Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report children's home: SC480429 1 SC480429 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 operated by a private organisation. The home is registered to care for one child who has social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2014. The registered manager post has been vacant since April 2023. A new interim manager was appointed in November 2023.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, no children were living at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. The care and experiences of children and young people are poor, and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC480429 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2022 Full Good 30/06/2021 Full Good 17/07/2019 Full Good 02/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC480429 3

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inadequate

Children’s experience and progress are limited due to ineffective care planning and significant shortfalls relating to safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home.

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inadequate

One child’s risk taking behaviours were not thoroughly considered prior to the child moving into the home. Additionally, consideration was not given to how the staff team could meet the child’s needs. This led to the child moving on from the home in an unplanned way, creating more disruption to their life and giving them a negative experience of living at the home. However, another child who had previously left the home had a planned move to supported accommodation.

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inadequate

Two children who previously lived at the home were not in education. The manager and staff team do not have a good understanding of the children’s educational needs. Staff do not have access to children’s personal education plans. Staff provide limited opportunities for informal learning and developing children’s independence skills. This does not promote children’s educational outcomes, develop essential skills and children’s aspirations for the future.

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inadequate

One child’s health needs and disclosures of abuse were not understood by the manager or staff. Failure to adequately assess risk around one child’s significant health condition resulted in the child being over medicated with medication. It is unclear whether appropriate medical attention or mental health support was sought for the child to address their self-injurious behaviour and emotional dysregulation. This posed a significant risk to the child’s health.

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inadequate

The staff team encourage and support children to visit family members and to keep in touch with them. This helps children to maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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inadequate

The home has recently undergone a full internal renovation and is now homely and welcoming. It is furnished to a good standard. However, the garden area is unkempt and requires the trees to be cut back.

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

The safety of one child was seriously compromised due to the manager and staff team failing to adequately protect the child. Risk management plans were not kept up to date, did not include all relevant information or give effective strategies for staff to follow to reduce and minimise the child’s risk taking behaviours. Inspection report children's home: SC480429 4 One child has been missing from home on a number of occasions. The child was placed in a high risk area and staff failed to take adequate action to look for the child or follow the child’s missing from home plan. This resulted in the child being missing from home for a number of days. When the child returned, they disclosed that they had been a victim of significant crime and abuse. It is unclear if independent return home interviews took place with the child. This was a missed opportunity to look for triggers to the child’s risk taking behaviours and adapt

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

The clinical team for the organisation and a variety of professionals working with one child shared a number of safety plans and immediate risk management plans with the manager. However, the identified strategies to manage the risks were not followed by the staff team. This placed the child at further risk of significant harm.

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

Managers do not demonstrate that there is a strong and proactive response to managing risk and reducing harm. Leaders, managers, and staff do not take appropriate action to manage allegations in line with the home’s policies and safeguarding practices. This means that one child was left vulnerable and their safety and wellbeing were compromised.

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

One physical intervention record and five consequences given to a child were not completed in line with regulation. The members of staff and the child involved were not spoken to following the incident. This was a missed opportunity for the manager and staff to reflect on their practice and look for alternative ways of managing incidents in the future.

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

Managers and staff do not routinely speak to children about their risk taking behaviours and support children to understand how to keep themselves safe. Consequently, children are unable to identify potential risks to themselves and the risks they pose to others.

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

Staff have received training in recognising abuse and managing risks. However, have failed on numerous occasions to put their learning into practice. This has compromised safeguarding practice and meant that children have remained at risk of harm.

