Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Herefordshire

Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 1 SC457923 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 is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to four children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2020.

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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: 28 February 2023

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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: SC457923 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2023 Full Good 07/03/2022 Full Good 11/06/2019 Full Good 18/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, no children have moved in or out of the home. The children currently living in the home are settled and have lived there between one and three years.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive and meaningful relationships with staff. Children were excited to celebrate pancake day and have fun during the school break. The positive relationships support children to make progress and provide them with stability.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that education is important. All children attend full-time education and extra-curricular activities are encouraged. Staff communicate effectively with children’s teachers and all children are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children explore new activities and develop their interests. One child has recently joined a football club and another has been supported to complete swimming lessons. Another child regularly performs with her school choir. All children enjoyed a holiday to the beach in the summer and enjoy restaurant meals together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care plans and needs are well understood by the manager and staff. However, staff have not consulted with children to understand how they feel about their plans. In addition, children’s set targets are not consistently recorded. This compromises the children’s abilities to reflect on their progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the importance of children maintaining family relationships. They ensure that children see their families in line with their wishes. This helps children to maintain important relationships. One parent shared that communication with staff is good and her son enjoys living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the previous inspection, there have been some improvements to the communal spaces. The kitchen and games room have been repainted. However, some areas of the home are not well maintained. For example, a sofa in the communal lounge was ripped and some internal doors require repair .

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are updated regularly, and strategies are followed by staff. The manager has added a tracking system into the risk assessments and reviews this frequently to consider any changes to children’s risk or behaviours.

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

The use of physical intervention is proportionate and takes place only necessary. The staff record the intervention in line with regulation. However, the manager has failed to evaluate effectively all physical interventions and has not consistently responded to staff concerns raised during their debrief. Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 4 When children make allegations relating to staff in the home, managers take their concerns seriously. Managers work in partnership with children’s social workers and the local authority designated officer and advocate for children when responses could be improved. Managers ensure that children understand the steps that have been taken to promote their safety.

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

Staff use incentives. The home’s reward structure is individualised, and staff regularly praise children. This reinforces positive behaviour. Consequences in the home are appropriate. However, they are not consistently monitored by the manager. This is a missed opportunity to review staff practice.

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

Medication is safely stored and administered. Staff consult with health professionals when additional support is needed. This ensures that the health needs of children are met.

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

Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure that the home is physically safe. The home has a location risk assessment. However, it does not consider all known risks. This is a missed opportunity to reduce risk and to fully review the home’s location.

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

Alarms are used on children’s bedroom doors at night. Managers have not completed an assessment of children’s needs to support the requirement of this measure. As a result, the alarms may be used unnecessarily.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and child focused. The manager has good relationships with the children living in the home, and spends time individually with each child to help her to understand their thoughts and feelings. Children and staff benefit from the manager’s positive leadership.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development. During the inspection, the manager identified steps she would take to improve the quality of care and rectify the shortfalls that had been identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team is stable. Staff are supported by regular supervision, which is an opportunity to reflect on children’s needs. Staff said that they enjoy working in the home and they are supported in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed mandatory training and training that is specific and relevant to the children’s needs. Since the last inspection, the manager has organised therapists to attend team meetings to help staff understand children’s responses to behaviours and how they can best support each child. This helps staff to understand the complex needs of the children in their care. Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 5 The managers and staff have established strong connections with partner agencies. Professionals are positive about the communication from staff and the care provided for children. Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 6

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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 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

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)(b)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that the home and children’s bedrooms are appropriately decorated, maintained and clean. 21 March 2024

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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

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 ensure —

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Requirement Due date

that staff — 21 March 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 7 help each child to prepare for any review of the child’s relevant plans and to make the child’s views, wishes and feelings known for the purposes of that review. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly refers to staff supporting children to understanding their care plans and are helped to prepare for their reviews.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that there are effective systems in place to monitor and respond to the feedback provided by staff and to inform the development of the care provided.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the manager must ensure that consequences given to children are monitored. 21 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment. 21 March 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the review of the location includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph) Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 8

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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: SC457923 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: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC457923 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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