Children's Home run by Supercare Holdings Limited in Croydon

Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 1 Registered provider: Camino Care Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private children’s home that provides care for up to five children, who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 30 December 2021. This is its first inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has not had a registered manager since 24 January 2022. In the absence of the responsible individual, the managing director facilitated this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living at this home. The inspector spoke to both children. One child is subject to a deprivation of liberty order (DLO).

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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 inadequate

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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: not applicable

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 2

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improvement to be good

Children live in a home that is not managed well. Staff do not always follow the best practices. In particular, record-keeping in the home is poor.

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improvement to be good

Children do not receive well-planned care. Children’s care plans do not address all of their individual needs. This undermines the support and care that children receive.

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improvement to be good

The opportunities provided to children to share their views, wishes and feelings are limited. Children do not contribute to their care and safety plans. Children’s meetings only happen when children request this. Although one child said that staff listen to children, the child then gave a clear example of when this was not the case.

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improvement to be good

The complaints procedure for children to follow is ineffective. Some information included in the children’s guide is confusing. Details of the Children’s Commissioner for England are not included. The language used in the guide is not child-friendly.

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improvement to be good

Children’s education needs are not met well. One child, who moved into the home in June 2022, still does not have a school place. Another child receives minimal tuition.

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improvement to be good

The positive relationships between children and staff are a strength of the home. Children said that they are happy in the home and get on well with staff. The guardian and solicitor for one child reported that they were impressed with the home. The child’s missing-from-care incidents and related risks have reduced.

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improvement to be good

Children said that they feel safe and that they do not have any worries. Staff spoken to, and information in records, confirmed that, other than children going missing from care, there have been no other significant safeguarding incidents.

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improvement to be good

Children’s individual risk assessments identify the risks to their safety and the strategies for helping them to be safer. Staff talked confidently about the actions that they take to ensure children’s safety. However, the evidence to show the actions taken and their safeguarding impact is inconsistent.

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improvement to be good

Helping children to stop going missing from care is an area for improvement. It is concerning that professionals and children’s families do not always know where children are. It is concerning that missing-from-care incidents occur for children who are subject to a court order to ensure that they are under constant supervision. Due to the poor records, it is not possible to clearly evaluate what actions staff take to manage and reduce risks to children who go missing from care. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 3 Staff receive training on a number of safeguarding topics but not specifically on online safety. There are no records of the checks completed for one child’s online activity that, reportedly, staff complete every day as part of the child’s safeguarding plan. Staff failed to explore how one child arranged to meet with friends despite the child not having unsupervised access to phone and online communication.

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improvement to be good

Children have behaviour-management plans but the evidence of their implementation and impact is lacking. One child’s plan identifies the importance of having a structure and a daily plan of activities to develop a sense of stability and security. However, staff have not completed any daily-activities plans for this child.

