Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 1 SC457068 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 home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care for up to three children who have been subject to early life trauma, causing social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in October 2018 and is suitably qualified.

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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

We last inspected this setting on 18 March 2021 to carry out a virtual monitoring 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

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good

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

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/01/2020 Full Good 18/04/2018 Full Good 26/04/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children lived at the home at the time of this inspection. Children experience positive relationships with staff who have helped them to progress in all aspects of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are learning to become more independent. Staff encourage children to do chores around the house, keep their rooms tidy and help with doing their washing. As children progress, they learn to budget, shop, cook and understand things they need to know when they move on to the next stages of their lives. For example, they learn that we must pay tax and national insurance, and they learn how to apply for jobs. Consequently, children are better prepared for the next stages of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to understand healthy eating and that it is important to have a balanced diet. Some children struggle due to having had restrictive diets, so they are reluctant to try new foods. Staff are creative in finding ways for children to experience new foods. As a result, children are now more adventurous with their diets and will try new things.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children are not able to attend education, for example when they are waiting for a new school, staff engage children in informal learning. They do activities which promote independence and learning opportunities. Staff are proactive in making sure children are not out of education longer than necessary, and they will challenge the relevant professionals to ensure that children are provided with an educational placement without a lengthy delay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged by staff to participate in a variety of activities, join clubs, look for part-time work and see their friends when it is appropriate. As a result, children grow in confidence, feel part of the community, and improve their self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are helped to keep in touch with their families and friends. Staff will take children to visit their families and collect them, and they will help children to learn to travel independently or use technology to stay connected with people who are important to them. Consequently, children still feel part of their own family despite living away from home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children say they like living at the home. Children who have left often keep in touch and want to continue sharing with staff news about they are doing and about their achievements. One child spoken with spoke fondly of her time at the home and how staff had helped them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff develop plans which guide them in helping children to reach their goals. However, the plans are not written in sufficient detail in order to provide the clarity Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 4 to staff that would ensure consistency of practice. Plans are not regularly updated. These omissions could mean children are not cared for in a consistent way, leading to frustration from children.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour plans and risk assessments are specific to each child’s individual needs. However, not all known risks to each child are included in their risk assessments, and some of these assessments are not updated with emerging risks. For example, potential risks identified in impact assessments are not always included in children’s plans. In addition, plans do not clearly show the strategies staff need to use in order to provide a consistent approach to managing behaviours. Consequently, staff’s omissions have put children at increased risk, which could have resulted in harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to understand the risks when using the internet. Children’s devices have safety apps on them which reduce the risks when children are online. However, when children’s plans say staff need to check their devices, these checks are not being recorded. This could mean staff are not checking and potentially missing times children could be at risk.

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improvement to be good

Medication errors are rare but when they do happen, managers act, investigate and put in place actions to prevent further occurrences. However, when the inspector observed medication administration, staff did not follow the medication procedures. This can cause complacency and risk of further medication errors.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from care, staff follow children’s missing-from-care protocols and do all they can to try and find them. When children return, they are given the option to talk to an independent person about why they went missing. Managers also act on any concerns from the time children have been away from the home. Consequently, risks to children are reduced.

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improvement to be good

All allegations are taken seriously. Managers follow up concerns and take the necessary action needed. All professionals and families are informed and outcomes from investigations shared. As a result, children feel valued and listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff only use physical intervention when necessary and for the shortest period possible. Staff record the reasons for the intervention, how they tried to defuse the situation and what action they took and why. As a result, managers can monitor staff’s practice and make sure interventions are proportionate and only used when necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced, knowledgeable practitioner who knows the children well. She has high aspirations for the children and wants the very best for them. The inspector observed genuine warmth towards the children at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 5 She is an inspirational leader whose work reflects well on practice at the home. She is always looking for new ideas and ways of working and learning in order to upskill the staff team and her own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is supported well by the responsible individual. The manager is complimentary about her support and the input she gives in developing staff’s learning. The responsible individual also undertakes frequent audits of the home, which helps the manager identify areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are complimentary about the manager. Staff receive regular support through supervisions, team meetings, incident debriefs and general chats. Staff also commented on the support and training offered by the organisation and the responsible individual. Staff told the inspector that they find this invaluable to their learning. This has resulted in staff being better able to reflect on their practice and develop their skills and knowledge in caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers make decisions in the best interest of children. For example, when children are not settling into the home or their impact is having a detrimental effect on other children, managers have taken prompt action in making the difficult decision to end the placement. As a result, children living at the home have settled back into their routine and are progressing again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals and families is positive. Most are complimentary about the communication and joined-up working between the staff and themselves. Consequently, all involved in the care of the children are working well together and have children at the centre of everything they do.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children are given a voice. The inspector observed children making requests and managers and staff responding appropriately. Children are given opportunities to express their views in children’s meetings and in key-work sessions. As a result, children feel listened to and know that their views are important. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to children’s targets and to the registered person making sure that children’s plans give clear guidance to staff about how they help children to meet those targets, what the timescales are and that they are regularly reviewed. 15 April 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)) 15 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 7 This specifically relates to staff making sure all risks are included in children’s risk assessments along with strategies to manage and reduce those risks. In addition, that staff record when phone checks are completed and any action or concerns from those checks.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff following medication protocols when administering medication and recording medication given. 15 April 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 for children’s home: SC457068 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

Debbie Bond, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457068 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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