Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 1 SC454647 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 and provides care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2016. At the time of this inspection, she was not in day-to-day charge of the home. The registered manager intends to voluntarily cancel her registration. The provider is in the process of recruiting a new registered manager.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: SC454647 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Good 06/10/2021 Full Outstanding 10/09/2019 Full Outstanding 16/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 3

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improvement to be good

Three children live at the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home following a period of being missing. Despite the move being anticipated, the child was unable to say goodbye to the other children or staff and did not receive any mementos of her time at the home.

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improvement to be good

Children’s in-house plans do not contain all the necessary information relevant to their care. Children are not involved in the review of their plans and their plans are not set out in a child-friendly way. This means that children cannot easily understand the plans for their care or the progress that they are making.

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improvement to be good

With the support of staff, children make progress with their health and social and emotional well-being. More recently, there has been a significant improvement in the progress that the children have made. One child told the inspector that they feel able to focus on their goals now that the home is settled.

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improvement to be good

Two children regularly attend school and are making progress. Positively, one child has chosen to spend additional hours at school to support their learning. However, for one child, staff are not providing effective support to help them overcome their barriers to learning or to support them to engage in learning at home when they are not in school. Consequently, the child does not regularly attend school and is not making the progress they could with their education.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the children to spend valuable time with their family and friends. Good relationships between staff and family members have helped one child to be able to progress from supervised time with their family to spending a week away on holiday with them.

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improvement to be good

Some aspects of the physical environment of the home require attention. For example, the home would benefit from a new kitchen and redecoration throughout. Positively, the children have personalised their bedrooms. However, communal spaces in the home lack personalisation and do not provide a welcoming environment.

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improvement to be good

Children have individual behaviour and risk management plans. However, these plans are lengthy, and staff do not always know where to find the information they need. Furthermore, some members of staff lack an understanding in respect of the complexities of exploitation. These shortfalls make it difficult for staff to easily understand the risks to each child and the action needed to mitigate these. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 4 There has been a reduction in incidents following one child moving out of the home. When there have been incidents, managers have not routinely held discussions with the child or staff following the event. In addition, records relating to incidents are not always of good quality. Reports are often left unsigned, and managers do not consistently review the records. This reduces the opportunities for staff to understand, reflect on, and develop practices to enhance children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Following some delay, the children have now started to take appropriate risks for their age and stage of development. However, it is unclear how staff are supporting the children to understand risk, including the risks associated with exploitation, as set out in the development programme for their care.

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improvement to be good

Children are regularly encouraged to share their wishes and feelings through house meetings. Staff routinely ensure that children receive a response to any matters that they raise. Children can also engage in placement plan sessions with staff. However, a lack of focused preparation by staff means that the quality of these sessions varies. This is a missed opportunity to help children contribute to their care and understand the progress that they are making.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to take medication to meet their health needs. However, on some occasions, staff have failed to record when a child has refused to take their medication. There has been a delay for one child receiving dental treatment; however, positively, this has been escalated by the covering manager.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not ensured that actions arising from health and safety and fire risk assessments have been completed in a timely manner. In addition, since the last inspection, managers have not made sure that there is a system to ensure that foodstuffs kept in the home are in date. These shortfalls could compromise children’s welfare.

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good

The registered manager has not been in day-to-day charge of the home since May 2023. The interim manager is suitably experienced and qualified and has demonstrated her ability to implement change in the short time she has been overseeing the home. She is fully aware and accepting of the shortfalls found at this inspection. She plans to work closely with the deputy manager to address the continued shortfalls and the new shortfalls identified.

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good

Staff say that they feel supported despite recent changes in the team. However, until recently, staff have not had the opportunity for regular professional supervision and they have not received an annual appraisal. Consequently, staff do not have plans for their development. This is of particular concern for staff who have been recruited from overseas and may need additional support to help them understand the role and the expectations. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 5 The responsible individual is suitably qualified and experienced and has been supporting the oversight of children’s care in the absence of the registered manager. However, her monitoring systems have not been effective in identifying shortfalls in the quality of care or ensuring the change needed to meet the requirements raised at the last inspection. In addition, the recommendations of the independent visitor have not been responded to, and the review of the quality of care has not been

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good

submitted to the regulator in a timely manner.

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good

The interim manager has a new system to ensure that there is management oversight of all reports and documentation.

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good

Staff are safely recruited. New members of staff receive an induction and undertake online training in key areas. Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(x))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that: all children are supported with their education and helped to overcome barriers; staff demonstrate the effort made to engage children in education and provide learning opportunities for children when they are not in school; staff work closely with the school and improve communication. 3 November 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. 3 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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)(a)(ii)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that: staff help children to understand risk and take steps to keep themselves safe; new staff can identify risk, especially in relation to child sexual exploitation; the home is furnished and maintained to a better standard, ensuring that hazards identified in risk assessments are rectified.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered persona 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.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team and where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experiences, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— 3 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 8 research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that: the registered manager leads by example and creates a positive culture in the home; monitoring systems are effective in monitoring children’s progress and experiences.

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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.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(ii)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that: care plans are current and reflect children’s progress based on objectives; children are involved in the development and review of their plans. 3 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 20 October 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 9 This specifically relates to ensuring that children are administered their medication as prescribed and refusal is recorded.

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the responsible individual has the capacity and skills to support the management team effectively to identify shortfalls and implement change. 20 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that new members of staff demonstrate their knowledge in respect of safeguarding and child sexual exploitation before they complete their probationary period. 31 October 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that staff have regular supervision, an annual appraisal and a clear professional development plan. 3 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which— 3 November 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 10 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that children’s records are up to date, reports are thorough, signed and dated and that staff take accountability for their work.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. (Regulation 45 (1)) 31 December

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment meets children’s needs and is homely, domestic and well maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the home connects with, and is part of, the wider support system for each child so that all their needs can be met. It is crucial that staff in the home work in close partnership with all those who play a role in protecting and caring for the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including quality standards’, page 11, paragraph 2.3)

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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: SC454647 11

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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

Stacie Sharpe, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC454647 12 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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