Children's Home, Residential special school run by Cambian Autism Services Limited in Dorset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 1 SC065261 Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Ltd. 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 registered to care for up to 40 children with autism spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The service operates as a residential special school that also provides accommodation for 52 weeks of the year. As a result, it is registered as a children’s home. The home currently provides care for 17 children across eight houses. The home is owned by a private national organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager has been in post since November 2021 and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded, and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 12 October 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: A notice to restrict the accommodation was issued in July 2021 and remained in place until January 2022. A Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 2 condition requiring the provider to notify Ofsted three months in advance of any child being placed was then imposed.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/10/2021 Full Inadequate 20/07/2021 Full Inadequate 25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 3

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inadequate

This is the third consecutive inspection where the children’s home has been judged as inadequate. It has not been judged as providing children with a good overall experiences since August 2014. This inspection found ongoing failures by leaders and managers to adequately address all of the previous requirements. In addition, neglect by staff meant that one child was not prevented from suffering significant harm.

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inadequate

Not all children receive care that helps them to achieve and make progress. This repeated finding, over several inspections, results in a lack of progress for some children progress, the cumulative impact of which is leading to poor experiences over time.

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inadequate

Long-standing use of temporary staff continues. Some temporary staff have joined on a permanent basis; however, this has not yet led to consistency of care for all children. Several children continue to experience frequent changes of care giver. This is particularly challenging for children with autism.

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inadequate

Some children’s targets lack clarity. As a result, staff do not have the information they need to be able to support these children to make progress. While staff were able to speak about progress children make, this was anecdotal and not linked to planned, effective care giving. Despite some improvements, not all children have regular opportunities to leave the school site. As a result, not all children experience the opportunity to develop their interests and skills outside of the home.

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inadequate

Staff generally maintain clean and tidy rooms for children. These are personalised with colourful decor. Some children have their televisions within obtrusive boxes, which detracts from a homely feel, and the ongoing need for this is not regularly reviewed. One child removes the plaster from the walls in their home. Leaders and managers were unable to provide inspectors with plans to show how this child is being supported with this concern.

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inadequate

Feedback from parents is mixed. Some report improvements in staffing levels and communication. However, some parents have concerns about the quality of the care and support their children receive.

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

Investigations into safeguarding concerns are slow and, as a result, lessons learned are not implemented quickly enough. For example, leaders and managers completed an investigation and several months later identified that a child was not prevented from suffering significant harm. During this time, staff involved continued to work with children with insufficient measures in place to address potential poor practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 4 Leaders and managers failed to update the local authority designated officer and Ofsted with the findings of the investigation, or to seek advice on further action. This was despite identifying that the initial notification to authorities was misleading about the severity of the concern.

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

Some safeguarding records do not contain all the information about action taken. Chronologies of events are not kept up to date.

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

The quality of debriefs for children and staff after incidents of restraint is inconsistent. Not all staff and children involved in a restraint receive a debrief, and sometimes the record is extremely brief with no detail of discussions held. This fails to provide leaders and managers with an accurate understanding of children and staffs experiences of restraint and means incidents cannot be monitored effectively. Consequently, managers are far less able to evaluate the effectiveness of individual incidents of restraint, to determine whether its use is necessary and proportionate, and to identify learning that could be used to help reduce the likelihood of further incidents that require its use.

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

Central fire records now contain the full details of staff who complete evacuations. This has improved since the previous inspection. However, records contained within individual houses contradict the central fire records. This leads to a lack of certainty about who has and has not participated in a fire drill. Leaders and managers were unable to confirm that all staff had participated in a fire drill as required.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following the previous full inspection, leaders and managers recognised that the scope of the changes required was too broad for one registered manager. The organisation proposed to make changes to the registration of the houses on site. Progress in implementing these changes is too slow. This compromises the quality and effectiveness of the management oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Current management structures are not well matched to the scale of the improvements needed. Too few changes have been seen since the last inspection and not enough action has been taken to improve all children’s experiences. These failings compound the impact for children of similar shortfalls in relation to leadership and management identified in several previous inspections.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Not all staff receive the training they need to care effectively for children. This includes mandatory training in child protection, health and safety, and medication administration. In addition, not all staff receive specialist training in caring for children with autistic spectrum disorders, despite this being the expertise of the home. This means that not all staff adequately understand children’s needs and know how to care for them effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager monitors the home and understands its strengths and weaknesses. However, collective oversight of the quality of care is weak. Managers do not review children’s progress effectively against targets and therefore do not Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 5 have an accurate understanding of children’s achievements. In addition, some targets set are not clear, achievable or written in a child-friendly way. Managers do not routinely review daily recordings to better understand the quality and effectiveness of the care being provided by staff. Consequently, they lack sufficient ability to shape practice to match children’s developing needs well enough, or to consistently spot either shortfalls in practice or opportunities to enhance children’s care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The frequency of supervision and team meetings has improved. However, the quality and content of these important sessions varies. Meeting records do not always contain information about discussions held. This means that staff who did not attend the meeting are unable to update themselves on key discussions. Inconsistent attendance at these meetings impacts on the continuity of actions. Supervision records vary depending on the supervisor, and children’s progress is not always discussed or documented.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that morale has improved since the previous inspection. They value the opportunity for increased supervision. Social workers report that communication has improved and they feel that children are making better progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Six requirements made previously have been restated because they were not met. As a result of the concerns identified at this inspection, three new requirements have been made in relation to fire safety, notifications to Ofsted and restraint and the provider is subject to further enforcement action. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably.

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(vii) (3)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that there are sufficient staff to provide continuity of care to meet children’s needs.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated. 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 7 The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all children have the opportunity to enjoy meaningful activities in the community away from the school site.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated. 5 August 2022

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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; 15 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 8 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 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

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that up-to- date records are maintained of safeguarding records. The registered person should also ensure that timely review of the progress of management investigations takes place to avoid drift. The registered person should ensure that when management investigations are completed, further concerns raised are discussed with safeguarding authorities as needed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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—

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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; 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 9 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff receive the necessary specialist training to be able to apply the statement of purpose and to meet children’s needs. The registered person should also ensure that systems are in place to monitor the quality of care provided within the home, and to understand the impact that the care has for children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. 5 August 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 10 (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that all care plans are clear, concise and relevant to the child’s current needs and behaviours. The registered person should also ensure that children’s care plans are supported by clear, achievable targets, which are reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at a previous inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of a fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff working in the home participate in fire drills so that they know what to do in the event of a fire. 29 July 2022

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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

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

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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 (3)(a)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that incidents of restraint are reviewed for effectiveness. The registered person must also ensure that all staff who 29 July 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 11 participate in a restraint receive a debrief, and that debriefs are recorded for all children.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that clear records of fire evacuation records include details of all the adults who engaged in the evacuation.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last visit and is restated. 29 July 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that, when serious information is uncovered as part of investigations, Ofsted is notified. 15 July 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: SC065261 12

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Ltd.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian Autism Services Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Sharron Escott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC065261 13 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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