Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 1 SC415710 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

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.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2022

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2022 Full Good 08/01/2020 Full Good 22/01/2019 Full Good 28/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Inspectors spent time with all the children during the inspection. Some children are happy and settled and making progress in the home. This is not consistent for all children. One child said, ‘There has been lots of changes with the staff. We don’t get told why.’ Another child said, ‘It’s OK and I can talk to some of the staff if I am upset or unhappy.’

p.3

improvement to be good

Some children make progress in education. However, children who are not in education do not benefit from clear coordinated plans. Consequently, children are not engaged in structured, suitable activities to support their return to education.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff have not ensured children’s health needs are consistently met. Not all children have been registered with dental practitioners, and sufficient action has not been taken to address this. Furthermore, staff have not undertaken enough work with children who use electronic cigarettes.

p.3

improvement to be good

The manager has not responded to complaints from children in line with the organisation’s procedures. Although the manager took steps to address a complaint, a response was not shared with the child in a timely manner. A child said, ‘I thought they forgot and did not listen as it took that long to respond.’ This has meant that children have not always felt heard and valued.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff do not support children to access and contribute to their relevant plans. This means that the child’s voice is not captured, and children may not understand their plans.

p.3

improvement to be good

Managers have not carefully considered the needs of all children when they move into the home. Some children are supported to visit the home and have an opportunity to ask questions. However, managers have not carefully considered how moving in for some children can be traumatic and additional resources may be necessary in the initial settling in period. Consequently, behaviours have not been appropriately supported and police assistance has been requested to manage behaviours. As a result, children with no previous police involvement have been criminalised.

p.3

improvement to be good

The manager has created an independence programme for children at the home. This has supported children to prepare for independence and develop their skills and competencies to live independently. Additionally, life-story journals have been introduced, which are child-focused and reflect the child’s experiences while living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 4 Children are supported to spend time with their families in line with local authority plans. This ensures that children spend quality time with important people in their lives.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff do not always follow the organisation’s allegation policy. This has led to a delay in the manager notifying an allegation to the relevant professionals. Staff have not received training on how to respond to allegations. Consequently, not all staff were able to demonstrate an understanding of the organisation’s policy.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children’s bedrooms are not of an acceptable standard. Leaders and managers have not ensured that children have clean and habitable living spaces. This has meant that children have experienced hazardous and unclean environments, which do not promote their well-being.

p.4

improvement to be good

The use of physical intervention has not always been recorded in line with legislative guidelines. This prevents the scrutiny and oversight of incidents to allow managers to ensure that staff’s actions have kept children safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Consequences for children’s behaviour are not balanced and proportionate, with some children receiving a more punitive response to the same behaviour than others. This has not been identified during the evaluation of consequences.

p.4

improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff respond in line with their individual protocols. Staff take action to locate and return children to their care. The manager has responded proactively to missing-from-care episodes and coordinated multi-agency responses to ensure that underlying causes of missing from care are addressed. This has led to a reduction in children going missing from care.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff have supported some children to develop strategies to reduce some risks. This has meant there are some areas where children are becoming increasingly safe. For example, there has been a reduction in self-injurious behaviour.

p.4

good

The manager has not consistently challenged the decisions of external services. When a child was arrested following an incident at the home, the manager failed to challenge this decision. This meant that a child was kept in custody overnight and left at risk of unnecessary criminalisation.

p.4

good

Leaders and managers have not used monitoring and evaluation systems effectively. Not all documents are in place, accurate and reflective of the needs of children. This has meant that staff have not always supported children in line with their relevant plans. Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 5 Management evaluation of incidents is weak. Opportunities to identify shortfalls in recording, reporting and practice have been missed. This means that opportunities for learning and the development of staff have been missed.

p.4

good

A number of staff have left the home since the last inspection. The manager has used staff from other local services to support the children. This has provided some consistency in the continuity of care for children; however, staff have not always received adequate handovers when arriving at the home. This has meant that children’s needs and plans are not always fully understood by the staff supporting them.

p.5

good

Staff report feeling supported. Supervision does take place regularly and in line with timescales. There are good-quality examples of supervision. However, these are not yet consistent across all supervisions. New staff at the home receive adequate training and induction before starting to work with children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(v))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure all staff have an understanding of children’s past experiences and how this may manifest in day-to-day life. Staff should be skilled to respond to children in a way that does not create a further risk of stigmatisation. 30 October 2022

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.6

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 7 help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

p.6

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(viii)(x)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that clear plans are in place for children that are not in education.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

that each child is registered as a patient with a general medical practitioner and a registered dental practitioner. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all children are registered with dental practitioners. Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure that work is undertaken with children in regard to the use of electronic cigarettes. 30 October 2022

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 8 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.8

Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

p.8

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.8

Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand the risks children face and follow the organisation’s policies. Furthermore, leaders and managers must ensure children are not placed at risk of unnecessary criminalisation.

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.8

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; 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 9 ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

p.8

Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

p.9

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

p.9

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)(e)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure monitoring and review systems are in place so there is sufficient oversight of the quality of care provided to children and any shortfalls are identified and addressed.

p.9

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.9

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.9

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(c)(f))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that relevant plans for children are accurate and up to date. Leaders and managers must ensure that staff support children to access and contribute to their records. 30 October 2022

p.9

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—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the name of the child; 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 10 details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

p.9

Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

p.10

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.10

Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

p.10

Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure (“the user”), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

p.10

Requirement Due date

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

p.10

Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

p.10

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”)—

p.10

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.10

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

p.10

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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.10

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all measures of control are recorded and evaluated for their effectiveness.

p.10

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.10

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a)) 30 October 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 11

p.10

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: SC415710 12

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.12

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

p.12

Inspector

Amie Anders, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Senior His Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC415710 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.

p.12

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.13

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.13

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.13