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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 1 SC065261 Registered provider: Cambian Autism Services Limited

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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 children’s home is on the same site as a special school run by the provider. The home currently provides care for 15 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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This monitoring visit

Following a full inspection on 28, 29 and 30 June 2022, Ofsted judged the home to be inadequate. This was the third inadequate judgement in a 12-month period. At the last inspection, serious and widespread concerns were identified in multiple areas. These included concerns with safeguarding processes, high staff turnover in the teams supporting children, and the understanding and tracking of children’s progress. In addition, concerns were identified with the limited progress of change. This visit monitored progress since the full inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Senior leaders have put in place additional support for leaders and managers in the home. This has led to the completion of applications to separate the registration of the home. Leaders and managers identify that the home’s large structure prevents swift progress. While an application to separate the registration is in place to address this, practical steps to make necessary changes in preparation for the registration changes have not yet been implemented. A quality improvement plan and process are in place, which outline the actions to improve the home. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 2 Staffing consistency has improved across the houses. Temporary staff continue to be employed, however, there has been a reduction in the number of different staff caring for children. This helps children to establish relationships with staff who know them. Recruitment of permanent staff is ongoing.

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This monitoring visit

Some unresolved safeguarding concerns from the previous inspection are now closed. However, not all external investigations are yet resolved, the oldest dating back to March. As a result, learning from these incidents cannot be implemented. Internal investigations continue to take too long to complete. Clarification of information from staff to conclude investigations is not prioritised. Records of safeguarding concerns are not created for all safeguarding incidents identified.

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This monitoring visit

It was not possible to review a current list of completed mandatory training during the visit. The report on training contained incorrect data, raising concerns about management oversight. Information provided after the inspection shows that most staff complete mandatory training. However, there are significant gaps in the completion of important specialist training to support children with complex needs, including, learning disability awareness, Makaton and sensory processing.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision records are not yet of a consistently good quality. Some lack clear actions and do not demonstrate how supervision helps staff to support children. An example of a good supervision record was seen, showing that leaders and managers understand what the standard should be.

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This monitoring visit

Some children’s targets continue to lack detail to help staff understand how to help children make progress. The quality of recording relating to progress is inconsistent. Managers do not review the quality of the record effectively to understand if staff support children to make progress.

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This monitoring visit

Children’s access to activities is now being tracked to understand how often children are going out. However, processes to use this tracking to improve children’s experiences are not yet in place. Children’s views are sought about what they enjoy doing and what they would like to do.

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This monitoring visit

The requirements made at the previous inspection were not reviewed in full and so remain in place for review at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/06/2022 Full Inadequate 12/10/2021 Full Inadequate 20/07/2021 Full Inadequate 25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 4

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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 - monitoring visit: SC065261 5 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 - monitoring visit: SC065261 6 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 - monitoring visit: SC065261 7 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 in 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 - monitoring visit: SC065261 8 (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, to be sure 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)) 29 July 2022 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 9 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 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

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 10

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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 Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Clare Nixson, Social Care Inspector Kendra Bell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC065261 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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