Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 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

The home is owned by a national provider and provides care for one child. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home having moved there in January 2023. Another child lived in the home between March 2022 and November 2022.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is currently on a period of extended leave. A manager from another of the organisation’s homes is currently managing the home. This manager has submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

31/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 26/04/2022 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children build strong, positive and trusting relationships with staff at this home. These relationships contribute to children making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to therapeutic help and support through the in-house clinical team. Work with children is reinforced through the clinical team also providing advice and guidance to staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

If children are placed far from their home authorities, staff support them to meet with their family and friends. For one child, this included having family members to stay at the home overnight, which was a positive experience for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child originally moved to live in another of the organisation’s homes in December 2022. However, due to the needs of this child and some difficulties in peer relationships, the decision was made for them to move to this home as the only child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since living in this home, the child has made good progress. They are attending education regularly and their engagement is improving.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before moving to this home, another child had not attended education for a significant period. While living here, this child began to attend school and obtained qualifications. During this child’s time at the home, there was also a reduction in their alcohol misuse, which was previously of concern. With the encouragement of staff, this child engaged with their youth offending team worker and completed a community order. Concerns about antisocial or criminal behaviour also reduced significantly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

However, during the last few weeks of their time in the home, this child appeared to disengage from the support on offer. They did not attend college or their work placement and did not have a consistent routine.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is a warm and welcoming space. There are photos of the child who lives here on the walls throughout. The child’s bedroom is comfortable and personalised, and they have access to their own private bathroom.

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

This home specialises in caring for children where there are concerns about their vulnerability to exploitation.

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

Before moving into this home, one child would frequently go missing from home. However, there has only been one episode of them going missing since living in this Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 4 home. This incident was managed appropriately by staff and lessons learned following this incident are clearly documented.

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

Self-harm incidents are rare. However, when children do self-harm, this is managed appropriately and empathetically.

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

Safeguarding incidents are generally responded to appropriately. For example, one recent and complex safeguarding incident involving several children has been responded to appropriately by leaders and managers.

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

However, during one child’s time at the home, concerns regarding them being exploited online began to escalate. Staff had strong relationships with this child, who was able to speak openly about their experiences. Therefore, staff and managers had a good understanding of the risks for this child. Additional monitoring and support systems were put in place for them. However, this did not reduce the risks effectively before the child moved out.

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

Concerns regarding communication, support and planning for this child from their placing authority were escalated by managers. However, managers now accept that this challenge could have taken place sooner and could have been more robust.

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

When allegations are made against staff, appropriate procedures are followed, and investigations are comprehensive and timely. Concerns regarding poor staff practice are addressed appropriately and lessons learned are documented clearly. Concerns regarding the practice of external professionals are also raised appropriately, using relevant escalation procedures.

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

Professionals and a parent told the inspector that they feel children are safe in the home and that children’s relationships with staff are a strength of this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager and the current manager in post are committed and child- focused professionals. Managers and staff provide nurturing care and can adapt to meet the changing needs of the children who live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager in post is also currently managing another home in the organisation. Staff working at this home also work at the other home and split their time across the settings on a set rota. The manager and staff are managing this working arrangement well and providing the child living in the home with a good standard of consistent care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have a good understanding of children’s needs and risks. Children’s records are updated regularly with good evidence of management oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is experienced and stable. Staff told the inspector that they feel well supported by leaders and managers. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 5 Regular supervision takes place. This is reflective and of good quality. Practice issues, support and developmental needs are documented in supervision records and clear actions to address these are identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive appropriate and up-to-date training that is tailored to the needs of the children living in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Moves to and from the home are well managed and child focused. However, managers have not always fully considered the skills and experience of the staff team against the specific needs of children before they move into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints are dealt with appropriately and within timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 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

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)) 30 August 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. 30 August 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 7 (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that they provide appropriate monitoring and support to staff to make sure that good practice is maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2643362 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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Inspector

Janet Jauregui, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2643362 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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