Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 1 SC457433 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 home provides care for one child who may have emotional and social difficulties. It is operated by a large national provider of children’s homes.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2022 Full Good 15/05/2019 Full Good 11/07/2018 Full Good 08/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is currently one child living in the home. They said, ‘It’s a really nice home. I like all the staff.’ The home is spacious, and staff provide the child with a relaxed atmosphere. The child helps to choose the decor and furnishings for the communal areas. However, some areas still need further decoration, which detracts from the homely environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children to access education. The child is engaging in full-time education and making good progress. They are also making new friends and moving away from negative peer groups.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team helps the child to maintain family time with the people who are important to them. There is a focus on establishing children’s support networks and links with agencies. This promotes the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to manage their health needs. Staff register children with doctors and dentists and access support from a wide range of other services. This means that children’s routine appointments and checks are up to date.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends regular key-work sessions with staff. This helps the child to reflect on their behaviour and actions. However, the child’s plans do not include direct work for staff to complete with the child to help them develop socially aware behaviour. Furthermore, the quality of the care plans is inconsistent. As a result, staff are unable to follow fully informed plans for some children. This affects children’s experiences of moving in and out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in their statutory meetings. This helps children to understand the decisions being made about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the child to develop independence skills. The child cooks meals daily and is now eating a much healthier diet. A staff member said, ‘[Name of child] has made unbelievable progress; they are an absolute star.’

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

Staff only hold children to keep them safe as a last resort, to prevent children from hurting themselves or others. There have been very few incidents in the past year. The manager evaluates incident reports to prevent similar incidents from happening.

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

Strategies for responding to incidents when children are missing from home are clear and robust. This means that staff are clear about the expectations of them if a child is missing. This helps to reduce the number of missing-from-home incidents. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 4 Staff work closely with agencies and share information as part of a multi-agency approach to child protection. Staff follow clear risk management plans and report safeguarding concerns to the appropriate authorities without delay.

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

Managers review risk management processes following incidents and as part of their monthly audit. However, managers do not always receive children’s statutory plans from the beginning of their placement. This can lead to inconsistent responses to some children’s safeguarding needs.

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

Staff support the child to stay safe online. Staff regularly talk to the child about online harm and help them to build resilience. The child said that they feel safe living in the home and the surrounding area.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a strong leadership team comprising of an experienced manager and deputy. They provide staff with regular supervision and team meetings. As a result, staff feel fully supported in their role and enjoy working at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There have not been any staffing changes in the past year. This means that staff provide continuity of care for children in a stable and nurturing home. Staff also attend a wide range of training to develop their skills and knowledge. One staff member said, ‘I feel massively supported. The manager is very child-focused and nurturing with children.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers conduct appraisals with staff on an annual basis. Staff reflect on their work and set targets for the year ahead. However, appraisals do not include the views of key individuals. This limits their effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers do not challenge the placing authority effectively. This means that children’s plans are not always up to date and do not fully reflect their needs or achievements. In one case, the placing authority had not provided the child’s full statutory plans. This affects children’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An independent person visits the home monthly. The manager implements recommendations from the independent person’s reports to improve care and support for children. The manager also completes a six-monthly review of the quality of care. This includes an evaluation of children’s comments, which also helps to improve practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are ambitious. There is a clear aspirational ethos across the team. This helps the child to achieve good outcomes. A social worker said, ‘There has been a big improvement with [name of child] over the past five months. Lots of credit to the placement provider, as they have made real progress.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 5

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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, the 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all relevant plans are available from the beginning of a child’s placement so that all risks can be assessed. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 6 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(c))

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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))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that all relevant plans are in place when children move into the home. Furthermore, managers should take appropriate actions if there are concerns or delays in this process. 31 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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 develop socially aware behaviour. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(ii)) 31 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all areas of the home provide a welcoming and homely environment that meets the needs of the children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff’s annual appraisals include the views of professionals who they have worked in partnership with. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: SC457433 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Drakes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457433 9 regulates and inspects 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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