Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 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 owned and managed by a private provider. The home can provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s manager was registered in November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector spoke with both of the children living in the home during the inspection.

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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: 17 November 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: 2496625 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/11/2022 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good 13/09/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both of the children have lived in the home for two years. The children continue to be supported well by a dedicated and stable staff team that provides good continuity of care for the children. Staff understand the needs of the children well, which helps the children to make good progress. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has made tremendous progress since living in this home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that they are supported by staff and have good relationships with them. Children have a strong sense of belonging, and one said that when they move to their adult home, they would like to stay in touch with the staff and return to visit them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the children exceptionally well with their education. The staff and the registered manager advocate strongly for the children so that they receive the education that they are entitled to. One child is at college, while another child has recently sat all her GCSE exams. Children are well supported to plan for their future and learn the necessary skills to live in the community independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff help the children to explore their identity. Staff encourage the children to consider their cultural backgrounds, practice their religious beliefs, and understand and promote diversity and tolerance. This creates a safe foundation for the children to explore and embrace their individuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff and the manager know the children’s friends and families well. This knowledge assists the staff to support the children to make safe decisions and helps the staff to keep the children safe. Additionally, staff help the children to maintain positive relationships, and this allows the children to have friends and family visit their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. However, the home is not consistently kept clean in communal and bathroom areas.

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

Staff understand the risks that the children face and follow the appropriate procedures to safeguard the children. On the rare occasions that children go missing, staff make every effort to locate them. This includes staff following the child, searching for them, and making contact with all of the child’s known associates. When necessary, staff contact the police. This helps to locate the children quickly, which improves their safety.

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

However, the manager does not have an effective escalation process to request that an independent person visits the child who has been missing from the home. This Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 4 means that opportunities are missed to discover why children are going missing and where they are going during this time of absence.

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

Staff complete room searches to help to improve children’s safety. However, children are not consistently spoken to after their room has been searched to help them to understand why this action was taken by staff.

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

Staff respond well to the children when they are in crisis. Consequences are rarely used and when they are, they are proportionate and help the children to learn about the impact of their actions.

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

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are updated regularly. However, these documents contain old information, which gives an inaccurate impression of the child’s current presenting risks. Additionally, one child’s medication risk assessment is out of date and contains contradictory information. This prevents the registered manager from being assured that staff are following the correct procedure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is aspirational for the children. She leads by example and holds strong values for making sure that the children get the best care and support possible. The stable staff team is a testimony to her leadership style.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff said that they are well supported. Staff team meetings are held regularly. They are well attended and are used as a forum for staff to collectively review the needs of the children and share learning from practice. These meetings also consider the training needs of the staff and any organisational reviews. This helps the staff to stay updated on new developments in the organisation and promotes a consistent approach to practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, although the staff receive regular supervision sessions, the quality of the recording of these sessions varies greatly. This makes it difficult to see whether all staff have the same quality of reflective supervision from managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager consults regularly with the organisation’s therapist. She uses these consultations particularly well when there are changes in the children’s behaviours. Informed by these consultations, the registered manager devises individualised plans for the staff’s practice. This helps the staff to develop and refine their responses to the children when they are in crisis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Some statutory documents regarding the children are not available to staff, such as a child’s most-recent pathway plan and a child’s personal education plan. This stops staff from implementing the most-recent recommendations made by external professionals to support the children to make progress. Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 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, 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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 31 August 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return-home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home is maintained to a good standard. In particular, ensure that the shower is hygienic, and communal areas are clean. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 6

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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: 2496625 7

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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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Inspector

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2496625 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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