Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 1 SC359818 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is part of a large organisation that provides care services. The home provides care for up to four children. The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people , taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/03/2023 Full Good 26/05/2021 Full Good 21/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. One of these children has lived in the home for over two years and said that they wanted to stay until they were 18. Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and one child has moved in.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and is generally maintained to a good standard. However, some areas of the home were untidy, and there were items in the garden that were no longer in use. This affects children’s ability to use these areas and detracts from the homely environment. The children take pride in their bedrooms, which are clean and tidy and personalised based on their individual interests.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have formed positive relationships with staff and enjoy spending time with them. When children’s emotional health declines, they are well supported by staff who use a caring and nurturing approach.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are engaged in education. Staff support children to attend when they find this difficult. When children are not in education, staff support them to engage in education at home. This supports their learning and offers them structure and routine. Although progress has been slow, the registered manager liaises with relevant agencies so that suitable school provisions can be identified.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff reward children when they display positive behaviour. They are creative and think of new ways to reward the children. One child recently received an award for their participation in education, and staff supported them to attend a ceremony. This enabled them to celebrate their hard work and improved their self-confidence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to promote children’s relationships with important people in their lives. They listen to children’s wishes and feelings and support children when they wish to see or speak to someone who is important to them. This has contributed to the development of children’s identity and sense of self. Staff supported one child to rebuild their relationship with their family, which has resulted in regular contact with them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children arrive at the home, they are welcomed by staff and the children already living there. The manager carries out the necessary assessments, before children come to live at the home, to ensure that staff can meet their needs.

p.3

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

Children’s risk assessments are regularly updated and include all known risks. Staff know the children well and can identify practical strategies that support them to keep children safe. Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 4 Staff work hard to keep children safe in the home. The registered manager consults with other agencies involved in children’s lives in relation to protecting them from harm. This ensures that children are provided with the right multi-agency support to keep them safe.

p.3

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

The registered manager supported staff to reflect and learn following a serious incident that resulted in a physical intervention and police involvement. Following such incidents, staff work hard to rebuild relationships with children. As a result, the children share positive relationships with staff.

p.4

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

Children have occasionally gone missing from the home. Staff are proactive in searching for children and gathering information about their location. On one occasion, staff maintained contact with the child while they were missing from home, as well as speaking to other relevant agencies. This assisted them in locating the child and bringing them to safety.

p.4

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

When children’s mental health deteriorates, their plans are updated accordingly. This means that staff have a clear understanding of how to support children. Furthermore, the manager and the staff team follow guidance from professionals, which assists them in ensuring children’s safety.

p.4

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

Children are safe when using the internet or social media because there are systems in place to support this. If an incident occurs when children are using social media, staff support the children and educate them about the risks. This practice has led to a reduction in incidents, and children now have better knowledge about internet safety.

p.4

good

Staff receive monthly supervision from the registered manager, when they discuss a range of topics, including staff’s practice with the children. Staff say they find these helpful and that they feel well supported by the manager.

p.4

good

Staff have good-quality relationships with professionals involved in children’s lives. This is cascaded down by the registered manager, who values partnership working. The feedback received from professionals confirms that there is good partnership working in place.

p.4

good

Staff have yearly appraisals. However, staff were unclear about their purpose, and the process lacked structure. Their appraisals do not review staff’s individual development needs and the progress they have made.

p.4

good

The home involves children in fire alarm testing, and new starters receive an induction in order to complete testing and checks. The registered manager Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 5 employed a fire safety officer to complete a fire risk assessment; however, the manager did not ensure that the identified actions had been implemented.

p.4

good

Shortfalls were identified in the handling of some allegations. Four allegations have been made by children since the last inspection. Although immediate action was taken to ensure children’s safety, the manager has not always implemented the recommendations from allegation investigations or ensured that staff do not come into the home when they are under investigation. Although children have not been put at risk of harm, this means that staff are not always supported to improve their practice.

p.5

good

The home’s monitoring systems are ineffective and did not identify the shortfalls found during the inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 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, 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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

p.6

Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any recommendations which are made within the fire risk assessment are actioned promptly. 15 April 2024

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(h))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to improving the effectiveness of monitoring systems within the home. 15 April 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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 15 April 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 7 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.7

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.7

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)(viii)(b)(e))

p.7

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to allegations management and ensuring that the registered manager and staff practice in accordance with the home’s policy.

p.7

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meet the needs of their children and is a homely, domestic environment. Specifically, ensure that the home’s environment, including the outside area of the home, is clean and tidy and free from rubbish. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

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: SC359818 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Joseph Monaghan.

p.8

Inspector

Charlotte Love, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC359818 9 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.

p.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9