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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 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 provider of children’s homes. It provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has not been a registered manager in post since 30 September 2022. There is a manager at the home. However, they have not applied to register with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 18 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 2

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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: 2624657 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last full inspection and subsequent monitoring visit, one child has moved into the home. The child benefits from living in a warm and welcoming home environment. The home is decorated to a good standard and the child’s bedroom is personalised to reflect their individuality.

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improvement to be good

The manager and placing authority have worked together to ensure the child had their wishes considered in order to identify the best support for them when moving in. The social worker said the child asked to live in a home on their own, with no other children, as they struggle with relationships.

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improvement to be good

The child is building positive relationships with the staff team. The child said, ‘The staff are ok and helped me when I moved in.’

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improvement to be good

The child has made limited progress from their initial starting point. Staff offer support and guidance and try to engage the child in positive activities. However, they are not provided with structure and not encouraged or challenged to make progress.

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improvement to be good

The child is not receiving education. The manager has robustly challenged other professionals and agencies to secure the child an appropriate placement. However, they are not being offered a clear timetable of alternative learning. In addition, there is no system to monitor and measure the child’s progress. This will limit their achievements and development.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported to see their family. Staff have made efforts to build relationships with people in the child’s life. This helps them understand the child’s personal circumstances and the people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

The child has repeatedly been missing from home, sometimes for multiple nights. Despite clear guidelines for staff to follow in such situations, they have not consistently adhered to the guidance. The manager routinely reviews records to identify issues with staff practice but there was one instance when oversight was limited, placing the child at risk.

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improvement to be good

When the child is missing from home, there is a coordinated response, which includes support from other agencies. However, the number of missing-from-home episodes for this child is escalating. This means that current strategies to reduce risks are not working. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 4 When the child has returned from being missing, or away from home, they have not consistently been offered an opportunity to have an independent return home interview. The manager has requested these opportunities for the child, however, they have not escalated their requests with the local authority. This is a missed opportunity to learn from such events.

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improvement to be good

Individual assessments consider the child’s lived experience and potential triggers for behaviours. The assessments provide guidance for staff and effective risk management strategies. This helps staff decide what action to take to de-escalate situations to protect the child.

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improvement to be good

The child is supported by staff who listen to them. Staff spend quality time with the child in one-to-one sessions. Discussions take place to help the child understand how to stay safe, the importance of managing their emotions and staying in touch with staff when away from the home.

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improvement to be good

Suitable background checks are completed before any staff start work at the home. This ensures that children are not placed at risk from inappropriate adults caring for them.

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good

Leaders and managers say that the staff team is on an improvement journey and further work is required to ensure that children receive a good quality of care.

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good

Staff attend training to improve their skills and personal development, including obtaining the relevant childcare qualification. However, staff have not received training to help them to respond to the child’s specific needs. Staff have researched good practice in support of this child. However, this needs to be strengthened with the relevant training.

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good

Staff say they receive support from leaders and managers. They attend regular team meetings and supervision sessions. This allows them to learn from events that have happened. One staff member said, ‘The manager is great. We get the support we need.’

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good

This home was judged as inadequate at the last full inspection. The manager and staff have taken time to address the shortfalls in practice, However, One requirement is restated. The changes made to practice are in their infancy. They require time to embed, therefore the benefits of these changes cannot be fully assessed at this time. Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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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 presenting risks linked to being missing from home, in line with children’s plans. 1 March 2024

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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)(h)) 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 6 In particular, leaders and managers need to ensure missing- from-home incidents and practice in the home are overseen and evaluated by the manager and that lessons are learned and shared with staff.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person should ensure that staff understand their roles and responsibilities and are consistent in keeping children safe.

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Requirement Due date

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 1 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 7 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.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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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

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible; 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 8 help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that when children are not in formal education, they are provided with an alternative planned routine and structure for learning.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. They should escalate the request for return home interviews when they do not take place. They should also ensure that accurate records are kept in relation to return home interviews. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.3)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate resources to support their training needs, and that the training available meets the needs of the children who may be in their care, including in relation to substance misuse. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: 2624657 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: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Jennifer Quest, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2624657 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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