Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in St Helens

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 provider of children’s homes. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, no children were living in the home as they had recently moved out.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 10 March 2021. There has not been a registered manager since 30 September 2022. There is an interim manager in post; however, they have not applied to register with Ofsted.

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This monitoring visit

Ofsted carried out an unannounced visit to monitor compliance notices that were served under Regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and Regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, following the full inspection on the 18 and 19 October 2023.

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This monitoring visit

At the time of this monitoring visit, there was no child living at the home. However, despite the absence of a child, the manager and staff demonstrated adherence to the compliance steps. This includes reflecting on lessons learned from the failings previously identified.

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This monitoring visit

The manager showed a clear understanding of their responsibilities regarding safeguarding and child protection. This is supported by robust safeguarding policies and procedures, ensuring that the necessary measures are ready for implementation once a child moves in.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received appropriate training on safeguarding and are familiar with the child protection policies. Staff have attended recent workshops on effective risk assessment practice to guide them on how to manage children’s behaviours and reduce emerging risks effectively. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 2 Adequate staffing levels are now in place to ensure that appropriate supervision and care will be provided when a child moves in.

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This monitoring visit

The home environment is maintained to a good standard throughout. This includes the child’s bedroom being appropriately furnished, with storage facilities for personal belongings.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have improved monitoring systems, which now include additional scrutiny of environmental issues. There are now more effective systems to identify shortfalls promptly. This has resulted in a number of improvements. These monitoring systems are more likely to ensure that children are kept safe from environmental hazards that could pose risks to them.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have received appropriate training to enhance their skills and knowledge in preparation for supporting children. Continuous professional development opportunities are provided for staff to ensure their ongoing professional growth.

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This monitoring visit

Comprehensive records have been created and maintained. These records include policies, procedures, staff training records, risk assessments and other necessary documentation.

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This monitoring visit

Following this monitoring visit, a case review was held on 7 December 2023, where it was agreed that the actions detailed in the compliance notices had been met. Not all of the requirements set at the previous inspection were reviewed at this visit. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/10/2023 Full Inadequate 14/02/2023 Full Good 12/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 4

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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 with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them 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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iv)(vii)(viii)(c)(i)(ii)) 26 November 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 5 In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children are provided with the necessary items that they need in order to live comfortably and to personalise their bedrooms.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that damage to the home is identified and rectified in a timely way.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; 26 November 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 6 are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff are aware of children’s needs and are skilled to manage behaviours and risks, in line with children’s plans.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

make each child aware of and, if necessary, remind them of each of the matters in sub-paragraph (d)(i) to (iii);

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure, when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document; 22 December 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 7 ensure that an explanation is given to each child as soon as reasonably practicable after the child’s arrival about—

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Requirement Due date

how to make a complaint or representations in relation to the home or the care the child receives and how any such complaint or representations will be dealt with; and

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Requirement Due date

what advocacy support or services are available to the child, how the child may access that support or those services and any entitlement the child may have to independent advocacy provision. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(viii)(b)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children know how to access the complaints procedure and advocacy services.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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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

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)) 22 December 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 8 This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

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

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s case records are up to date and accurate and that documents are signed and dated.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 26 November 2023

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is a record of visitors to the home and the reason for the visits.

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Requirement Due date

Leaders and managers must ensure that a staff rota of actual hours worked is in place.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 26 November 2023

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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. 22 December 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 9 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that a review of the quality of care is completed at least once every six months and that a copy is supplied to Ofsted within 28 days of completion.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 10

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Recommendations

 Leaders and managers should ensure that children who are not participating in education, because they have been excluded or are not on a school role for some other reason, have a clear structured plan to engage in educational activities while waiting to resume education. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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Recommendations

 Leaders and managers should ensure that children are offered a wide range of activities both inside and outside of the home (where appropriate) and are encouraged to participate in those activities. Staff should support children to develop activity plans that consider their interests and leisure activities. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 31, paragraph 6.5)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 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: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Mrs Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2624657 12 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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