Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 1 SC456719 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 children’s home is privately owned. It cares for up to five children who may have emotional, social and behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is experienced and has been registered with Ofsted since August 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 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

Date of last inspection: 15 September 2021

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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: SC456719 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/09/2021 Full Good 22/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/07/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a good standard of care. Staff quickly develop good relationships with children based on mutual trust and respect. Staff listen to children and understand their complex needs. This helps children to feel at home and start making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children have personalised education plans. When children are not in school, managers act quickly to ensure that the most appropriate education provision is provided. There is good communication between the staff and education providers. Additionally, the staff ensure that educational activities are provided during the day if children are not at school. This complements their formal learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to develop their independence skills according to their individual needs and aspirations. Children are also supported to engage with their peers. For example, all children are encouraged to sit around the large dining table at mealtimes. When children struggle with social skills, plans are developed to improve this area of their development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children have a worry or concern, staff listen to them. Staff undertake key- work sessions with children to talk about any concerns or anxieties. Because staff have strong bonds with children, these concerns are often resolved quickly and to the satisfaction of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Specialist mental-health care is identified and commissioned to meet the individual needs of some children. When services are not available immediately, managers will challenge the placing authority to ensure that help for children is provided. However, for some children, there has been a degree of drift. This means that some children wait too long for the specialist help they need.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a large house, close to a large town. They have their own bedrooms, and access to two bathrooms. However, one bedroom has a wall that requires maintenance. There is adequate communal space for all children. There is outside play and activity equipment. However, the large outside area has not been adequately assessed to ensure that there are no hazards that may impact on children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments do not address all the known vulnerabilities. When risks to children become known, up-to-date risk assessments do not set out what actions staff should take to address these risks. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 4 When children have raised concerns or allegations about their safety and welfare, these have not always been met with an effective response. Children have not received the support they need when raising concerns or allegations. They have not received a response or an outcome. This means children’s concerns have not been investigated effectively. Safeguards have not been put in place to reduce risks. This requires improvement.

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improvement to be good

Arrangements for the administration of medication to children are not always effective. Staff have not sought appropriate advice from healthcare professionals when children do not take their prescribed medication.

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improvement to be good

Children who go missing from care receive a well-coordinated response. Staff actively look for children. They share information with police and placing authorities. Children are welcomed sensitively on their return. As a result, missing-from-care episodes are reducing.

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improvement to be good

There is a low turnover of staff. When new staff are recruited, the manager has high expectations of the care and support they will provide. New staff go through a robust recruitment and vetting process. This ensures that they are safe to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced. He is establishing himself as a good leader who staff are confident to approach and seek support and direction from. He is supported by experienced deputy managers. Together, they provide good leadership to a dedicated staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are visible and actively involved with the day-to-day running of the home. They spend time with the children and lead the staff team by example. This means that there is a sense of shared responsibility throughout the home. This leads to improved care and support for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

When there are shortfalls in staffing, staff will cover their colleagues’ absences. This means that children with complex emotional care needs receive care that is predictable and consistent from staff they know. As a result, children develop strong bonds with staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers’ audits of health and safety procedures are not always effective. Staff have regularly raised concerns about an area of fire safety. Managers have provided assurances that this is safe. However, the process of the recording and monitoring of health and safety checks lacks clarity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective professional supervision. Children’s experiences of care are discussed in supervision sessions. The professional development of staff is encouraged. For example, one residential care worker has recently become a senior worker. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 5 The staff undertake mandatory training. They also undertake training that is designed to meet the specific needs of children. This includes training around safeguarding and managing challenging behaviour. Training and development equip staff with the knowledge and skills to meet children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 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

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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the homes day to day care is arranged and delivered as so to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)) 8 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 7 This relates to allegations made by children not being investigated, and risks known about children not being adequately assessed.

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Recommendations

 Where the home has questions or concerns about a child’s medication, they should approach an expert such as a general medical practitioner, community pharmacist or designated nurse for looked-after children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to

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Recommendations

the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC456719 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 EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 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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