Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 1 SC456602 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 and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with all three children who live in the home during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager’s post has been vacant since 14 January 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 12 January 2022

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 3

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improvement to be good

Children’s overall experiences of living in the home are variable. The children say that they enjoy living in this home and have secure relationships with the staff, who they feel confident to talk to about any worries. However, the children have experienced a period of instability with regard to changes in the management of the home.

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improvement to be good

The home has recently been redecorated and is furnished to a good standard. The improvements made since the last inspection make it a much more homely environment for the children to live in. The children have been consulted about colour schemes for both their bedrooms and the communal areas. However, none of the children have lockable cabinets in their bedroom. This means that the children cannot store their personal items securely.

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improvement to be good

Further shortfalls have been identified within the home. There was no lock on the cupboard containing cleaning materials, sharps screws were protruding from a piece of furniture in one child’s bedroom and a member of staff was unable to locate the fire equipment in the kitchen. The provider was unaware of these concerns at the time of the inspection but took urgent action to address them.

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improvement to be good

Key-work sessions are undertaken regularly with the children and are specific to their presenting needs. They are of good quality and the staff use research and up- to-date information to support these sessions. However, key-work sessions do not always take place following incidents or when further follow-up sessions have been recommended. These are lost opportunities to increase the children’s knowledge and awareness about risks they may face.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make a complaint and are confident speaking to the staff if they need to raise a concern. Complaints leaflets are freely accessible to them in the home. The manager responds promptly to all complaints and provides the children with a formal response. This gives the children a clear message that any concerns they have will be taken seriously.

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improvement to be good

Children know that their views are valued. Staff use a range of forums to seek the views of children, including children’s meetings and key-work sessions. These views are then considered and actioned.

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improvement to be good

Children say they feel safe living in the home. Staff take action to respond to the immediate risks. However, the correct procedures are not always completed following an incident. On one occasion, when a child was missing from home, an Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 4 incident report was not completed. On another occasion, when a child was hurt, an accident record was not completed. This shortfall places the children at risk.

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improvement to be good

Previously identified shortfalls regarding the recording of sanction records remain. There is no record of what alternative strategies the staff have used before giving the sanction. There is no evidence of debriefs taking place with the children or the staff involved and the effectiveness of such practice is not considered. This means that it is not clear whether the use of sanctions is fair and appropriate.

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improvement to be good

The recording of physical interventions is not completed as required by regulation. The records do not include the effectiveness of the hold and on two occasions, the member of staff performing the hold then undertook the debrief with the child, which is not good practice. The manager’s analysis does not identify the shortfalls, so it cannot be established whether the holds are safe, necessary and proportionate.

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improvement to be good

There has been a delay in notifying Ofsted of serious incidents on two occasions. This means that Ofsted is unable to review the information in a timely manner to ensure that the provider has taken appropriate action to keep children safe. This leaves children vulnerable to the risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Children’s presenting behaviours risk management plans and placement plans are well written and easy to understand. However, one example was identified where the information recorded in the documents was incorrect. On another occasion, a known risk was not recorded. This means that the staff do not have an accurate understanding of all the children’s risks and how to mitigate the possibility of risks reoccurring.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide the children with a clear message that their safety and well-being are important. When children go missing from the home, the staff follow the home’s procedure. Staff actively take steps to locate the child. This includes trying to contact them by telephone, contacting their families and friends, as well as driving to all known locations to find them. Once children are found, return home interviews are offered to them.

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good

A new manager has recently been appointed and it is his intention to apply to become the registered manager of the home. By his own admission, he is in the infancy of his residential management career. He is keen to begin to address the shortfalls raised. Feedback from the children and the staff is positive regarding the new manager and the changes he has already made in the home.

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good

The statement of purpose is out of date and has not been forwarded to Ofsted within the required timescales. This means that parents, Ofsted and other professionals do not have the correct information available to them to ensure that the children are cared for in line with the statement of purpose. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 5 The children’s guide is out of date and does not include the correct information on how the children can contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. This shortfall means that the children will not be able to access this external support should they need to.

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good

One member of staff has not obtained the required childcare qualification within the identified time frame and is therefore not appropriately qualified to care for the children. The provider was unable to provide any specific reason for this and there is no clear plan in place to address this.

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good

Surveillance equipment is used in the home in the form of sensors on the children’s bedroom doors. However, there is no consent in place from the placing local authorities for this to be used. This means that the children are being monitored without the correct permissions in place.

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good

Staff receive regular supervision. However, it lacks reflection on practice, professional scrutiny and challenge, as well as professional development. This means that the staff are not being provided with an opportunity to reflect and develop and to improve their practice.

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good

A review of children’s documents identified a lack of signatures on key documents and inaccurate information in others. This means that the staff do not have the most up-to-date information when caring for the children.

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good

Since the last inspection, further management auditing tools have been put in place. However, they have failed to identify the shortfalls raised, which means that they are not currently effective and embedded into practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 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; and

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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)(a)(i)(ii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to presenting behaviours risk management and incident crisis management plans and placement plans.

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Requirement Due date

This also specifically relates to the need for key-work sessions following all incidents. 28 July 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— 28 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24 (1)(b)) 28 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. 28 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 8 The relevant date is—

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to sanction records. This also specifically relates to physical intervention records. 28 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 9 The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation (40)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 28 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children are provided with appropriate furniture, including a lockable cabinet or drawers to securely store personal items, including any personal information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide helps children to understand how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  The registered person should ensure that there are systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular supervision so that they can reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that all the children’s case records are kept

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Recommendations

up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 10

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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: SC456602 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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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456602 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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