Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Oldham

Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 1 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 operated by a large private company and provides care for up to four children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered on 1 June 2020.

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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: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for well in this home. Children have individual plans and are enabled to build secure relationships with adults. Staff pay attention to the detail of each child’s needs and are starting to get to know them well. Children are supported to have positive experiences and they are starting to make progress. This builds children’s confidence and feelings of security. A teacher said, ‘[Name of child] has really grown in confidence.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communication with children is good. Children have weekly meetings where they are consulted about their day-to-day choices, such as their meals, clothes and activities they may want to participate in. They make choices with regards to how their rooms are decorated and furnished. This helps children to feel listened to and empowered to make positive decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to attend education. One child has 100% attendance and has just completed their GCSE examinations, and they have a place at college in September. Another child has attended school sporadically. When the child does not attend, staff encourage participation in a structured day.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote age-appropriate independence skills. Children are encouraged and supported to develop the necessary skills for the next step on their journey. Children are prepared practically and emotionally for their next steps.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain good physical and emotional health. Staff are aware of children’s individual needs and work hard to ensure that those needs are met, including working in partnership with health professionals.

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improvement to be good

When children have gone missing from home, staff have, on occasion, sent taxis to pick them up. Children have not felt safe and have decided not to get in the taxi. This has meant that the missing episodes have been for longer periods of time and, therefore, the child has been at continued risk.

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improvement to be good

Not all relevant risks are currently identified in the children’s risk assessments, particularly regarding exploitation. This will lead to some indicators of risk not being recognised and children being left at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Children’s behaviour is analysed and managed well. Staff take the time to understand what the children need individually and put measures in place to support their positive behaviour. There are clear routines and boundaries in place, and children are encouraged to behave well by receiving both long- and short-term Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 4 rewards for good behaviour. Children are learning that behaving well is beneficial to them and that they will receive a positive response to good behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The home has effective links with social workers and other safeguarding agencies. There is good communication about safeguarding issues. These links support a coordinated response to promoting children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment processes for staff are in place. However, there is a lack of professional curiosity in making additional checks and following up when references are not clear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by an experienced manager. The manager is clear about striving towards good outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager supports staff to enable them to carry out their work to a good standard. Staff are offered regular supportive supervision and annual appraisals. They are supported with training to ensure that they are informed about how to meet the needs of the children in their care. Children benefit from being looked after by adults who understand how to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with other agencies and professionals. She has good working relationships with social workers and partner agencies. A social worker said, ‘The communication is good. I am always kept updated.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has an effective monitoring and review system, which helps her to keep a clear focus on the children’s needs and helps to ensure that standards are maintained in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The garden area of the home is quite bare and does not contain any play equipment. This is a missed opportunity for the summer months, particularly as one of the children has made a request for more play equipment. Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 5

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risk assessments reflect children’s risks, including the risk they may pose to each other. Ensure that safer recruitment processes are followed thoroughly. Ensure that there is a consistent approach to when children are missing from home, including children being safely transported home when they are found. 12 August 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children are accessing full-time education or undertaking equivalent activities during school hours. Sometimes, Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 6 this might involve being creative and challenging children to learn. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 9.15, page 43)  The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is homely and child focused, and that children have appropriate play equipment. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, paragraph 3.9, page 15)

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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 children’s home: 2550622 7

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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

Cathy Wilkins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2550622 8 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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