Children's Home run by Cameron & Cooper Limited in Surrey

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 1 Registered provider: Cameron & Cooper Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide care for up to six children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties. It is owned and run by a private organisation. There are currently five children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since May 2019.

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Information about this children’s home

Most of the children living at the home attend the organisation’s school, which is located on the same site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection date: 20 and 21 September 2022

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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The care of children

Children reported an improvement in their experience of care since the last inspection, and they are making better progress, particularly with regards to engaging in education. Managers have made some progress in addressing some of the shortfalls identified at the last inspection.

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The care of children

A child recently moved into the home. Managers considered all available information to assess that they could meet the needs of this child. Unfortunately, the information they based this decision on was incomplete and, consequently, they are struggling to meet the needs of this child and keep her safe. They are working closely with the placing authority to ensure that they have an accurate assessment of her needs and that safety plans are in place.

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The care of children

This set of circumstances has caused some disruption and has had an impact on the ability of managers to fully address all the shortfalls identified at the last inspection. During this inspection, some children’s behaviour was having a negative impact on other children. Staff did not provide sufficient challenge to ensure that children were showing each other mutual respect. As a result, children are not benefiting from opportunities to learn how to build and maintain positive relationships with each other and with staff. This is a repeated requirement.

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The care of children

Children are encouraged to eat a healthy, balanced diet. One child proudly told the inspector that they were happy to be looking and feeling healthier. However, one child’s plans do not provide sufficient information to reliably inform staff how to meet the child’s physical and mental health needs. There is a repeated requirement in relation to children’s health and well-being.

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The care of children

Children’s attendance at the on-site school has improved, on the whole. This is largely due to changes to the group of children living at the home. There has been effective joint working between the care and education teams. Plans have been put in place with the intention that, if children begin to struggle to attend school again, they will continue to receive effective support to achieve in education.

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The care of children

The condition of the home has improved. Several areas have been redecorated and refurnished. This has made the environment more homely, comfortable and welcoming.

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The safety of children

Since coming to live at the home, one child has begun to display behaviour that places them at risk of significant harm. The child is on a waiting list for specialist intervention in relation to their mental health. The child’s current risk assessment Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 3 and support plan are not yet informed by specialist advice from adolescent mental health professionals. This means that staff cannot be reassured that their interventions are based on a clear understanding of the child’s presenting needs and behaviours. Staff have responded appropriately to incidents to ensure the child’s immediate safety.

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The safety of children

The quality of compatibility risk assessments and children’s individual risk assessments has improved. They are updated when children’s risks change, or when new information is received. However, two new staff who were working on shift during the inspection said that they had not had the opportunity to read children’s risk assessments, and no one had explained how to meet children’s individual needs. One of these staff members described how they had recently had to manage a child’s self-harm incident. Although they managed this effectively, they have not had the opportunity for any reflection with managers to ensure that they worked in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. There is a repeated requirement in relation to the protection of children. During the inspection, managers took steps to address the issues raised by the staff members and to ensure that they were familiar with the children’s safety plans.

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The safety of children

One child has recently sustained a minor injury due to being hit by a car when they were accessing the community independently. Staff ensured that the child was seen by medical professionals. The child is said to be ‘shaken up’ by the incident and has received emotional support from staff. However, records do not demonstrate that the child has been provided with road safety advice to reduce the risk of a similar incident happening again.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

There is currently no registered manager at the home. A new manager has been appointed to be in day-to-day charge of the home and intends to submit an application to become the registered manager once she has completed her induction period. As an interim measure, the service manager has applied to register with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

A recommendation in relation to notification of serious events has not been met. There have been two recent incidents of a child complaining about the way staff applied physical restraint. Following one of the incidents, managers carried out an investigation prior to consultation with external safeguarding professionals. Additionally, there was a significant delay before managers notified Ofsted of the incident. This inhibited the regulator’s ability to monitor the managers’ response to the incident. This is now a requirement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers have not made sure that the induction of new staff equips them to meet the complex needs of the children that they are looking after.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Monitoring by managers has improved in relation to the storing, administering and recording of medication. Additionally, children’s medication records now include clear information about their allergies. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 4 Minutes from staff meetings demonstrate that managers are meeting with staff regularly to discuss the priority actions staff need to take, often in response to recommendations arising from internal and external monitoring.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

Managers are making sure that children have regular opportunities to discuss the way the home is run. This helps to reassure children that their views are important and that their voices are being heard. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 23/08/2021 Full Good 15/10/2019 Full Good 14/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children’s plans reliably inform staff how to meet children’s physical and mental health needs. 31 October 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 31 October 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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children’s plans describe how to reduce the risk of safeguarding incidents happening again. 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 7 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to making sure that the induction of new staff members includes an explanation of how to meet children’s needs in line with their care plans and risk assessments. 31 October 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

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e)) 31 October 2022 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cameron & Cooper Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Accord Accountants, 191-193 High Street, Hampton Hill TW12 1NL

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Inspector

Helen Simmons, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1256973 9 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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