Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Halton

Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 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 home is operated by a private provider. It provides care for one child with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Ofsted last visited this setting on 6 October 2022 to carry out a monitoring visit.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2022.

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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: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Inadequate 19/02/2020 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 3

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improvement to be good

The child lives in a bright, welcoming home with modern furnishings throughout. Staff consult with the child to encourage them to individualise their room. This helps the child to feel more settled. The child said that they feel safe living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Two children have lived in the home since the last inspection. The previous child had a poor experience of moving into and out of the home and only lived there for a short period of time. They struggled to settle, and their placement ended when they went missing from home. This meant that staff did not meet the child’s needs in accordance with the child’s plans or the statement of purpose.

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improvement to be good

The current child moved in without first visiting the home or meeting the staff team. The staff team struggles at times to help the child regulate their emotions and behaviour. This hampers the child’s ability to develop socially aware behaviour and resolve conflict.

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improvement to be good

The child struggled with mainstream education. As a result, the child now attends home-based tutoring daily and is making some progress. The child has a daily routine and structure, including outdoor education provided by a local company in addition to activities and trips out with the staff team. This helps to introduce the child to new experiences while also offering them a daily routine and structure.

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improvement to be good

Staff help the child to manage their physical health needs. Staff have registered the child with a doctor and dentist, and they promote a range of health themes through regular key-work sessions. Staff also encourage the child to eat a healthy diet.

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improvement to be good

The staff team helps the child to maintain family time with the people who are important to them. They also support the child to keep memories of their experiences, such as in scrapbooks. This helps the child to reflect on their positive experiences and detail their history.

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improvement to be good

The child knows how to make a complaint if they have any concerns about their care. However, they are not aware of their right to have an advocate to help them to express their views, wishes and feelings.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk management plans provide clear strategies for staff to keep children safe. However, not all staff are familiar with the child’s risk management plans and the strategies used to reduce risk. This means that staff may respond differently to safeguarding concerns. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 4 There are very few missing-from-home incidents. When one child was missing, staff followed the relevant protocol on their file to safely locate the child. However, not all staff are familiar with the current child’s arrangements in the event the child goes missing from home. This again may lead to an inconsistent response from staff and missed opportunities to return the child safely back home.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to stay safe online. Staff complete direct-work sessions with the child to talk about safe and healthy relationships. This raises the child’s awareness of online harm and helps them to stay safe.

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improvement to be good

Managers use a door alarm in the child’s bedroom as a safeguarding measure. However, managers do not regularly review or evaluate the need for the alarm. This limits the child’s privacy and access in the home. It may also impact on the child’s emotional health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical interventions to safeguard the child. The interventions are minimal and proportionate. The child completes a child-friendly form to review the incident with the manager. This helps the child to reflect on their behaviour.

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improvement to be good

All staff have suitable background checks before starting work at the home. This ensures that children are not placed at risk from unsuitable adults working at the home.

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good

A new manager is now in post following the previous full inspection. The manager demonstrates a good understanding of their role and a commitment to improving the child’s experiences. They understand their team’s strengths and weaknesses and are making improvements in the home.

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good

Inconsistent staffing affects the continuity of care for the child. The manager has maintained staffing levels by bringing in staff from other homes within the company. However, some staff struggle to build trusting relationships with the child.

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good

The manager uses monthly monitoring systems to track the child’s progress and has good oversight of any incidents that occur. However, some of the child’s plans are not up to date for the current setting. This affects the ability of staff to provide a consistent level of care. In addition, staff use language in the child’s records that is stigmatising and unhelpful to the child.

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good

Leaders and managers act quickly in response to allegations made against staff. The manager has implemented an agreement with the child’s placing authority in response to allegations against staff. This is helping the manager to safely respond to the child’s concerns while also supporting staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 5 Staff receive regular supervision and attend monthly team meetings. They also attend regular training and feel supported by the managers. One member of staff said, ‘Both managers have been very supportive. I have learned so much here.’

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good

The manager updates the location assessment on a regular basis. This includes details of the local offer that sets out the support available for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 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, 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

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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all staff are aware of the risks identified in the child’s plans and the strategies to keep the child safe. 29 May 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— 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 7 that arrangements are in place to—

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(c))

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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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)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that there is a consistent staff team to provide continuity of care and build effective relationships with the child. In addition, ensure that monitoring systems are effective. 29 May 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. 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 8 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them 29 May 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 9 safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the child has access to advocacy support from a person that the child chooses. This ensures that the child is able to express their views, wishes and feelings. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that staff record information in a non- stigmatising way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2542813 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Caretech Estates Ltd, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2542813 11 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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