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

The manager has completed a review of the premises and deemed the local area to be high risk for exploitation. However, inaccurate information was included in the report and the manager failed to gain feedback from local safeguarding partners such as the police and the local authority to inform the review. This means that the review of premises report does not provide the manager and staff with relevant information to enable them to keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers from the organisation have supported the child and staff team since April 2023. The leadership and management arrangements at the home are ineffective. Inspection report children's home: SC480429 5 However, a new manager who has applied to register with Ofsted and an experienced staff team are now in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On numerous occasions a variety of bank and agency staff have worked at the home. This has led to inconsistency in care practices, dysregulation in the staff team and a lack of consistency for children. Record keeping of staff rosters, admissions and discharges to the home and fire drills are not up to date and/or include incorrect information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager and staff receive regular supervision. However, many issues raised in supervision are left unresolved and demonstrate that staff do not receive adequate support. Staff have not had their performance appraised annually. This means that staff practice is assessed or evaluated by leaders and managers and leaves staff feeling unsupported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in the management oversight of incidents and poor staff practice leave children inadequately cared for. Ineffective monitoring systems do not ensure that shortfalls in staff practice are identified and addressed to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The managers and staff do not routinely use research to inform their practice or seek feedback from children, professionals or family members about the care children receive in order to inform planning and improve practice. The children’s guide contains inaccurate information about the children’s commissioner. This means that children living in the home are not informed how to raise a concern, share their views or have their rights promoted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager failed to notify Ofsted of all significant events in the Home in a timely manner. This prevents the regulator from overseeing the home effectively to ensure that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not managed the home in a manner that is consistent with the aims outlined in the statement of purpose or policies and procedures. An updated statement of purpose and quality of care review have not been sent to HMCI as required. This means the regulator is unable to scrutinise effectively the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A complaint made by a parent was not adequately addressed or recorded. It is unclear if the outcome was shared with the complainant. This was a missed opportunity to address concerns, develop the service and take into consideration the complainants views. Inspection report children's home: SC480429 6 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 7

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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 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— ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

that the care is approved, and kept under review throughout its duration, by the placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the care is delivered by a person who—

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Requirement Due date

has the experience, knowledge, and skills to deliver that care. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) 2(b)(ii) (c)(i)(ii) (3)(a)(b)(c)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that the garden is clean, tidy, free from hazards and the trees are cut back. Also, that the staff have the required 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 8 skills, experience, and training to meet the needs of children in their care and that this is kept under review.

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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

that staff— 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;

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Requirement Due date

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; 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 9 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

This specifically relates to ensuring that children are accessing education, employment, or training. Opportunities are given to the children to develop their independence skills and learn informally and staff have access to relevant plans such as; personal education plans.

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment, and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to ensuring that children have access to health services to meet their identified needs. Actions that are identified in the looked after child health review to be addressed in a timely manner. 7 April 2024

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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

that staff— 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 10 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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(e)) Requirement restated.

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Requirement Due date

The specifically relates to ensuring that risk management plans are updated regularly with effective strategies to minimise and reduce risk. Staff to understand and follow the risk management plans, safeguarding and child protection policies and the review of premises is considered when a new child moves into the home.

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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. 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 11 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that a consistent staff team work well together, are suitably skilled and have relevant experience to provide effectively planned care for children. To ensure that research and feedback is gathered to inform care planning and the development of the service and there are robust reviewing and monitoring systems in place.

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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. 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 12 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

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; that arrangements are in place to—

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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 the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children only move into the home whose needs can be met. They have an induction to the home and their care is kept under regular review if risk taking behaviours escalate. To ensure that children receive a planned move on from the home taking into consideration their needs.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI.

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (2)(b)) 7 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular— 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 13 provides for the suspension from work of an employee if necessary, in the interests of the safety or welfare of children; and

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of this regulation, “the appropriate person” is the registered person, an officer of HMCI, an officer of the local authority in whose area the home is located or a police officer.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (2)(a)(b) (3) (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and 7 April 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC480429 14 has signed the record to confirm it is accurate

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that records are maintained and up to date in relation to children moving in and out of the home, each person working at the home and the hours worked and that regular fire drills are conducted and recorded. 7 April 2024

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must establish a procedure for considering complaints made by or on behalf of children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (1) (3)) 7 April 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the correct Children’s Commissioner details are recorded in the children’s guide. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the regulator. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on Inspection report children's home: SC480429 15 a public holiday. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards', page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the review of premises contains the correct information and feedback is gathered from local safeguarding partners to inform the assessment on the location of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they send a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed to HMCI. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.3)

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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 children's home: SC480429 16

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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

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC480429 17 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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