Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 1 SC480429 Cambian Childcare Limited

p.1

Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

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.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2014. The new manager registered in April 2024.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

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

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home was judged to be inadequate at the last full inspection on 27 and 28 February 2024. Significant shortfalls were identified in several areas.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This visit was carried out to consider the providers progress in meeting the requirements and recommendations raised at the full inspection. No children have moved into the home since the full inspection. Good progress has been made to address the shortfalls identified at the full inspection.

p.1

This monitoring visit

The leadership and management team has now reviewed the service and made positive changes in preparation for a child to move in. Improvements have been made to the quality of risk management plans, health plans and referral documents. They demonstrate the prevention and intervention strategies to be implemented by staff.

p.1

This monitoring visit

Staff have received training in safeguarding practices and allegation management. They have also reviewed and discussed safeguarding policies and procedures. This means that staff can now identify risks to children to support in meeting their needs. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 2 The manager has ensured that the staff team is receiving regular reflective supervision and are attending staff meetings. This means that the staff have the opportunity to reflect on their practice, skills and knowledge. This supports the manager to identify any further training or areas for improvement and development for staff members or as a team.

p.1

This monitoring visit

A full, permanent and experienced staff team now covers the rota in preparation for a child to move into the home. The majority of staff are qualified with two staff due to complete their childcare qualification soon. This means that children who come to live in the home will be cared for by suitably experienced, skilled, and qualified staff, who will provide consistency to the child.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Staff have had their fitness to perform their duties annually appraised. This has supported the manager to assure himself that the staff remain skilled and knowledgeable to meet the needs of the children who may be referred to the service.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The manager and staff now have access to an education co-ordinator who will liaise with relevant professionals to identify and source appropriate education to meet the child’s needs, if they are not in employment, education or training when they move into the home. This means that children will be supported and encouraged to participate in education to meet their full potential and achieve their aspirations.

p.2

This monitoring visit

New systems for monitoring and reviewing the service have been implemented. This has had a positive effect on the running of the home and supports the manager to address any shortfalls in a timely manner.

p.2

This monitoring visit

The home has been redecorated and furnished throughout to a good standard. This makes it a pleasant place for a child to live. The home has now undergone maintenance in the garden areas to ensure that the grounds are safe and free of hazards.

p.2

This monitoring visit

Following the visit, a case review was held. During the visit, eleven requirements raised at the previous inspection were considered, along with five recommendations. Of the eleven requirements, five were considered to be met, along with one recommendation. Six requirements and four recommendations are restated. These will be considered at the next full inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 3

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 27/02/2024 Full Inadequate 10/05/2022 Full Good 30/06/2021 Full Good 17/07/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 4

p.3

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 with the given timescales.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

p.4

Requirement Due date

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

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

p.4

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;

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training, and employment;

p.4

Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

p.4

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;

p.4

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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 5 educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

p.4

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;

p.5

Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities, and resources to support the child’s learning.

p.5

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

p.5

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.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

Requirement Due date

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

p.5

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

p.5

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. 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 6 (Regulation 10 (a)(b) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(c))

p.5

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.

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

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

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

p.6

Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 7 (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(c)(e))

p.6

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.

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

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 8 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h))

p.8

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.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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—

p.8

Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

p.8

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if— 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 9 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;

p.8

Requirement Due date

(Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i))

p.9

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.

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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.9

Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

p.9

Requirement Due date

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

p.9

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.9

Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

p.9

Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate

p.9

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. 19 May 2024 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 10 (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(iv)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

p.9

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 a public holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  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)  The registered person should ensure that the review of premises contains feedback from local safeguarding partners to inform the assessment on the location of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including

p.10

Recommendations

the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)  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)

p.10

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.10

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

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

p.11

Inspector

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC480429 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

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.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12