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improvement to be good

Another area for improvement relates to staff recruitment practice and records. The provider does not keep details of the up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service checks. One staff file does not include an explanation of gaps in their employment history. Weaknesses in staff recruitment increase the risk of unsuitable adults caring for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The leadership and management of the home are poor. The home has been without a registered manager for over seven months. There have been four different managers during this time. The multiple changes in the management of the home in the crucial initial stage of the home coming into operation have had a negative impact on children and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff supervision meetings do not take place regularly. Some staff have completed their probation but there are no records to show that their probationary reviews have taken place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not notified Ofsted of the changes in the directorship of the company. The new managing director has brought a wealth of relevant experience, knowledge and skills to the home. He has identified many shortfalls and started to implement the improvement plan for the home. This is a deciding factor in the overall inspection judgement not being inadequate.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose does not fully reflect the service. This document still states that the home is going through its registration. The name of the current manager is incorrect. The statement of purpose does not mention caring for children who are subject to a Deprivation of Liberty Order (DLO). Two of three children who have come to live at this home have been subject to a DLO.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Records do not make it clear how admission decisions were made in the best interests of children. The managing director confirmed that new admissions will not be considered until a permanent manager has been appointed and the improvement of the service has been achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The record-keeping in the home is poor and this undermines monitoring of the service. Leaders and managers do not keep all required records, such as those Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 4 relating to complaints, medication, first aid and the children’s register. The records that are kept are disorganised. An example of this is that leaders and managers were unable to tell the inspector the exact dates and times when children went missing and when they came back. All three staff spoken to said that it was very difficult to find specific information as everything is recorded on the children’s daily logs. Staff have completed training in a more effective system for record-keeping but the new system is not in place yet.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Monitoring and review systems are poor. Leaders and managers have had limited oversight of the quality of care provided to children, until very recently. The review of the quality of care fails to identify the weaknesses found at this inspection and was not sent to Ofsted in line with regulation. The independent person’s monthly monitoring is limited. One monitoring report covered a period of three months. The delay in Ofsted receiving these reports limits the regulator’s oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not inform the local authority where the home is situated when children from other local authorities come to live in the area. This means that the home’s local authority and safeguarding partners are unaware of these children. The placing authority for two children is over 100 miles away.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A comprehensive training plan is in place. The plan aims to help staff to build on their thorough induction, and enhance their knowledge and skills. Staff’s qualifications, positive attitude towards work and ability to form positive relationships with children are the strengths of the service. What the home has been lacking is stable, committed and effective leadership and management. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child;

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Requirement Due date

regularly consult children, and seek their feedback, about the quality of the home’s care. (Regulation 7 (1)(c)(2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 12 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access 28 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 6 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ivii)

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(b)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 26 October 2022

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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— 12 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(a) (5)) 28 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1)) 12 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b)) 28 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. 28 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 8 The registered person may only—

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(b) (4)(b)) 12 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the missing child policy”) setting out—

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent.

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Requirement Due date

Before implementing, or making an amendment which the registered person considers to be substantive to, the missing child policy, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person; and

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Requirement Due date

have regard to any relevant local authority or police protocols on missing children. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 15 September Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 9 Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the staff follow the local protocols, that detailed records are kept of the dates and circumstances of all incidents where a child goes missing from the home, that these incidents are reviewed, that any learning is implemented and that incidents of children going missing from care reduce.

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c)) 28 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must supply to HMCI, at HMCI’s request, a statement containing a summary of any complaints made during the preceding twelve months and the action that was taken in response to each complaint. (Regulation 39 (3) (5)) 28 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify, without delay, the local authority for the area in which the children’s home is located of every admission of a child into the home and every discharge of a child from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person is not required to notify the local authority in paragraph (1) if that local authority is also the placing authority for the child in question.

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Requirement Due date

A notification under this regulation must be in writing and must state—

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is provided with accommodation under section 20 or 21 of the Children Act 1989(a);

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Requirement Due date

whether the child is subject to a care or supervision order under section 31 of the Children 1 September 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 10 Act 1989(b);

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Requirement Due date

the independent reviewing officer appointed for the child’s case; and

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Requirement Due date

whether the child has an EHC plan or a statement of special educational needs and, if so, details of the local authority with responsibility for the EHC plan or for maintaining the statement of special educational needs. (Regulation 41 (1) (2) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a)(b) (4)(a)(b) (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 28 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 26 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 11 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must give notice in writing to HMCI, as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so, if any of the following events take place or are expected by the registered person to take place—

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Requirement Due date

a person other than the registered person carries on or manages the children’s home

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Requirement Due date

a person ceases to carry on or manage the home;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered provider is an organisation—

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Requirement Due date

any change of director, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the organisation. (Regulation 49 (a)(b)(e)(i)(ii)) 15 September

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s guide to the home is written in child-friendly language and includes details of how to contact the Office Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 12 of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.19)  The registered person should ensure that staff keep records of the actions that they take to safeguard children, in line with the risk-management plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff complete training on online safety and understand this important aspect of safeguarding children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)

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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: 2628367 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Camino Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2-4 Packhorse Road, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire SL9 7QE

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2628367 14 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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