Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Suffolk

Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 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 privately owned. It provides care for up to five children with ongoing mental health needs and who may not be able to live in the community without continued support.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023, when the home opened.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a separately registered school on site. The inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Four children have moved to the home since it opened and were all living at the home at the time of the inspection. Children have settled well. They say that they enjoy living at the home. Staff build positive and nurturing relationships with children. These relationships have helped children to make progress in different areas of their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prioritise children’s education. One child had not attended school for a significant period. However, since moving to the home, they have had excellent attendance and engagement. This is a significant achievement. Staff work closely with education staff to help the child to feel supported with their education. For two other children, education attendance has been more sporadic. However, staff have good links with staff at the on-site school and work hard with children to help them to make progress with this. One child has recently been offered a place at a local college, in line with their wishes, and staff are working to help prepare them for this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are well met. Staff understand them well and are aided by clear plans to meet children’s needs. Children’s mental health is supported by an on- site psychology team which provides direct support to children and staff. This includes writing case studies that provide a detailed overview of children’s needs and progress and identifying actions to ensure that children receive the best possible care. One child moved to the home after an extended period in hospital. Managers worked closely with health professionals to ensure that they have all the information they need to care for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to be active in the local community. Staff have forged links with a local animal centre, which has provided opportunities for children to carry out voluntary work. Children are encouraged to take part in celebrations of cultural events and to help keep the local community clean. One child has recently been successful in gaining a part-time job. These are significant achievements for children who have previously struggled to positively engage in such activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Plans for children to move to the home have generally been thorough and detailed. Managers have had extensive discussions with other professionals to ensure that they understand children’s needs well. Children have been able to visit the home in advance of moving in and staff have visited them to start building relationships. There are some significant risks relating to the location of the home. On most occasions, these have been appropriately considered during the assessment process for children to move to the home. However, for one child, their assessment did not include discussion around these risks. While there is no evidence that these risks would have made the placement unsuitable for this child, a failure to consider these risks properly before children move to the home has the potential for children to be at increased risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 4 The home environment is well maintained and child friendly. It provides a welcoming

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and supportive environment for children and most risks are well managed. However, one area of risk in the grounds of the home had not been appropriately identified. While managers took action to address this during the inspection, this oversight could lead to children being less safe.

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

Children living at the home have experienced significant trauma and have a high level of mental health needs. They have become safer while living at the home, with risks relating to these needs significantly reducing. Children have previously displayed serious self-harming behaviours. There has been one incident of self-harm since the home opened. This was well managed by staff who took prompt action to ensure that the child was safe and received the necessary medical treatment. Other children have not displayed any self-harming behaviour, despite significant incidents of this before they moved to the home.

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

There have been some concerns in relation to children’s online safety. Staff have identified these through agreed checks and have shared them promptly with other professionals. This has included a referral to a team that supports children at risk of exploitation. Staff have carried out good-quality work with children in relation to these risks and children have engaged well in this.

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

Staff have responded to a child’s disclosure in a caring and supportive way. They ensured that the information was shared without delay with the appropriate professionals. The manager subsequently worked closely with other professionals, including challenging some delays, to ensure that the disclosure was appropriately explored.

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

Some concerns have been raised in relation to the conduct of staff. On one occasion, managers responded promptly and took clear action in response. However, on another occasion, initial concerns were not reported to the local authority designated officer (LADO) in line with the home’s safeguarding policy. There was also a delay in exploring the concern with the staff member. When additional concerns were raised, these were reported to the LADO and a subsequent investigation took place. However, this failed to establish all the relevant facts relating to the concerns raised. Failure to explore concerns relating to staff conduct in line with safeguarding policies means that actions to ensure that staff remain suitable to work with children are lacking in effectiveness.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is dedicated and enthusiastic and has high expectations for children’s care. She is a visible and supportive presence for children and staff and is well supported by her senior managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the home. She uses effective systems to ensure that children’s care is closely monitored. These help to identify when children may Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 5 need additional support as well as how staff are responding to children in different situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is relatively inexperienced. However, staff have been helped to learn the skills needed to provide good levels of care for children. This has included staff spending time working in one of the organisation’s other homes to gain experience. Managers and other senior staff model good care and ensure that staff receive regular supervision in which their developmental needs are discussed and actions to meet these are identified. Regular team meetings include members of the psychology team, who lead discussions on children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided a broad range of training. This includes training specific to the needs of children and in relation to the model of care that staff follow. Staff find the training beneficial and can identify how it has improved their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s views are actively sought and responded to well. Three complaints have been made by children since the home opened. Staff have helped children to make these complaints and the manager has considered the concerns raised in detail. She has responded to children to address the complaints and children have been happy with the responses. This demonstrates to children that their views are valued and acted on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has built excellent working relationships with children’s social workers and families as well as other professionals. One police officer, linked to the home, said that communication is ‘outstandingly good’. They said, ‘I just wish everyone was as easy to work with as the staff are.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any concerns relating to staff’s conduct are managed in line with the home’s policies. 14 August 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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that risks in the grounds of the home are appropriately identified and managed and that risks relating to the location of the home are fully taken into account when considering children’s moves to the home. 14 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 7

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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: 2707907 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 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Joe Matkar-Cox, Social Care Inspector Russel Breyer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2707907 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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