Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bedford

Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 1 SC476251 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 a large private organisation and provides care for up to four children.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a Department for Education-registered school on the same site that is run by the organisation. The inspector only inspected the children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2021.

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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: 15 February 2023

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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: SC476251 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/02/2023 Full Good 18/01/2022 Full Outstanding 28/01/2020 Full Outstanding 12/06/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, four children were living at the home. Two children have lived at the home for over a year, and benefit from the stability this provides. Two new children have moved to the home in the last three months.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have created a happy, nurturing environment. Photos on display show the children smiling and enjoying themselves, having experiences that provide them with good childhood memories. Staff sometimes bring their dogs to the home. Overall, children enjoy their lives and embrace living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff build strong relationships with children. They know each child well and understand their individual support needs. Children want to spend time with the staff. They feel valued and relaxed, enabling them to benefit from the care provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in their education. Children attend the on-site school, which helps them to achieve high attendance. They are making consistent academic progress. The staff celebrate children’s achievements and attend school events to celebrate children’s efforts. Valuing and supporting children’s education enhances their life chances and instils a feeling of pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are involved in, and understand the plans about their care. They know their goals and how to realise these. When children want to raise a concern they are supported to make complaints. House meetings take place weekly. Children are enthusiastic and chair these meetings. This means children’s voices are heard and this gives them confidence to raise issues.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to develop their knowledge and interests, such as providing gym membership and regular cinema trips. One child attends a local church, which helps to support their identity. Staff also integrate children’s interests into opportunities that encourage independence and age-appropriate risks. This builds trust with the children and improves their self-confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a large garden. One side has a trampoline, badminton net and large swimming pool. However, some areas of the garden require attention and maintenance. In one area, there was broken glass on the ground. The greenhouse contains broken wood and metal. This means children could hurt themselves or others.

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

Children are kept safe. Risks such as child sexual exploitation, going missing from care and self-harm have reduced significantly since the last inspection. Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 4 Children are protected by effective safeguarding arrangements. Detailed risk management strategies and appropriate training ensure that staff recognise and understand known and potential risks. Children have good, individualised risk assessments. They are detailed and are constantly reviewed. They provide staff with consistency and clarity on the actions they need to take to keep children safe. This has led to court-imposed restrictions that were placed on a child being lifted.

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

Staff have received restraint training. When physical interventions have taken place, the records clearly show these were to keep children safe from harm. Children are supported afterwards.

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

Safeguarding concerns are dealt with quickly and effectively. Investigations take place and referrals to the local authority designated officer are made in a timely manner. When necessary, immediate protective measures are put in place.

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

The home is properly staffed and resourced to meet the children’s needs. The children benefit from one-to-one support. This provides safe levels of supervision both in the home and out in the community.

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

Behaviour management strategies help children to make positive changes and to become more aware of the impact of their behaviours on others. Children know what is expected of them, and follow routines and boundaries. Staff use positive reinforcement to encourage children towards positive behaviours. However, the staff are not consistent in their use of negative consequences, meaning children can become confused about the expectations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is visible and approachable. She is qualified to level 5. She is a positive role model to the team and supports staff in their day-to-day practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager shows a well-developed understanding of the individual needs of children and is committed to achieving the best outcomes for children. She ensures that detailed care and support plans for children include information from the in- house clinical team and staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers review all aspects of the children’s care and have oversight of all aspects of the service. This is recorded in reports, plans, assessments and documents. The manager undertakes weekly and monthly audits. There is an additional regular audit by the responsible individual. This ensures that leaders know the children, staff and work practices well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff have confidence in their managers and say that they feel supported in their roles. Comments from staff include, ‘I enjoy it here, it’s a happy home.’ The staff feel valued. Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 5 Professional feedback is positive. When discussing a child’s progress, one social worker said, ‘I can sleep very well now. It is reassuring and is attributed to what they are doing there.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Complaints are recorded and managed effectively. This ensures full transparency and external scrutiny.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions take place regularly, however, they do not include discussion of children’s risks. Induction for new staff is basic and does not test their competency. Supervisors have not had relevant experience of dealing with practice issues, meaning these are not followed up consistently with staff in supervision sessions. Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 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

ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a) (4)(b)) 1 November 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a supportive and safe environment that meets the needs of children. Specifically, carry out maintenance work to the garden and remove potential hazards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies, in line with the child’s relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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: SC476251 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennise Springett

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Inspector

Hannah Phillips, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC476251 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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