Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 1 SC456798 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

A private provider operates the home. The home offers a solo placement that provides care for a child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 18 May 2021 and is dual registered with another home.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC456798 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/07/2019 Full Good 06/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 12/12/2018 Full Good 15/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved into the home and one child has left the home. The quality of care and support provided to children are mixed. One child is settled and making progress; however, the other child had to move from the home because staff could no longer keep them safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The care planning arrangements for the current child are effective. This is because the registered manager ensures that every aspect of the child’s needs has been reviewed following statutory meetings. For example, the registered manager has implemented a plan showing the journey of the child while in their care. This shows the progress the child has made in line with the child’s care plan and how staff support the child with their needs. As a result, this child is receiving a positive experience living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys trusting and meaningful relationships with staff. The inspector observed positive interaction between the child and staff. The child spoke fondly of some staff and shared with the inspector that she has participated in enjoyable activities with staff. This has helped the child to build positive relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Thoughtful staff help the child to create positive memories during their time at the home. This is promoted by staff taking photos of their enjoyable experiences together and displaying them around the home. These include a birthday party that the child enjoyed with the whole staff team. This provides the child with a sense of belonging to the home. As a result, the child’s self-confidence and self-esteem have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to keep in touch with her parents. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the child’s relationships with her family members and have helped strengthen those relationships. This has helped the child to keep in contact with people who are important to her.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff are strong advocates for the child and ensure that she is involved in every aspect of her care. The registered manager ensures that the child’s views and aspirations are listened to by professionals. As a result, the child knows her views are listened to and respected.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager is effective in her partnership working with external professionals. One social worker shared that they have helped the child with her behaviour, where she is supported to self-regulate her emotions. The social worker has witnessed the child’s good attachments with staff, and she is happy with the progress the child has made while living at this home. Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 4 While the home is well furnished and maintained, the child’s bedroom was untidy. For example, there were clothes, bags and cosmetic items scattered on the floor. Furthermore, the bed sheets were dirty. The untidy state of the bedroom and lack of encouragement from staff demonstrate that staff have not considered past experiences of the child, where their needs may not have been consistently met.

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

The registered manager and staff have been successful in helping the child in making better choices and keeping herself safe. For example, staff look beyond the behaviour and do not focus on the behaviour displayed by the child. The inspector observed the staff and the registered manager provide reassurance to the child when she was feeling frustrated by some information she had received. Staff took the child to the gym and this helped her to self-regulate her emotions.

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

Risk and behaviour management plan clearly identify known risks and provide alternative strategies to keep the child safe. Physical interventions and missing-from- home incidents have reduced. This is because staff have developed a better understanding of the child’s triggers.

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

Staff are creative in the way they help the child understand how to use the internet and social media in a safe way. Staff help the child to reflect on the dangers of sharing images to unknown people. This gave the child the understanding that images she shared could be accessed by people who she did not intend them for. Because of this, the child understands the importance of keeping herself safe on the internet and social media.

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

The registered manager has not taken effective action to address the shortfalls identified by the fire safety officer. For example, door stoppers or furniture are used to keep fire doors propped open. This undermines the effectiveness of the self- closing mechanism of the fire door. The failure to monitor and act on the fire safety of the home mean that the child currently living in the home would be at an increased risk of harm should there be a fire.

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good

The registered manager is child-centred and understands the needs of the child well. The staff team is newly established. This is because the registered manager has had to make changes to the staff team where she has transferred staff from another home that she is registered with Ofsted. As a result, this has enhanced the quality of care the child is receiving because there is a stable team in place that can best meet her needs.

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good

The registered manager’s monitoring and oversight of child records require improvement. For example, the registered manager has recognised lessons learned following incidents; however, she has failed to capture this as part of her reviewing, monitoring and evaluation of incidents. This is a missed opportunity to inform any Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 5 future practice to improve the quality of care provided to the child. As a result, the requirement under regulation 13 has not been met and it is raised as a repeat requirement.

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good

The child who moved into this home has a history of extensive absence and disruption in her education. Staff have been successful in supporting the child with engaging in education. Despite this, the registered manager has failed in her oversight to ensure that the education provision provided to the child is safe. This is because the child attends an unregulated educational provision. The registered manager took swift action during the inspection to ensure that appropriate safeguarding arrangements are in place for this child.

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good

Staff have, in some instances, completed multiple online training courses in a single day. For example, staff have completed 13 online training courses in one day. This has the potential to reduce staff’s ability to understand and reflect on the training being provided. Managers have not assured themselves that the training has provided staff with the required knowledge and skills.

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good

Staff are not provided with effective supervision sessions that encourage reflection, development and learning. For example, staff are not provided with support and guidance to ensure that they can effectively carry out their role. Managers shared with the inspector that these discussions do take place; however, they are not reflected in the staff supervision records. Despite this, staff spoke positively of the management support they receive from their registered manager.

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good

The registered manager has not consulted with external professionals and has not considered all known local information when considering the location of the home. This includes potential risks associated with other children’s homes nearby and the fact that the home is located on a high-collision red route and that bridges nearby have not been considered. This has a potential to impact on children’s welfare and safety. Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring the child lives in a bedroom that is clean, tidy and free of hazards. 29 April 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; and

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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)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff receive training that helps them to carry out their role and ensuring that their management oversight has captured the learning that has informed future practice. 29 April 2022 Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 7 After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that the guidance set out in the fire risk assessment is adhered to in relation to the fire doors. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that all staff receive supervision that helps to carry out their role effectively. 29 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that they have consulted with all professionals and considered all geographical risk, including known children’s homes, to inform their location risk assessment. 29 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: SC456798 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

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC456798 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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