Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in North Yorkshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 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 home is owned and managed by a private provider. Care is provided for up to four children aged between 11 and 18 years.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides a therapeutic programme for children who have experienced, or are at risk of, sexual exploitation. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered in March 2016. There has been no registered manager in post since June 2021. The appointed manager is responsible for the day-to-day running of the home. They have applied to be registered with Ofsted.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

At the full inspection on 4 and 5 May 2022, compliance notices were issued under regulation 12 and regulation 13. At a monitoring visit on 14 June 2022, Ofsted found Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 2 that three of four steps under regulation 12 had been met. Ofsted also found that all steps under regulation 13 had been met. Following the monitoring visit, one step was reissued under regulation 12. This related to staff following effective risk assessments and care plans to protect children from harm. At this inspection, Ofsted found that the remaining step is met. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/05/2022 Full Inadequate 18/11/2021 Interim Declined in effectiveness 11/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 30/09/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 4

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improvement to be good

The progress made by the child in the home has been interrupted. The child was working towards increased independence, including free time. The child was then involved in a serious incident, as reviewed in the monitoring visit. Poor-quality risk assessments and the inability of staff to follow guidance meant that the child suffered harm. As a result, the child’s freedoms were suspended. The incident significantly affected the child’s day-to-day activities and care planning.

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improvement to be good

The child is developing strong, trusting relationships with staff. The manager is taking steps to help the child to feel comfortable with newer members of staff. This means that the child is confident to share information about concerns, such as self- harm or staff behaviour. The child knows they are listened to. This is essential for their safety. It means that they are confident to raise issues, and to accept staff support.

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improvement to be good

The child’s educational needs are being met. Their attendance at school is good, as is their achievement in examinations. The child is developing friendships through regular attendance. As a result, the child’s confidence is improving, and they are working towards fulfilling their ambitions.

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improvement to be good

The support around the child from the clinical team is positive. Clinicians provide therapy for the child, in line with the child’s wishes. Clinicians also advise staff about how to understand and meet the child’s needs. Staff, including those very new to the role, value this input a great deal. This support is helping to build a more consistent and effective staff team.

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improvement to be good

The child’s physical health needs are met. They attend routine and more urgent medical appointments. They do so even when this is difficult or embarrassing. Staff use their positive relationships with the child to encourage these visits. This means that staff ensure that the child receives the right treatment, as well as helping them to develop good self-care habits.

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improvement to be good

The child enjoys many different experiences in the home. This includes going to concerts and events such as home-based mini festivals. These outings are providing the child with very positive memories and are typical for children their age. These experiences are helping the child to build relationships with staff and with other children.

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improvement to be good

The improvements in the physical conditions of the home are sustained and continue to be developed. The child has significant input into new decor and how the home is used. For example, an outside area is being developed, in which the child is fully involved. Being part of these changes is helping the child to invest in their home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 5

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improvement to be good

One member of staff failed to follow professional boundaries. The child was present and knew that staff behaviour was inappropriate. Another member of staff failed to report concerns to managers. These issues have been a longstanding problem at this home. Work undertaken by managers to improve staff conduct has not yet been embedded. As a result of this incident, the child’s health and well-being was not prioritised.

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improvement to be good

The manager has improved risk assessments and care plans. They now provide good guidance to staff. Staff know the detail of risk assessments and follow direction closely. Staff have undertaken training to improve their knowledge of children’s risks. They are better informed than was the case previously. Staff have taught the child about potential risks from social media. This means that the child is becoming safer and learning important information that will be invaluable in the future.

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improvement to be good

Staff undertake training about self-harm. Staff use this learning to help the child to understand their own behaviour. The child tells staff about such incidents and allows them to provide required first aid. The child’s confidence in staff is helping to reduce the impact and frequency of these events.

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improvement to be good

Individualised behaviour management policies are regularly reviewed. Staff encourage positive behaviour through clear boundaries and expectations. Restraint is not used with the child in the home. This means that required progress following an earlier incident of restraint cannot be evaluated.

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good

Leaders’ monitoring of the home is not consistently effective. It does not always consider the impact on the child of poor staff performance. Audits do not show curiosity about why issues happen. Incidents are viewed in isolation. This means that learning does not consider all relevant information. The correct response to prevent further difficulties cannot be assured.

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good

External monitoring of the home takes place monthly. Leaders respond positively to recommendations to improve practice. However, the independent person does not always gather evidence from a variety of sources and reports are unduly positive. This means that leaders are not being provided with accurate information about shortfalls. This affects their ability to make improvements.

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good

Staff feel supported by managers. Senior staff provide regular supervision to staff, including those working on short-term contracts. Staff say that there is a positive atmosphere in the home. They believe that this is due to improved management Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 6 arrangements. This means that the child is being cared for by staff who are happy in their roles and who receive the support they need to perform well.

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good

Staff undertake training to equip them with the knowledge they need to care for children. This learning is relevant to their roles, and to the children who are likely to live in the home. Training has taken place to address the shortfalls identified in recent inspection activity. Staff feel this work has been beneficial. Further work is planned to ensure learning around staff conduct is embedded. The impact of this work cannot yet be evaluated.

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good

The current staff team provides consistency for the child. Most members of staff have worked in the home for a relatively short period. Some have little previous experience of working in a children’s home. Staff work towards the required qualification. At least one member of staff with an established relationship with the child is always in the home. The manager also arranges events to help develop the relationships between the child and newer members of staff. This is currently working well, and the child feels settled.

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good

Leaders respond positively to feedback about the care provided in the home. They take seriously the poor practice identified in earlier inspections and recognise that much is still to be done. They have prioritised areas for development that have the greatest impact on children. Leaders accept the shortfalls identified in this inspection. They plan to make further improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 7

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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, the 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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, staff must always behave professionally, to safeguard children’s welfare. Staff must report concerns about inappropriate conduct, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 30 September

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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— 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 8 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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, managers must evaluate the impact on children of poor staff performance. They must use this understanding to ensure that effective learning is provided for staff.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is reissued, because no children have moved into or moved from the home since the last inspection. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

a child who is accommodated in a secure children’s home from absconding from the home.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is reissued, because restraint in relation to a child has not been used since the last inspection. 30 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that their six-monthly regulation 45 review enables the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. This recommendation is made again, because a new quality of care review is not yet due. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 9  The registered person should ensure that any individual appointed to carry out visits to the home as an independent person must make a rigorous and impartial assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children in the home’s care. This recommendation is repeated, as there have been further shortfalls in the quality of external monitoring. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65,

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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: 1159397 10

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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

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1159397 11 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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