Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 1 SC457327 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 home is owned by a national provider. It provides care for a maximum of three children.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living in the home, although three children had recently moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post for over 13 years.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children are not protected, their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, their care and experiences are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2021 Full Good 28/01/2020 Full Outstanding 27/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 05/11/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 3

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inadequate

The progress and outcomes for the children that have lived in the home since the last inspection in April 2021 are mixed.

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, five children have lived in the home. Two children moved on in a planned way and in line with their plans. However, as a direct result of staffing-related issues, not all the children have had the opportunity to form meaningful or long-term relationships with staff. For these children, the support they have received has been inconsistent, and at times reactive, which has contributed to these children having unplanned moves from the home.

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inadequate

One child lived in the home for more than two years and initially made good progress, attending school and engaging purposefully with the staff. This child experienced the loss of familiar adults that had looked after her for two years, and a failure by leaders and managers to protect her from exploitation. Ultimately, these negative experiences led to a significant deterioration in her welfare and the unplanned move from the home.

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inadequate

Inspectors found a wide range of records that capture well the positive and fun day- to-day activities the children had taken part in, including family visits. However, in some records, the language used is not always child-focused; for example, a child being referred to as ‘policed’ when missing or being told that they are ‘oppositional’ when they are upset or angry.

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inadequate

Despite initial progress made by the children by going to school, records show a steady decline in engagement from December 2021 to February 2022 and towards the time the children moved from the home. Attendance was sporadic, and when some children did attend it was for minimal amounts of time.

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inadequate

The home is comfortable and spacious and provides children with space to socialise. However, the back garden is untidy and overgrown and this makes it a less pleasant space for children.

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

Children are not supported effectively to keep themselves safe in the community. Despite attempts by some staff to support the children, since the last inspection in April 2021 the number of serious incidents has increased. This includes an increase in the number of incidents that have needed involvement by the police. These include children going missing; one child was missing for five days. Other incidents involved two children smoking cannabis, antisocial behaviour, one child damaging a neighbour’s property and one child riding a moped without a helmet. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 4 Children’s risk assessments and behaviour support plans contain sufficient information. The assessments have been reviewed and updated following serious incidents and they detail how risks will be managed. However, a high turnover of staff, and at times a lack of adequate direction from leaders and managers, has

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

resulted in reactive, rather than proactive responses by the staff. Some staff told the inspectors that they have experienced a ‘very challenging period’ and have not always received direction from the registered manager.

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

Staff have struggled to manage children’s behaviours and as a consequence have not always kept them safe. While members of staff speak passionately about wanting to support the children, records show that at times staff were not in control. Staff were unable to prevent one child leaving the home daily and being at risk in the community.

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

Leaders and managers have failed to make sure that appropriate safeguarding checks have been completed in respect of all agency staff that have worked in the home. Consequently, leaders and managers are unable to assure themselves that temporary staff are safe and suitable to work with children. This places children at potential risk of harm.

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

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the practice of all members of staff is in line with the home’s procedures and protocols. Several staff are currently suspended pending management investigations into serious breaches in safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that the home is providing the care and support outlined in its statement of purpose.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection in April 2021, the company that owns and runs the home has deployed the registered manager to undertake additional managerial duties outside of the home. In addition, at times the registered manager has been absent from the home. The company’s senior leaders have failed to support the management of the home adequately during this period. As a result, the registered manager has not led or managed the home effectively, or to the standard that she has previously achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that children are consistently provided with sufficiently good care, routines or stability. Since August 2021, the home has relied heavily on the use of agency staff. The children have been cared for by more than 30 different agency workers in the last seven months. Members of the core staff team have either left, are suspended pending investigations, or have moved to other children’s homes owned by the provider.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has at times challenged external agencies appropriately. However, professionals told the inspectors that communication with the registered manager is inconsistent. Staff have mixed views about the quality of support they Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 5 receive from the registered manager. While some speak positively, it is evident in records that this is inconsistent. A new member of staff has not received adequate support or induction.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Prior to this inspection, senior leaders completed an internal audit of the home. As a result of this, they were aware of the widespread shortfalls highlighted by the inspection and were in the process of implementing a plan to address them. However, at the point of the inspection, this was at too early a stage to have had sufficient impact. Ofsted will continue to monitor this home closely and undertake additional inspections. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(v)(vi)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This directly relates to the leaders and managers ensuring that there is a consistent and cohesive staff team that is 17 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 7 sufficiently skilled and experienced to understand and support children with complex needs.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that all areas of the home and grounds are kept in good order for the children and staff to enjoy.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship; 17 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 8 understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that staff are provided with the skills and support to enable them to build positive and trusting relationships with children.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff being equipped with the skills and strategies to help children better understand risk and dangers when in the home and in the community. 17 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 9 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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; 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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the home is managed effectively, and that staff are provided with clear support and direction from leaders.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that there is a consistent workforce that is supported. 17 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 10 The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 31 (1) (3)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of agency workers in the home. 17 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience, and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b)) 17 June 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: SC457327 11

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicola McClements

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Inspectors

Linda Bond, Social Care Inspector Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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