the previous manager and has made a significant difference to the operation of the home. Primarily, the toxic culture that existed previously has changed. Contributing factors include the several staff who have left the home since the last inspection. New staff represent a diverse and positive team culture that the children can relate to. No up-to-date statement of purpose has been sent to Ofsted to show the staffing changes.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s ambitious and empowering style of management promotes a supportive culture, empowers the staff team, and makes the staff feel a part of the children’s journey. Daily handovers, team meetings, regular mentoring and training opportunities keep the newly formed staff team up to date with the children’s progress, the running of the home and their personal development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel valued in their role by leaders and managers. They speak highly about the quality of the management support, their roles and responsibilities and the positive team morale.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The whistle-blowing policy is fully understood by staff. This meets the previous recommendation that was raised at the last inspection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The relationships and communication with the manager and staff team are rated highly by professionals. Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 6

p.5

Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must investigate the incidents that have placed children at risk of significant harm and notify Ofsted of the findings.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that the missing-from- care protocol is consistently followed. 8 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 7 The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

p.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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; and

p.7

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)(f)(h)

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered provider must improve the monitoring systems to ensure that records pertaining to serious incidents and risk assessments are consistently accurate, up to date and can withstand scrutiny. 8 April 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 8 April 2022

p.7

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: SC424141 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Fitzsimmons

p.8

Inspector

Jacqueline Malcolm, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC424141 9 regulates and inspects 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.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9