Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 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 large national company. It provides care for up to two children with mental health needs who may not be able to live in the community without continued support. The home aims to provide children with a period of stabilisation and assessment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered at the same time the home was registered in June 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a separately registered school on site. Inspectors only inspected the social care provision.

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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: Not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There was one child being cared for at the home at the time of the inspection. Since the home was registered in June 2023, staff have supported one child to move on successfully. This was in line with their care plan and the home’s statement of purpose as an assessment provision. Another child has recently moved in. The manager carefully considers children’s needs and the home’s ability to meet them before progressing with any referral. The planning for children’s introductions is detailed and involves professionals from social care, mental health and education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children said that they felt welcome when they moved into the home. Staff work well in line with children’s plans and communicate well with children’s social workers. Staff provide thoughtful and sensitive care that helps children engage in daily routines. This means that children regularly join staff for meals and benefit from good sleep patterns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and children do lots of fun things together based on children’s likes and interests. This includes staff taking children to music concerts, a high ropes course, sky diving and watching the sunset at the beach. Children’s involvement in activities with staff indicates the positive relationships that staff develop with children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide good support for children to attend and enjoy education. One child achieved 100% school attendance from a starting point of poor attendance before living at the home. Staff use their knowledge of children’s interests to good effect to support children to re-enter an educational environment. This includes involving children in educational activities based on music and arts and crafts. Staff work effectively with their education colleagues from the on-site school to create a shared understanding of children’s strengths and vulnerabilities. This means that children receive a consistent response from all adults and are offered learning opportunities at their pace.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children attend health appointments. They encourage children to have a healthy lifestyle by providing good food and facilitating regular exercise. Staff respond quickly to any deterioration in children’s physical health. All staff have completed training in first aid. However, on one occasion, staff delayed offering pain relief and obtaining medical support because the child declined. The manager identified and addressed the delay quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have access to mental health professionals who are in the same grounds as the home. Mental health and psychological assessments help to inform children’s care plans and risk assessments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with different ways of sharing their views. This includes access to an advocate who visits the home weekly. Children’s views are well represented in meetings during which decisions are made. Staff provide children with lots of Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 3 relevant information about the home soon after they arrive. Many of the documents that children read include a section for them to sign to indicate their agreement. However, many of these documents use formal language and are not child-friendly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated and furnished to a good standard. The environment achieves a balance between the safety of children and providing a comfortable home. The statement of purpose and the planning for children make clear the surveillance and limits on children’s privacy that are needed to keep children safe.

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

The manager has established a detailed location risk assessment that is regularly reviewed. She uses this information effectively when considering new referrals and assessing how the risks of individual children can be managed where the home is located.

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

Children’s plans contain clear information for staff on what local areas to avoid based on the identified risks for each child. Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of the hazards in the local area.

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

Individual risk assessments for children provide staff with detailed guidance on managing children’s behaviour and avoiding conflict. There have been very few incidents requiring the use of restraint. On the two occasions used, the interventions were proportionate. Staff support children to understand their feelings and how they connect with their behaviour. There are good examples of reflective discussions with children following incidents.

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

Staff provide children with high levels of supervision. The manager ensures that the correct legal orders are in place when required. The use of permissive restrictions is regularly reviewed with professionals and the child. Detailed individual risk assessments show that decisions are based on children’s safety. However, risk assessments lack guidance about safer caring practice when staff are to remain in the child’s room throughout the night to maintain direct observations.

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

Children’s mental health, emotional well-being and risk of self-harming behaviours are formally reviewed at weekly multi-disciplinary meetings that children can attend. Children’s progress is collectively assessed to inform decisions on staff supervision levels and enable children to enjoy greater levels of independence.

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

Staff have regular discussions with children about safety. This has helped children to explore what safety means for them and to share concerns, including about social media. Incidents of online bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively.

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

Safer recruitment checks are carried out for new staff. However, there are no written agreements on the conduct or expectations of staff living in another building on the same grounds as the children’s home. Therefore, current arrangements do not adequately manage the potential risks. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The qualified manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Staff report that this established management team has helped them form a cohesive team that enjoys high staff morale. Staff feel well supported and receive regular supervision.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good knowledge of the children’s needs. She is aspirational for children and a good advocate who helps to progress children’s plans. One child said that they feel able to talk to the manager about any worries or complaints.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established positive relationships with professionals and family members. All said that the timely, relevant communication they have with the manager is helpful.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that all staff are working towards relevant qualifications. When new staff have joined the home, their previous experience is considered in terms of transferable skills.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has effective systems for management monitoring. As a result, shortfalls in practice are identified and addressed quickly. Staff training needs are regularly reviewed after incidents and when considering new referrals. The manager arranges additional training to meet children’s specific needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and senior managers undertake regular audits of practice and records. The outcomes of these audits inform the home’s development plan. The staff’s recording is generally clear and detailed. However, duplicate recordings of one incident highlighted some discrepancies. This does not ensure that accurate records are always available to be relied on in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 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 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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

written agreements are in place for staff living in accommodation provided by the registered provider that is located within the same grounds;

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Requirement Due date

risk assessments contain clear guidance for staff in relation to expected practice when remaining in a child’s room to provide observations overnight. 15 December

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that staff have the relevant skills and knowledge to be able to respond to the health needs of children and administer basic first aid and minor illness treatment. This specifically relates to staff offering first aid without delay and following up on children’s need for first aid or medical treatment, even when children decline this. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered provider should ensure that children receive an effective introduction to the home that considers the child’s abilities and capacity to understand and retain information. This specifically relates to ensuring that the information, including agreements given to children to sign when they move into the home, is provided in an accessible format and at a pace that is right for each child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

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Recommendations

standards’, page 57, paragraph 11.8) Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 6  The registered provider should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This specifically relates to ensuring that all records are accurate. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: 2730001 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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Inspectors

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Majella Russell, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2730001 8 regulates and inspects 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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