Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 1 SC456910 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 registered for one child. It is owned and operated by a national provider of children’s services. The home looks after children who may display complex emotional and behavioural needs and/or a learning disability.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 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 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: 9 December 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/12/2021 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/07/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/06/2019 Full Good 10/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has undergone significant improvements since the last inspection. It is beautifully decorated and thoughtfully furnished. There are homely spaces for the child and staff to relax and spend time together. The child’s bedroom is tidy, clean and personalised to their tastes. There are wonderful photographs of the child and staff throughout the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child living at the home is making steady progress. Since moving to the home, the frequency that they have gone missing has significantly reduced. Their behaviour has improved. However, the child’s diet remains poor. They eat highly processed snack foods. Staff offer healthy meals, but these are frequently refused. The child’s good behaviour is rewarded with weekly take-out food, despite not eating healthily through the week.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A strength of the home is that children build trusting and loving relationships with the staff. Interactions seen during the inspection demonstrate the depth of these bonds. This has helped the child feel safe and secure. The child told the inspector that they feel safe and that they know that staff care about them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The team consistently promotes good boundaries for the child. Staff work together to help the child understand what type of behaviour is expected. This helps the child develop feelings of security and safety. Staff are skilled in helping children understand their emotions and behaviours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child was a reluctant learner prior to coming to the home. They now attend school regularly and access additional tutoring in the home. Informal learning also takes place through discussions with staff.

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

Care plans are useful documents that describe the individual needs of the child. However, despite it being highlighted at the previous inspection, staff continue to use institutional language. The inspector discussed this with managers on the first day of the inspection, and by the following day changes had been made to plans.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and provide staff with strategies to respond to the child effectively. On one occasion when staff left the child alone in the garden, the child went missing. Within the recording of this incident, there is no management evaluation of how to improve practice. However, the child’s plan was updated to include constant supervision in the garden.

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

Managers do not always ensure that staff have signed all children’s plans. This is particularly the case when plans are updated. Although the registered manager was Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 4 confident that all staff knew the content of the child’s plans, there was no consistent record of these being signed by the whole team.

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

When children go missing, staff take extraordinary measures to find them. They use intelligence from the child’s family and friends to find places they might stay. When adults in the community help the child to hide, staff liaise with the police to disrupt this behaviour and reduce further incidents.

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

Restraint is rarely used. Guiding holds are predominantly used to steer children away from harm. There is good management oversight of incidents that includes reflections of lessons learned. Managers recommend training for staff to improve practice and ensure that their skills are kept up to date.

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

The home has completed safeguarding training since the last inspection. Staff have a good understanding of child exploitation. They are aware of the complex risks posed by internet and phone use. These risks are under continual review so that children can progress while they develop adults’ trust in them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have made tremendous efforts to improve the quality of the provision since the last inspection. There have been significant improvements in almost all areas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has safe recruitment practices. Once employed, staff have access to a range of good-quality training. Specialist courses are also offered that support the team to meet the individual needs of the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have access to quality, reflective supervision. Some very good examples of supervision with new members of staff were reviewed during the inspection. These carefully explored practice concerns. They provided strategies to ensure that the staff member received appropriate support to improve their confidence and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team members report that they feel fully supported by leaders and managers. They told inspectors that they highly respect the registered manager and responsible individual. They said that they can call on managers at any time for help and they respond swiftly and effectively. One staff member said that they now feel their voice is always heard and their views are acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know the strengths and weaknesses of the home. They take on critical feedback and make changes accordingly. They have reflected on the deficits in practice highlighted in the previous two inspections and created clear improvement plans. During a relatively short period, significant positive changes have been made. Although the changes still need to be embedded, they have led to measurable, improved outcomes for the child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to staff ensuring that the child has a healthy diet and is not rewarded with takeaway food, when they have not consistently eaten nutritious meals through the week. 14 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that staff sign all versions of children’s plans to show that they understand what is expected. This also relates to staff not using institutional language in children’s plans. 14 October 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, Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 6 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: SC456910 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

Penelope Kutz, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456910 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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