Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Durham

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 1 SC457573 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 owned and managed by a private provider. It provides care for up to three children with emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home. The inspectors spoke with both children.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2023 Full Good 20/09/2022 Full Inadequate 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 20/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 3

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improvement to be good

When a new child is due to move into the home, the manager does not consider the needs of the new child and the existing children to see if they can live safely and harmoniously together. This includes the manager not considering if the staff have the suitable skills and knowledge to support the child effectively. Consequently, there is a lack of guidance for staff to help them support all the children. This resulted in one child moving into the home for a period of assessment, but this child had to move out early after only a month. The child did not have a good experience of leaving the home and this adversely impacted on the child’s relationships with some of the staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to participate in activities outside of the home. However, this is inconsistent, with staff supporting some children better than others. This impacts on all the children’s ability to fully participate and engage in the local community.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time with their families, friends and those who are important to them. However, the staff team does not always have information about these people. Without this, staff cannot help children to understand their identity and culture. Additionally, this prevents the manager from knowing that these adults are safe to see the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not consistently support children to have an input into their plans or to access the information held about them. This prevents the children from having a view about their care arrangements and from understanding the reason that staff make these records. Furthermore, the language in some of these documents is not written in a way that is useful for children, especially if children choose to access these.

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improvement to be good

The staff and manager do not escalate their concerns if others are not working in the children’s best interests. This includes not receiving all the children’s important documents, such as care plans and pathway plans. One child has experienced significant delay in accessing important legal documents such as their birth certificate and National Insurance number. This has prevented the child from applying for employment.

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improvement to be good

Staff provide a scrapbook of memories to children when they leave the home. However, the children do not have easy access to photos or memorabilia while they are living at the home. This prevents the children from having an accessible record of important events to reflect on, such as birthday celebrations.

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improvement to be good

The home has benefited from recently being redecorated, although the home is not personalised with photos or children’s artwork. This prevents the home from having a welcoming and homely feel. Children’s requests to furnish the open-plan Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 4 conservatory have also not been acted on. This means that this part of the living room is not utilised. Additionally, children do not have a designated space to be able to spend time quietly where they can study. This prevents children from accessing learning with minimal distractions.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to make good progress with their education. One child, who did not attend school prior to moving into the home, is now in attendance and is sitting their GCSEs. Staff are also supporting this child to access further education. This helps to improve children’s life opportunities and helps them to contribute positively to their community.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported by staff to attend routine health appointments. Staff also support children well on important issues such as their diet, and their mental and sexual health. Staff also seek external support. This helps to improve children’s well- being and helps children to understand that the staff care about them.

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improvement to be good

Children’s risk assessments do not include all known risks. These documents do not provide the staff with clear guidance or effective strategies on how they can help to keep the children safer. Consequently, there is in an inconsistent approach by the staff when providing care to the children. This contributes to the children feeling confused about boundaries in the home and leaves the children feeling that some are favoured more than others. It has also resulted in staff unnecessarily using the police to manage children’s behaviour. This could lead to the criminalisation of the children.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff do not have strategies in place to monitor the electronic devices of those children who are known to be at risk of exploitation. This prevents the manager from being satisfied that children are not being exploited.

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improvement to be good

The staff do not consistently take immediate action when a child may be at risk of harm in the home, for example when there is a fire alarm. This means children do not feel well supported and this inaction places them at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

The staff implement consequences, but these are not always effective, and the manager does not support staff to use alternative strategies. This prevents staff from helping the children to improve their behaviour and understand the impact their behaviour has on others.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff do not follow the complaints procedures when a child makes an informal complaint. The manager does not always give children an acceptable response to their concern, resulting in the children not feeling listened to.

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improvement to be good

Staff educate children about the risks associated with smoking cigarettes, and drug and alcohol misuse. This supports children to make informed decisions and has resulted in drug misuse reducing for one child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 5 Physical interventions are rarely used. Children are guided by staff rather than held. However, management oversight of one record was significantly delayed. This prevents the manager from knowing in a timely manner that staff have acted safely and appropriately.

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improvement to be good

The frequency of children going missing from the home has reduced. Staff follow the procedures well. The staff support one child particularly well with understanding the risks associated when they are absent from the home. This has resulted in them choosing to return home more often.

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improvement to be good

The manager investigates concerns about staff conduct. This includes following the processes in a timely manner. The manager informs the relevant professionals and safeguarding bodies. This helps to improve children’s safety.

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good

The manager does not have effective reviewing and monitoring systems. This means the manager has not identified the shortfalls found during the inspection. For example, the staff do not always keep effective records of significant events that happen in the home. This prevents the manager from being satisfied that staff have taken the correct action to help to keep children safe.

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good

The manager cares about the children in her care. However, she has prioritised the needs of some children more than others. This has had a detrimental impact on some of the children living in the home.

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good

The manager does not follow the provider’s supervision policy. This prevents the staff, particularly those in their induction period, from receiving the necessary level of support required. Additionally, staff do not have the training and support to understand how a child’s experience of abuse or neglect can impact on their presenting behaviours, and how staff can best support children.

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good

There has been a period of insufficient staffing that resulted in the manager supporting staff to care for the children. This prevented her from prioritising some of her managerial tasks. A staff team has now been recruited with staff developing their skills in caring for the children.

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good

The manager does not always inform and update the regulator of significant events. This prevents Ofsted from being satisfied that the manager has taken the required steps to help to safeguard children.

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good

There have been a number of different independent visitors who go to the home monthly. The quality of their reports varies, but these visitors have identified shortfalls. However, the manager has not consistently taken steps to address these shortfalls. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 6

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person 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 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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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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

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)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b)) 1 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(d)(f))

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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 involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

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 (a)(b)(c)) 1 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 8 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

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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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

help each child to understand and manage the impact of any experience of abuse or neglect;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult; and

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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. In particular, there should be a quiet area where children can study without the interruption caused by others. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

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; 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 9 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 10 ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there; or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)(c)(e) (5)(a)(iii)) 1 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 11

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s record of significant events includes a clear description of the action taken and the outcome of any resulting investigation. In particular, the registered person should ensure that the staff keep accurate records of incidents, which reflect all actions taken by the staff prior to and after an incident has occurred. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.14)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including

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Recommendations

the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the children are encouraged by the staff to see the home’s records as ‘living documents’, supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  The registered person should ensure that staff keep and encourage children to keep appropriate memorabilia of the time spent living at the home and help them record significant life events. In particular, the registered person should support the staff to regularly document the children’s experience of living in the home, and consider how this may contribute to children’s life stories. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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: SC457573 12

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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

Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Jess Elliott, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457573 13 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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Inspectors

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