Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in West Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 1 SC456719 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large national provider. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager is registered with Ofsted and was present throughout this inspection.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

p.1

inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

p.1

inadequate

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

p.1

inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 24/05/2022 Full Good 15/09/2021 Full Good 22/05/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Since the last inspection, four children have moved in to the home and three children have left. Two children experienced sudden and unexpected endings to their time at the home due to staff being unable to provide them with safe and effective care. Both the children who were living in the home at the time of this inspection had lived at the home for less than a month.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children’s progress and experiences have been affected by failings in the protection of children and leadership and management of the home. Children have caused damage to the home, and this has not been repaired in a timely way. Numerous windows have been broken and boarded up. Damaged furniture and rubbish have been left around the interior and exterior of the home, and broken glass has not been cleared. This means that children have been living in an unsafe environment, which is not homely or welcoming.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have raised concerns, several times, about damage to their bedrooms, and one child has complained about damp patches on the ceiling. Managers have failed to respond to these concerns or take any action in response. This does not provide assurances that children’s views are heard and responded to. The manager and leaders took action during the inspection to make some urgent repairs to the home, although previous requests from the manager had not been acted on.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are making variable educational attainment. Children’s attendance in education could be improved. One child has recently been excluded from school and it is unclear what their education plan will be moving forward. The children aspire to attend college and have been supported to look at local colleges, but have not yet made an application for a place.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children can engage in activities in the home and local area; however, their participation is sporadic. Due to recent incidents, children are no longer able to go to local shops and now have limited engagement in the community. The home has not considered how to support children to repair these relationships and re-engage in the local area.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children have been supported to remain in contact with their families. One child had started to make friends at school, but these friendships are limited, and children do not spend any regular time with anyone away from the home. Children have good relationships with each other. However, these relationships are not always positive, as they can easily influence each other during incidents.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children moving in to the home have not had positive experiences because the manager has not completed effective care plans and risk assessments prior to children arriving. They have not considered whether the home can meet the needs of the child, or the impact on other children who are already living in the home. This has led to poor Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 4 compatibility assessments of children living together, which have resulted in an increase in incidents and anti-social behaviour.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

One area of the home, where a child would potentially live, is uninhabitable due to damage caused by damp. This area of the home has not been well maintained, and it is currently being used to store broken furniture. There are a child’s belongings strewn about in this area, and this child has recently left. There are no plans as to when and how their belongings will be returned to them.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The children have recently become more settled after a period where there were numerous incidents in the home and the community. Staff have shown resilience and dedication to the children and treat them with care and respect. As a result, they have started to repair and restore their relationships. Children said that they were happy and have positive relationships with staff, who they feel they could talk to if they had any worries or concerns.

p.4

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

When staff have had to resort to physical intervention to manage children’s behaviour, there has been poor management oversight and evaluation of these incidents. Reports do not clearly record what has happened, and the manager is not providing any reflection and learning following incidents. For example, one incident of restraint involving the manager has not had oversight from anyone who is external to the direct management of home. This does not provide assurance that restraint practice is safely and appropriately being overseen and reviewed, and does not provide confidence that children are safe during these incidents.

p.4

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

Staff and children are not receiving regular debriefs following incidents. This prevents children from expressing their views and looking at more-appropriate ways of being supported when they are upset. Staff are not being given opportunities to reflect on their practice and receive support when needed.

p.4

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

Children’s risk assessments and support plans are poor. They are not regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the children’s changing needs and risks. Managers do not consider learning from incidents, which could inform and develop effective strategies to manage and mitigate risk. These assessments do not reflect recent escalation of risk and how best to support children.

p.4

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

Missing-from-care incidents have been well managed. However, children have not consistently been given opportunities to meet with someone who is independent from the home on their return. This prevents children from talking about their reasons for going missing and how they can be supported.

p.4

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

The manager has failed to complete actions identified in the fire risk assessment to reduce fire risks. Several concerns around fire safety were identified during this inspection, including a locked fire escape and furniture blocking a fire exit. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 5 Allegations about staff have been reported to the relevant external safeguarding agencies and appropriate action has been taken. This provides assurances that the manager follows the correct procedures when concerns are raised about staff and their conduct.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager’s ability to provide effective oversight of the home has been hampered because they have been providing support to staff and working on shifts to support staff. Senior managers have failed to provide adequate support and scrutiny to ensure that management tasks have been completed. This means that several shortfalls were identified, and quality assurance systems and processes have been ineffective.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not completed a review of the quality of care being provided to children. This means that children’s experiences and progress have not been evaluated and considered when reviewing the development and improvement of the home. This limits the management’s understanding of how they can effect change to provide more- positive outcomes for children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not have regular or reflective supervision. This prevents staff from having opportunities to reflect on and develop their practice. Staff have felt unsupported by internal teams, such as the clinical and maintenance teams, following an unsettled period. Staff have not been provided with the opportunity to debrief following incidents where they have received injuries, or where they have had to manage behaviours that challenge in the community and involve members of the public. This has impacted on staff well-being.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have access to a range of mandatory and additional training courses; however, most of the staff have not completed the additional training offered. This includes training in essential areas, such as risk assessments, report writing, self-harm, and health and safety matters. This limits staff developing additional knowledge and skills to support their working practices. The manager has failed to appropriately address this with staff, or make their expectations clear around training and development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that the care records of children who have left the home have been stored in a safe and secure way. Several records have been destroyed because of water damage, and managers have failed to take action to remove records from an area where there is likely to be a recurrence. This means that some children in the future will not be able to access their records and there will be a gap in their histories.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Ofsted has taken the decision to place a restriction on the home to prevent any more children moving in. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.6

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. (Regulation 7 (1)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to leaders and managers responding to children’s concerns about their home and taking action in response. 5 July 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

p.6

Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(x)) 5 July 2024

p.6

Requirement Due date

*The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.6

Requirement Due date

that staff— 31 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 7 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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(d))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to children’s risk assessments and support plans containing relevant information, and that the home environment receives essential maintenance, repair, and redecoration in a timely way.

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

p.7

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;

p.7

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)(c)(f)(h)) 31 May 2024

p.7

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.7

Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and 5 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 8 have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to leaders and managers completing effective and robust matching, impact plans, and risk assessments prior to any children moving in to the home to ensure that children’s needs can be met and to consider the impact on other children living in the home.

p.8

Requirement Due date

*The registered person must ensure that—

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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")—

p.8

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

p.8

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate;

p.8

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 (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 31 May 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every six months. (Regulation 45 (1)) 5 July 2024

p.8

Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s case records are stored safely and securely, including records of children who have left the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards April 2014,’ page 62, paragraph 14.3’) Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 9

p.8

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: SC456719 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

p.10

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennise Springett

p.10

Inspectors

Sarah Orriss, Social Care Inspector Chris Haines, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456719 11 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.

p.10

Inspectors

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.11