Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 1 SC458352 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 children’s home can provide care for three children. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in this home.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a suitably qualified registered manager in post.

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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 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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/07/2022 Full Good 01/09/2021 Full Good 04/12/2019 Full Good 04/02/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 3

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improvement to be good

The progress of children is mixed. In some areas, children make good progress but this can plateau and is not consistent. For example, children do not always make good progress with their health and education. Two children have moved as leaders and managers assessed that their needs were no longer best met in this home. Staff supported one child to have a positive move into another home. They keep in touch with the child and provide support to them in their new home. This is helping the child to feel more settled while they build relationships with their new carers.

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improvement to be good

The home is well presented in some areas but requires improvement in others. The kitchen is clean and well maintained. Some areas of the home have bright pictures on the walls. The wallpaper in the lounge is damaged and one child said that they did not spend much time in the lounge because the sofa is not comfortable. Two areas of the home are underused. The manager has made plans to repurpose these areas, redecorate the home and the garden was tidied up during the inspection.

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improvement to be good

There are routines and boundaries in place for children. They are offered healthy food to eat and encouraged to sleep well, but they do not always lead a healthy lifestyle. Although they receive support from staff, children continue to use vapes regularly and have misused substances on some occasions. Not all children attend school regularly or make good progress with their education.

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improvement to be good

Staff try to develop positive relationships with children and encourage children to take part in activities, but the children do not always want to engage in this. When one staff member arranged to take one child swimming at a quiet pool, this was more successful. This arrangement took account of the child’s additional needs and enabled him to engage in this activity positively. Staff are supporting one child with her independence skills in preparation for moving on to independent living. This child has a part-time job and is learning to shop and budget for herself.

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improvement to be good

Staff regularly talk to children. Children’s wishes and views are heard and understood. Discussions with children are meaningful and these conversations are helpful. Staff are consistent in referring to one child’s identity in line with their wishes. One child described a warm and positive relationship that they had with a specific member of staff. Staff regularly communicate with family and professionals to support children and advocate for them.

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improvement to be good

There is regular communication between the home and other professionals. The home has worked well with one local authority to enable a child to remain in the home while an alternative home is sought for them. Leaders, managers and staff supported one child to have a positive move to another setting. Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 4

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improvement to be good

The help and protection of children are inconsistent. Leaders and managers took strong and decisive action in relation to keeping two children safe. This same strong decision-making has not been taken for a third child. Although leaders and managers are working effectively with external safeguarding agencies to review the needs of this child, serious risks remain and more action is required to keep this child safe.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing, staff act promptly to look for them. They go into the community to look for children and talk to people the children know. Staff liaise well with other agencies to try and find the children and return them swiftly and safely to the home. On some occasions, children have gone missing without staff realising. Action has since been taken to reduce the risks of this happening again.

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improvement to be good

There are some incidents when children have tried to hurt one another or made threats to do so. Staff have appropriately intervened to keep children safe. Staff try to calm the situation down using humour, but this is not always successful. There are attempts to talk to children after each incident, but children do not always want to engage in this.

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improvement to be good

Children indicated that they felt safe in the home. They can talk to trusted members of staff when they feel worried. One child identified a specific member of staff who they felt very safe with. Incidents of concern are reported promptly and in line with procedures. There is good communication between staff and social workers. Staff advocate for children in meetings.

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improvement to be good

Consequences and behaviours are linked for some children, but this is not consistent. Children are not always given consequences that are appropriate to the behaviour. Some work has been completed with children in relation to the use of vapes, substance misuse and healthy relationships, but this has not brought about any effective change. Staff are using therapeutic parenting strategies to engage positively with children.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices are used in the home, in line with regulations. Not all references are received, but managers attempt to obtain detailed information about potential employees to enable them to make safe recruitment decisions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is run by a suitably qualified manager, who knows the children well. There is a positive culture in the home and staff say they enjoy working there. The manager takes effective steps to advocate for children, and when something is not right will challenge professionals appropriately. Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 5 The manager recognises what works well in the home and what needs to change. There are good levels of evaluation and reflection. The manager understands the areas that require improvement and has communicated this to staff. Staff understand their roles in the home and what needs to change for things to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are well supported by the manager. They receive good levels of training and supervision. When new children move in, the manager thinks about any additional training that is required to support staff and implements this. There are regular conversations in team meetings about what is working well and areas for improvement.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from professionals and family members is positive. They describe good communication between them and the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, several members of staff have left the home and new staff members have been recruited. There is a range of skills and experience in the staff team. This enables staff to work positively with the children in different ways. Children are always cared for by at least one member of staff who is familiar to them. Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child; and

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, review the use of the unused buildings to ensure these are well maintained and provide more usable spaces for children and staff. Implement the planned maintenance and redecoration programme. 2 October 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

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

(Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(1)) 14 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 7 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, critically review the progress and experiences of children in the home, to make decisions about how best to intervene with children, so that they can make positive progress in the future with their health, education and activities.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, evaluate more effectively the links between behaviour and consequences to ensure that these are effective for children. 1 September 2023

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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: SC458352 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicola McClements

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Inspectors

Sarah Sheffield, Social Care Inspector Paula Lahey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC458352 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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