Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Oldham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 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

This home is operated by a large private company and provides care for up to four children. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in May 2023.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/07/2022 Full Good 15/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children are living in the home, both of whom have lived there for less than a month. The children are settled and happy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, three children have moved out of the home. When children have moved out, staff have actively aided transitions by accompanying the children on visits to their new homes. One child has moved on to semi-independence, and, to support them, staff have maintained contact with them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are not currently in full-time education. The manager has been proactive in sourcing suitable education. There is a plan in place for the children to return to school. In the meantime, staff are supporting children to engage with informal education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that the children’s cultural identity is promoted. Children are supported to maintain religious practices that are important to them. When children’s first language is not English, staff have identified resources to aid communication. This has included the use of translation services. This ensures that children can speak to staff and their views are understood and acted on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s individual health needs are well met. When needed, staff support children to attend appointments, such as dental and optician appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with opportunities to engage in activities inside and outside the home. The children have recently been go-karting. This activity was chosen as children have expressed an interest in cars. Staff support children to speak to the people who are important to them. This helps the children to maintain their relationships with their family and friends.

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

Staff have a good knowledge of safeguarding procedures, which means that they know what to do when concerns arise. Staff have responded well to one child’s self- harming behaviours. Follow-up action has included direct work with the child to discuss their behaviour. Risk assessments, which are kept up to date, provide staff with clear guidance on how to safeguard this child.

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

Staff have the skills and knowledge to support children and to de-escalate situations when needed. This means physical interventions are rarely used. When physical interventions are used, the manager evaluates these incidents to identify any learning on how to better support the children.

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

Appropriate action is taken in response to complaints made by children. This ensures that children feel that their voices are heard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 4 Staff have taken sufficient steps to reduce the risk when children go missing from the home. However, there have been a small number of instances when protocols for children missing from home were not fully followed. Steps have been taken to reduce the likelihood of this being an ongoing issue.

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

The home has clear boundaries and routines in place to help children understand acceptable behaviours. This provides children with safe and predictable care. Praise and rewards are used regularly to promote positive behaviour. Occasionally, consequences are used. These are not always effective in achieving the intended outcome. This is because they have not always been tailored to the individual needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an enthusiastic and committed manager. Several new members of staff have joined the team since the last inspection, which means that the home has enough staff to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have positive experiences of working in the home and say that they feel supported by the manager. Senior leaders work hard to create an inclusive and supportive culture in the home from which children benefit.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place on a regular basis. They are well attended, and staff are engaged in the process. Ideas are shared, specifically when looking to improve the outcomes for children. Staff’s views are valued by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff access regular supervision. Records of supervision show that staff are supported to reflect on their own learning needs. There is evidence of constructive challenge by the management team to address shortfalls in practice. New staff members have been inducted into the home well. A good range of mandatory training and training specific to the needs of the children is available to the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has excellent working relationships with partner agencies. Professionals who are involved with the children currently living in the home are complimentary about the standard of care provided to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and deputy manager carried out a thorough internal case review following the unplanned move of two children from the home. From this, the manager has implemented a more thorough and individualised risk assessment before the current children moved into the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has not challenged one child’s placing authority effectively in relation to the plan for one child to have unsupervised contact with their family. As a result, the manager has not assured themselves that sufficient assessment has been undertaken by the local authority to ensure that the child is safe when they are having unsupervised contact. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 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

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Requirement Due date

promotes their welfare. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, where unsupervised contact is taking place, the registered person should seek clarification of the local authority’s rationale when family members have not been assessed. The registered person should then ensure that any risks can be managed effectively in the home. 7 January 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when children have been missing from home, they are provided with a return to home interview. If this does not occur, they should escalate this with the placing authority. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  The registered person should ensure that any consequences used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that the records of individual medication administered to children include the potential side effects of the medication and action to be taken if necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 6

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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: 2550622 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

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2550622 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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