Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a private organisation. The home is registered to provide care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in post. She registered with Ofsted in December 2021.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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: 2661512 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 3

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improvement to be good

There is one child currently living in this home and one child recently moved out of the home. Children benefit from a consistent and energetic staff team. The child currently living in the home has established relationships with the staff team. Staff talk affectionately about children and the inspector observed positive relationships between the child and staff. The child and staff were seen laughing and joking together. Children make variable progress in education. One child did not receive any education while he was living in the home. The registered manager did escalate this to the placing authority, but this did not progress sufficiently, and no education provider was identified. The child currently living in the home does not engage in activities. Staff provide her with opportunities to participate in different activities, but she refuses to attend. Staff do not identify any strategies to encourage the child to engage in activities and

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improvement to be good

there is no evaluation as to how participation could be increased and encouraged. The child is supported to attend necessary health appointments. The registered manager is proactive in contacting specialist support services in line with the child’s individual support and health needs. When services are not readily available, leaders and managers escalate their concerns and advocate for the child. One child’s moves into and out of the home were not positive or planned effectively. This child left the home in an unplanned way and although the child was provided with photographs of his time in the home, the child did not experience a planned end to his time living in the home. The child currently living in the home is supported to see her family and friends. Managers and staff have established positive relationships with the child’s family to ensure that family time is appropriate and meaningful for the child. During this

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improvement to be good

inspection, staff were arranging for the child to spend time with her family at Christmas. Family members spoken to said that staff support the child to visit them. This helps the child to maintain relationships with her family.

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improvement to be good

The child told the inspector that she feels safe living in the home, and that staff look after her and listen to her if she has any concerns. The child does not have an up-to-date risk assessment because risk assessments are not updated following all incidents. Therefore, staff are not updated about changes. This leaves the child vulnerable to harm. The registered manager does not ensure Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 4 that risk assessments clearly identify individual risks for the child. Risk assessments do not include strategies for staff to follow in practice to reduce risk. Positive behaviour is supported in the home and the use of physical intervention is minimal and in accordance with the legislative framework. However, the child is not always given clear and consistent boundaries that help her to understand what safe and acceptable behaviour is. A child who lived in the home previously was not

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improvement to be good

supported to manage his behaviour appropriately. For example, following repeated assaults on staff, staff did not give the child any consequences or help the child to understand his behaviour. There are good links with external agencies and the registered manager is effective in accessing support from the local police officer. Staff welcome and encourage relationships with the local police to help protect and support children who are living in the home. Some staff do not have the skills to identify potential safeguarding incidents. For example, during an incident debrief, staff did not recognise that a child had made an allegation against another member of staff. There was a delay in any action being taken. The registered manager did not notify all relevant agencies of the allegation in accordance with statutory guidance and did not notify Ofsted in line with regulation. However, the registered manager has subsequently reflected on this

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improvement to be good

incident and evaluated this shortfall, and has discussed this in staff supervision and team meetings.

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good

The home is managed by a passionate registered manager. The registered manager reviews and evaluates the care that staff provide for children. However, this is not fully embedded in all areas of practice. Therefore, improvements are needed to ensure that the registered manager and staff continually improve the quality of care provided for the child. This is necessary to ensure that staff are helping the child reach her full potential. Leaders and managers identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. In a team meeting, staff discussed the child who previously lived in the home, reflecting on the child’s placement and how staff practice could improve. The registered manager and staff understand the plans for the current child. However, the child’s plans are not consistently updated to reflect current arrangements, risks and strategies to manage risks. Case records do not clearly identify the child’s needs and are not appropriately signed and dated by the author.

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good

It is unclear how staff are made aware of updates and changes to plans as plans are not always signed by staff. The statement of purpose has not been updated in line with regulation. This is a breach in regulation and means that the regulator does not have an accurate record of who is working in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 5 Staff told the inspector that they are supported in their roles and receive regular supervision from leaders and managers. Records demonstrate that supervision is reflective and practice-related. Staff receive regular mandatory training and are supported to attend focused and specific training sessions to meet the needs of individual children. Furthermore, staff receive a comprehensive induction during their probationary period. However, the registered manager needs to implement a system to monitor the effectiveness of this training, given the shortfalls in staff understanding their roles and

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good

responsibilities. Teamwork is central to practice in the home and staff work together. One member of staff said, ‘It is heart-warming that this team have supported each other and I’m proud to be part of this team.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 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 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that risk assessments clearly identify individual risks for children and include actions and strategies to reduce risks. The registered manager must also ensure that the process of assessing risk includes how staff are informed of any changes to the child’s plans. 28 December

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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; 28 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 7 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

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)(f)(g)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to ensuring that the registered manager monitors and reviews staff practice appropriately to ensure that there are continual improvements to the child’s care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. Regulation 16 (1)(a) (2) (3)(a)(b)) 28 December

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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)) 28 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— 28 December Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 8 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.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. Regulation 40 (4)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e) (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii))

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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: 2661512 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2661512 10 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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