Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties. It is part of a large national provider of children’s homes.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left the home on 5 November 2022. An interim manager is running the home. They are also the interim manager for another of the provider’s children’s homes. The interim manager has not made an application to register with Ofsted.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child lives at this home. The child is settled and making progress. The home is warm and welcoming. The child makes choices about how the house is decorated, which helps them to have a sense of belonging.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the child’s individual needs. The arrangements for the child’s everyday care keep them safe from harm.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child enjoys incredibly good relationships with staff. The child speaks positively about staff and spending time with them. However, changes to the staff team have disrupted these positive relationships. The child has been disappointed to see staff they liked leave the home. The staff changes prevent the child from maintaining important relationships, which may have an impact on the child’s stability and emotional well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to the child’s wishes and feelings. They support the child to make day-to- day decisions about their care, including what to eat and which activities to do in their spare time. The child enjoys cooking and has plenty of opportunities to show off their skills in the kitchen. This helps the child to develop their skills and have a sense of accomplishment.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager does not make sure that the child is well informed about the next steps for their care. The child is worried and uncertain about what is going to happen. They are frustrated that the professionals involved in their life are not good at keeping in touch with them and their family.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child lives far away from their family. Their social worker is not visiting the child frequently in line with the statutory requirements. The manager has failed to challenge the social worker about this lack of support for the child. Furthermore, the manager has not made sure that the child has an independent advocate to help them have the support and information they need to reduce their anxieties and frustrations.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make sure that the child goes to school every day. The child enjoys school and has achieved qualifications. The manager and staff collaborate well with the school and virtual school to support the child’s learning.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The virtual school has arranged for the child to have additional support from a tutor online. However, difficulties with the home’s technology mean that the child has not been able to access this support. The manager has failed to resolve the problem or find an alternative solution to avoid the child missing out on this important part of their education.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide the child with positive experiences and activities, including boxing, golf and going to the gym. Doing things together and having fun have helped the child Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 4 to build positive relationships with staff. Staff take and keep photos of the things that the child does and their achievements. These will provide the child with memories of their time at the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to spend time with their family. This is important to the child. Staff make sure that this is a safe and positive experience.

p.4

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

The child lives in a safe and supportive environment. The assessment of the home’s location and the local area shows that it is a safe place for the child to live. The child’s positive relationships with staff help them to have a sense of safety and well- being.

p.4

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

Staff protect the child from the risk of significant harm. They understand the child’s vulnerabilities and the potential risks to their welfare.

p.4

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

Staff follow the arrangements for the child’s care directed by the court. They manage the risk to the child from going missing from home, violence, using technology and offending behaviour effectively. Staff provide the child with the right level of care and supervision to ensure that they comply with the conditions imposed by the court.

p.4

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

When the child feels frustrated by the restrictions placed on their life, staff carefully explain the reasons for the measures. They help the child to understand that the restrictions are in their best interests and support them to make good choices. Staff manage potentially difficult situations calmly and prevent them from escalating.

p.4

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

Staff have the knowledge and skills to recognise any signs that the child may be at risk of harm. When staff have concerns about the child’s welfare, they take appropriate action in accordance with statutory guidance. Staff collaborate with the police and social workers to understand and reduce risks to the child’s safety.

p.4

good

There is no registered manager in post. An interim manager has been in post since November 2022. They have not applied to Ofsted for registration.

p.4

good

The management of the home is not consistently good. The responsible individual’s scrutiny of the child’s experiences and the running of the home is thorough and effective. They have identified the shortfalls found at this inspection and are acting to make the necessary improvements. This includes providing the manager with support and coaching from an experienced manager.

p.4

good

The manager does not always ensure that the placing authority provides the high- quality support that the child needs. For example, the manager has not made sure that the placing authority has arranged for the child to have an assessment for Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 5 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and an assessment with child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in accordance with the child’s plan.

p.4

good

Staff have the personal qualities and skills to engage with the child successfully and build warm and trusting relationships. Staff work well together as a team to provide the child with consistent boundaries and expectations.

p.5

good

Overall, staff are inexperienced and unqualified. The manager is not providing them with the guidance and support they need to understand their roles and build their confidence.

p.5

good

The manager does not make sure that staff receive good-quality supervision to review their performance and develop their knowledge and skills. Staff do not have opportunities in supervision meetings to discuss the child in their care, reflect critically on their work with the child, and consider ways to improve the support that the child receives.

p.5

good

The manager and staff have not completed the required training in accordance with the provider’s policy. Some staff have not completed training relevant to the child’s needs, including training around caring for a Black or mixed-heritage child. This limits staff’s understanding of the child’s needs and their ability to support the child to understand and explore their identity.

p.5

good

The manager is not providing adequate oversight of how well staff are supporting the child. For example, the manager does not evaluate the records of direct work with the child. The manager does not understand the quality of the work and its impact on the child. Therefore, the manager is unable to identify and share good practice or recognise when staff need further guidance to improve their performance.

p.5

good

The home’s statement of purpose does not include the required information about the supervision of the mental health practitioner who works at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 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

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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(a)(b)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person making sure that the social worker visits the child at the home at intervals of not more than six weeks in accordance with the relevant regulations. Furthermore, ensure that referrals are made for the child to have an assessment for ADHD and an assessment with CAMHS in accordance with the child’s relevant plan. 3 April 2023

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— 3 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 7 ensure that each child—

p.6

Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(b)(iii)

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

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 has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

The relates to the registered person making sure that children have the appropriate technology available to enable them to take part in tutoring sessions online. 3 April 2023

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person making sure that managers and staff have completed training relevant to the needs of children and are confident to apply their learning to children’s everyday care. 3 April 2023

p.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. 3 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person making sure that staff changes do not disrupt positive relations between the child and staff unnecessarily. The registered person must respond to children’s views about changes to staff and consider the potential impact these may have on the child’s stability and emotional well-being.

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

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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)(i)(ii)(h))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should make sure that the quality of staff’s direct work with children is evaluated critically. 3 April 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 9 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. (Regulation 16 (1))

p.8

Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the statement of purpose includes details of the professional supervision of staff providing any healthcare or therapy. 3 April 2023

p.9

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.9

Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

p.9

Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that supervision meetings provide staff with the opportunity to discuss the needs and progress of the children in their care, and to develop their confidence and skills through reflecting on the effectiveness of their work with children. 3 April 2023

p.9

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: 2628010 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

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

p.10

Inspectors

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Jenni Gadsby, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 11 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.10

Inspectors

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.11

Inspectors

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

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11