Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report children's home: 2599399 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in September 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2599399 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2599399 3

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inadequate

At the time of inspection there were two children living in the home. However, the local authority for one child had made the decision to look for an alternative home. The registered manager and the staff working with this child informed the inspector that they no longer felt that they could keep her safe.

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inadequate

The feedback from children is mixed. One child told the inspector that she felt safe and comfortable living in the home. However, another child told the inspector that she did not feel safe and that she does not trust that staff can keep her safe.

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inadequate

Managers are not proactive in escalating concerns when children are not accessing education. One child living in the home does not have access to a suitable education provision and there is no clear plan for how she spends her days. The child is spending prolonged time alone in her room during the day. The lack of input to establish a routine that prioritises learning means that the child is not making academic progress and is not being prepared to attend school when a place is confirmed.

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inadequate

The children are registered at local healthcare services and are supported by staff to attend routine appointments. However, the manager has not ensured that children’s health needs are consistently met. For example, there is a lack of direct work on sexual health and safety. In addition, staff have not implemented a reduction plan for a child who smokes or explored the dangers of this behaviour. This lack of action fails to promote children's well-being and health.

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inadequate

Processes to support children’s successful transitions are not always followed. Children's impact assessments do not consider all known needs and risks. For one child the provider recognised they were unable to meet their needs of one child when they had lived in the home for only 6 weeks. The manager has failed to ensure that she has all the required information about children prior to them moving into the home.

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inadequate

Children are encouraged to pursue their interests. Children participate in a range of activities which includes cheerleading, helping at a horse stables and spending time with staff creating art. In addition, one child has a part-time job and spends independent time socialising with friends. These experiences provide children with opportunities for fun and to build self-esteem.

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inadequate

The home is well presented, welcoming and is maintained to a good standard.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Inspection report children's home: 2599399 4 Risk Management arrangements are inadequate. There has been limited action to ensure effective risk management, including ensuring that staff have the guidance and strategies to reduce and manage risk. Relevant risk management plans are either missing or have not always been updated following serious incidents. In addition, where plans do include clear strategies, these have not always been followed by staff. For example, when a child was missing from the home, the staff did not contact the police in the timescales set out in their plan. This ineffective practice does not keep children safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Safeguarding arrangements for children who use the internet and social media is inadequate. During the inspection, the registered manager and staff said that they knew that one child was at risk when using her mobile phone and accessing social media. However, there were no effective strategies in place to support staff to respond to this risk and help the child keep safe. This lack of oversight and intervention leaves children vulnerable and fails to demonstrate safe and responsible care.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Managers do not take appropriate action when concerns are raised by children about staff practice. For example, there have been delays in concerns being passed on to the local authority designated officer (LADO). In addition, information has not been provided in full to the LADO to enable them to fully consider the concerns raised. Furthermore, children are not always made aware of the outcome of the allegations they report and what action has been taken when they raise concerns. This lack of due diligence does not promote children's safety and leaves children vulnerable.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

When children go missing from the home, leaders and managers do not effectively explore the incident with the child. During one missing episode, one child accepted transport from two unknown adults and was arrested for shoplifting. Staff did not explore this with the child during reflective discussion. Furthermore, managers do not ensure that the local authority have completed return home interviews and effectively escalate concerns when these have not taken place. Staff failure to explore children’s reasons for going missing does not ensure children are kept safe and risks are identified and understood.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

Physical intervention records do not provide sufficient or clear information. Records fail to indicate duration of interventions and the times they have taken place. One child made an allegation about a member of staff during a restraint. The staff member facilitated the child’s debrief, reviewing their feelings and thoughts on the restraint. This practice fails to safeguard children and staff and ensure effective oversight and independent scrutiny of restraint practice. As a result, it is not clear if interventions are appropriate.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: inadequate

External CCTV cameras are used in the home and children's bedroom doors are alarmed at night. The surveillance and monitoring of children is not used in line with the home’s policy. In addition, it is not clear why these monitoring systems are in Inspection report children's home: 2599399 5 place. As a result, there is the possibility that surveillance may be being used unnecessarily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of the home is inadequate. The registered manager's monitoring of children's care has been ineffective in identifying and responding to shortfalls. Managers have not addressed all the requirements made at the last inspection, and as a result, these have been repeated. The shortfalls in management oversight have not led to effective action to address unsafe practice and ensure that children are safeguarded. The manager acknowledges the shortfalls identified at inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers do not work collaboratively with children’s placing authorities when planning children’s care and assessing their risks. During inspection, the manager told inspectors that she did not agree with the social worker’s plans to keep the child safe and the messages that had been given to the child. This had not been effectively challenged or escalated by the manager. Consequently, the child was not protected from harm and current plans increased her vulnerability. During the inspection, an immediate safety plan was put in place between the provider and local authority to improve safety measures for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The staff team is stable and consistent. Staff receive regular supervision which is reflective. Furthermore, staff in their induction period are provided with clear and focused performance reviews in line with the home's policy. This ensures that staff have an opportunity to review their experiences of working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, staff have received further training. This includes mandatory training and training specific to the children's presenting needs. To complement training, the home's clinical lead works closely with the manager to provide additional advice when required. Despite the training received, staff have not demonstrated that they have the skills to respond to children’s safety needs. Inspection report children's home: 2599399 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

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

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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. (Regulation 5 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager escalates concerns effectively.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 18 January 2023

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; and

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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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)((viii)) 18 January 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2599399 7 This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that education plans are clear and reviewed effectively. 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; children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that plans are implemented swiftly to help children reduce their use of cigarettes.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered manager should ensure that children are provided with support and to develop an understanding of healthy and safe relationships and lifestyles.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 18 January 2023

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must ensure that they adhere to the steps set out in the compliance notice. 18 January 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2599399 8 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

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

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the provider must ensure that allegations made by children are shared in line with safeguarding procedures to the LADO and an outcome is shared with children. 18 January 2023

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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— 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; and

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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

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)(f)(g)(ii)(h)) 18 January 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2599399 9 Additionally, the manager must review and evaluate the quality of care and implement monitoring systems to bring about improvement.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms and CCTV are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment and in line with company policy.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 18 January 2023

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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

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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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;

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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 18 January 2023 Inspection report children's home: 2599399 10 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)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular that records meet regulatory requirements and debriefs with children are conducted appropriately.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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 children's home: 2599399 11

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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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Inspectors

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Glenis Staiger-Grant, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: 2599399 12 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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