Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 1 SC456942 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 by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 11 October 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2022 Full Good 23/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 3

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inadequate

Serious and widespread shortfalls in the management oversight have had a significant impact on children’s experiences and progress. Consequently, children living in the home have not been appropriately safeguarded.

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inadequate

Two children have lived at the home since the last inspection. One child moved out in a planned way to one of the company’s other children’s homes. One child had recently moved in to the home. However, there are already plans in place for this child to move out of the home as the manager and staff are unable to meet the child’s individual care needs and keep them safe.

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inadequate

Not all children are supported to attend their education settings. For one child, staff have not provided structure to their school day and the child is left to spend time in their bedroom. This does not encourage and support all children to achieve their full potential. However, one previous child did successfully return to school on a full-time basis and made progress.

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inadequate

Staff support children to register with all relevant health services and make appropriate referrals for appointments as required. However, not all children attend their planned appointments. Staff did provide additional support and guidance for one child, who received a diagnosis. This enabled the child to understand the impact that the diagnosis had on their life.

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

Staff are over relying on the police to support and manage one child’s behaviour. Staff have not used other agreed strategies in the child’s plan to reduce the number of times that the police are called out. This places the child at risk of being criminalised. It has also meant that staff have struggled to build a positive relationship with the child.

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

Physical intervention practices are unsafe and do not ensure that restraint is only used as a last resort. For one child, the use of restraint was an agreed strategy if behaviours had escalated significantly and to prevent injury to the child and others. However, previous managers failed to review and monitor the use of restraint to satisfy themselves that it was necessary, proportionate, and safe. Staff also failed to include the duration of the restraints used. These shortfalls had not been identified by leaders and managers. This leaves the child at risk of harm.

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

The home has not been well maintained, and damage to property has not been rectified in a timely way. This has left the environment looking uncared for. Further concerns were identified in the child’s bedroom. This included damage to the Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 4 bedroom walls and wardrobes. This does not promote a nurturing environment for children to thrive in.

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

The interim manager responded appropriately following a significant incident with one child to minimise the risks involved. Staffing levels were increased and a robust risk management plan devised. However, the interim manager then planned to end the child’s placement without working with the placing authority, the child and staff to identify alternate behaviour management strategies. This resulted in the child having to move on from the home. This does not promote stability for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Since the last inspection, there have been several changes in the management team. This has caused instability and poor leadership. There has not been a registered manager in post since December 2022. The interim manager started in post in September 2023.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

New staff have not received an induction or supervision. This affects their understanding of their roles and responsibilities. In addition, staff have not received the appropriate training to support them with the agreed model of behavioural support in children’s plans. This means that staff do not have the skills and knowledge to support children effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have failed to maintain oversight of all incidents of restraint. Consequently, managers cannot be assured that care practices are safe or appropriate. This leaves children at risk of harm and poor staff practice unchallenged. Managers have not obtained feedback from others, including children, when reviewing the quality of care. This is a missed opportunity to make improvements to the quality of care that children receive. Additionally, a revised statement of purpose has not been submitted to Ofsted as required by the children’s homes regulations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The interim manager devised a plan to consider the areas of development required in the home and the improvements required in staff practices. However, the interim manager has not had an opportunity to embed the required changes into practice due to her only being in post for a short period of time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff say that they have not had enough management support or guidance since the previous registered manager left. However, they feel that the interim manager is supportive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 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, 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 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

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 have the experience, 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—

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Requirement Due date

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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(i)(h)) 3 December 2023

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Requirement Due date

*The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider— 3 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 6 is an organisation or a partnership;

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Requirement Due date

does not satisfy regulation 28; or is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (1)(a)(b) (2))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to managers ensuring that they evaluate incidents of restraint and identify issues with staff practice with regards to the use of restraint being necessary and proportionate. 3 December 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

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

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(b)) 3 December 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 7 This relates specifically to staff not relying solely on police involvement to support children in crisis.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 8

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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: SC456942 9

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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

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456942 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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