Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 1 SC457573 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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 owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with the one child living in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is vacant. However, there are interim management arrangements in place.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted judged this children’s home inadequate at the full inspection on 20 and 21 September 2022. Ofsted issued two compliance notices under regulations 12 and 13 as there were serious concerns relating to the safety and protection of children and the widespread failings in the leadership and management arrangements of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this monitoring visit was to review the progress and actions taken by the provider to meet the two compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

One child has recently moved on from the home following a significant incident. The provider made the decision that the staff could no longer keep both children safe. The child who continues to live in the home spoke positively about the changes that have been made since the last full inspection. The child said they now feel safe living in the home and scored living in the home as eight out of 10. The child identified the change in the manager as being the catalyst for change, stating, ‘[Name] does what she says she will. She plays football with me, she’s amazing.’ Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 2 Home conditions have improved. Redecoration and refurbishment of the home have taken place and all damage to the home has been repaired. It is now a more homely environment for children to live in.

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This monitoring visit

Regular key-work sessions take place. The interim manager plans these on a weekly basis to cover issues that are specific to the assessed needs of a child or in response to an incident. This helps the child to increase their knowledge and awareness of issues that are relevant to their needs.

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This monitoring visit

The child living in the home now has access to both an up-to-date children’s guide and complaints leaflets which can be accessed confidentially. Children’s meetings now have a focus on seeking the views of the child. The interim manager has developed a ‘You said, we did’ feedback form for the child. This tells the child that the staff want to listen to what they have to say, and their views are important.

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This monitoring visit

A review of the admission procedure has taken place and lessons have been learned with regard to the matching of children. There are now clear expectations in place about processes the manager must follow when considering a new child moving into the home.

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This monitoring visit

The staff understand their responsibilities to ensure that children’s health plans are followed. Healthy eating and regular exercise are now promoted. The child living in the home is now offered a balanced weekly menu and is encouraged to make home- cooked meals with the staff. The child now attends sporting activities on a regular basis. This has resulted in the child losing weight and leading a fitter and healthier lifestyle.

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This monitoring visit

All staff have now completed training specific to individual children’s needs. Training in relation to specific issues identified at the full inspection has also been provided to staff. This includes nutrition and bullying awareness training. Staff are clear of the expectations on them with regard to the recording of incidents of bullying and the need to follow children’s risk assessments. This means that the staff have all the necessary information when managing related incidents and issues.

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This monitoring visit

The members of the management team have all completed supervision training. Reflective supervisions are now taking place on a regular basis. This means that the staff are provided with consistent opportunities to reflect on their practice.

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This monitoring visit

The interim manager has implemented auditing tools that are used to identify and address shortfalls. This assists her to continuously assess and improve the standard of care that the children receive.

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This monitoring visit

The home remains short-staffed. However, as there is currently only one child living in the home, there is a sufficient number of staff to meet the child’s needs. The interim manager has successfully recruited more staff, which when they are all in post will mean that the home is fully staffed. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 3 Following this visit, it was decided that the compliance notices have been met. The requirements previously issued under regulations 5, 8, 12, 35 and 36 and the recommendation in respect of return home interviews were not reviewed during this visit. For this reason, they are restated. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/09/2022 Full Inadequate 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/10/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 5

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered persons 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)) 20 December 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 each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and 20 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 6 the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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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 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

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

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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)(vi)(viii)(x)(b))

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to impact risk assessments. 20 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; 20 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 7 details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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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 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(ii)(v)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to records of consequences.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 20 December 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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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: SC457573 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Paula Shepherd, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC457573 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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