Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 1 SC457434 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

A private company owns and manages this children’s home.

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties. One child was living at the home during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2022.

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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: 21 September 2022

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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: SC457434 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/09/2022 Full Good 17/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has a positive and secure relationship with the staff. The staff understand the plans for the child. This enables the staff to respond to the child’s needs and support the child in a way that they understand and prefer.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff persevere to ensure that missed health appointments are followed up and the child is supported to attend them. The manager and staff work in partnership with the home’s therapist to support the child’s emotional and mental health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child receives care that is sensitive to their individual identity and circumstances. The manager and staff have supported and enabled the child to understand their own emotions, learn new skills, and develop resilience. This means that the child can be supported to repair and maintain relationships with family and friends, as well as professionals and carers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has not been involved in any formal education, training, or employment since they arrived at the home 18 months ago. The manager and staff have made appropriate referrals and organised visits to a college and alternative providers, without success. This has impacted the child’s educational attainment, which has been a long-term concern that has not been addressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consequences applied to address the child’s behaviour are not always restorative in nature. When the home’s rules and expectations are not adhered to, a ‘car ban’ has been used in response to non-engagement and risk-taking behaviour. This means that the child has missed the opportunity to reflect on and develop skills to manage their own behaviour and understand the consequences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The door alarms are loud and intrusive. The alarms are fitted to each external door for security reasons. These alarms sound in the staff office that is directly adjacent to the child’s bedroom. This has an impact on the child experiencing a homely environment.

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

Children are supported and protected. The manager shares information quickly with appropriate agencies regarding any safeguarding issues. The manager works in line with the home’s policy and statutory guidance. Investigation practices are thorough and timely, and help to promote a safe environment for the child.

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

The child feels safe in the home and will contact staff for support when feeling unsafe in the community. The staff promote open and honest conversations with the child. This means that understanding is enhanced, and staff are aware of any concerns and can support the child to make informed decisions. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 4 The child’s risks are known and understood by the staff. Risk assessments are regularly reviewed and updated. The documents are clear and address the risks and vulnerabilities they are designed for. The staff are familiar with the plans and how to respond to keep the child safe.

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

The staff consult with the child to reduce risk-taking behaviour. The staff use different strategies to reduce conflict and promote personal responsibility. Positive behaviour is promoted constantly and in line with the individual needs of the child. There have been no missing-from-home incidents or physical interventions for over 18 months.

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

The child feels listened to and their wishes acted on. The child can identify members of staff who they have a good relationship with. The child’s views are taken into account regularly in ‘our time’ meetings and natural discussions. The child knows how to make a complaint and feels comfortable doing so. When a complaint has been made, the child has been listened to and action taken.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager and leadership team. The manager ensures that safe recruitment processes are in place. The staff turnover has been high during this inspection period. Some staff have taken up new roles and promotions, or opted for part-time roles. New staff are supported through an induction programme and training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager conducts effective reviews of the home’s reporting and recording systems. The reviews are in-depth and offer a critical view of any shortfalls identified. Actions are listed and priority rated, and completed before the following month where possible. This ensures that there is management oversight of the home’s systems and processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers involve the child in their planning and daily care arrangements. The child’s plans are reflective of the local authority’s care plan, and information is shared across other documents. This ensures that the staff work to plans and procedures that are coherent and individual to the child’s needs and wishes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff receive regular and effective supervision and support. The staff say that they are supported, and have developed both personally and professionally. Discussions are child focused and provide an opportunity to discuss staff’s daily work with the child. This approach has enhanced the staff performance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers did not challenge the placing authority about the child’s future planning. The child was given incorrect information to advise that they would be moving into a foster placement, but this had not been agreed. The child’s social worker acknowledges the message of ‘still looking for a placement’ has been consistent; which has impacted the child’s engagement. Leaders and managers did not escalate their concerns or challenge this narrative, which has affected the child’s progress and sense of stability. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 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, 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 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

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. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, help each child to overcome their individual barriers and make progress within formal education, training or employment. 28 February 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs; 28 February 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 6 if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager and staff must challenge services to ensure that the child has a sense of stability to promote engagement in education, training, or employment.

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Requirement Due date

When information has been requested and not received, the manager must escalate their concerns to ensure that plans have the most-up-to-date information.

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be homely, domestic environments, they must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Any sanctions used to address poor behaviour should be restorative in nature, to help children to recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. In some cases, it will be important for children to make reparation in some form to anyone hurt by their behaviour, and the staff in the home should be skilled to support the child to understand this and carry it out. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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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: SC457434 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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Inspector

Lee Riley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457434 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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