Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Wigan

Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. The home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2023.

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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 outstanding

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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: 25 January 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: 2628010 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of care and standard of care provided to the child are good, and have enabled them to make progress in many areas of their life. The child is happy in the home, saying that the home is ‘amazing’ and that ‘staff really do care and want me to do well’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed strong relationships with the child and help them to manage their feelings. The child receives good support from staff when upset or anxious and has open discussions with them about difficult subjects. Staff manage these discussions sensitively, which has further strengthened relationships and built trust between the child and staff. As a result, the child’s confidence and self-esteem has significantly improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has not attended formal education for some time. The registered manager has been proactive in sourcing suitable education for the child, who has engaged in a life skills course. The registered manager is in regular communication with education professionals to source future provision. In the meantime, staff are supporting the child to engage with informal education in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the child to meet their health and well-being needs. Staff have developed strong relationships with the child’s therapeutic support worker, liaising with them regularly to ensure that they are aware of times when the child may need additional support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An independence plan is in place that supports the child to develop age-appropriate life skills. The child is making good progress in this area. They are meticulous in their personal hygiene and are confident when cooking and baking. Staff have also supported the child to access a range of approved online training to support their ambition to work with children with additional needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and staff regularly seek the child’s wishes, supporting them to articulate these when decisions are being made about their future. As a result, the child is confident that their voice is heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff nurture the child’s relationships with their families and friends. The registered manager has helped the child to re-establish connections with family members in line with their wishes. This has enabled the child to develop supportive relationships that are important to them.

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

Individualised risk assessment plans are in place for the child. These provide an analysis of current and previously experienced risk. The plans document clear and detailed strategies for staff to follow. The registered manager regularly reviews assessments to ensure that these are reflective of the child’s current needs. Staff Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 4 promote positive behaviours with the child through subject-specific direct work and respond well when new risks emerge.

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding procedures and are skilled in preventing incidents from escalating. When incidents have occurred, the registered manager has reviewed staff’s approaches to identify any areas of development. If shortfalls are identified in staff’s practice, the registered manager responds effectively with proportionate actions to promote the child’s safety.

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

The home has clear protocols in place should the child go missing from the home. Staff follow plans consistently, which ensures that the child returns to the home as quickly and safely as possible. Following an increase in the number of missing-from- home incidents, the manager has actively engaged in focused key-work sessions to develop an understanding of the child’s views. The registered manager advocates on behalf of the child and works closely with other professionals to develop an agreed plan that ensures the child’s safety. As a result, incidents of the child going missing from the home have now been reduced.

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

Staff encourage the child to engage in hobbies and interests of their choice. The child goes swimming and to the gym after staff identified that exercise supports their mental well-being.

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

The registered manager has instilled a culture of reinforcing positive behaviours and the use of restorative conversations when concerns arise. This ensures that the child’s achievements are praised while encouraging them to reflect on any negative behaviour to identify alternative responses.

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

The registered manager responds to all allegations effectively and acts swiftly to keep the child safe. Any allegations made by the child are investigated and all relevant professionals are informed. The registered manager ensures that the child is kept updated on any investigations, which assures the child that their view is listened to and valued.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed by a dedicated and inspirational manager who has been in post since June 2023. She has high aspirations for both the child and the staff team and models excellent child-centred practice. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working in the home and say the registered manager has made ‘a massive difference’ to the culture of the home, which is now extremely positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager understands the importance of detailed and insightful quality assurance. She has developed monitoring tools that she uses alongside feedback from children and from other professionals to support development in practice effectively. As a result, she can identify strengths and any areas for development in a timely manner. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 5 The registered manager has excellent relationships with other professionals working with the child. Other professionals are complimentary about the standard of care provided. One social worker credited the child’s progress to the registered manager’s and staff’s personalised and child-centred approach, saying that the child is ‘at the heart of everything they do’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager uses reflective discussions in team meetings and high- quality individual supervision sessions to ensure that the quality of care is strengthened. Reflective conversations consistently focus on the child’s needs and experiences. Appraisals are completed with staff annually. These are contributed to by both staff and the registered manager. However, the views of the child are not included.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff’s development is prioritised by the registered manager, and she has high ambitions for staff’s practice. Staff complete a range of mandatory training, which is up to date. New members of staff benefit from an induction plan that has recently been enhanced by the registered manager to ensure consistently clear and supportive guidance. This has been shared with senior leaders as a good practice model. Staff are encouraged to engage in further training relating to their personal development as well as training specific to the individual child’s needs. Consequently, staff have developed skills that ensure high-quality care is provided to the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager knows the child well and speaks passionately about their progress. The registered manager has supported the child to complete their own detailed plan for the home. This has provided the child with a sense of ownership and confidence that the staff have a good understanding of their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has developed a presentation that encourages the staff team to ‘walk in the child’s shoes’ and reflect on the individual child’s experiences. This was emotive for staff members and, consequently, helped them to acknowledge areas where the child has made considerable progress. This piece of work has been shared with the provider’s other homes as an example of innovative practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should include the views of the children and other professionals when completing appraisals with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2628010 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

Carrie Mayes, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2628010 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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