Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Middlesbrough

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 1 SC465079

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Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for one child, who may have social, emotional, or mental health difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The suitably qualified manager was registered with Ofsted in February 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

This home had no children living in it from May 2021 until February 2024.

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Inspection date: 14 March 2024

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2020

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Inspection date: 14 March 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspections, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The child is settling into the home with the support of a consistent group of staff. Their interactions with the child are warm and nurturing and the child is beginning to trust them.

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Findings from the inspection

The child’s health needs are being promoted. The child has received the required dental care due to the help and support provided by staff. This is a significant outcome for this child, who had been very worried about such treatment.

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Findings from the inspection

The child enjoys a very wide range of activities, including visits to museums. Staff work hard to ensure that daily outings are stimulating and meaningful. These activities are supporting the development of positive relationships with staff, as well as providing much needed structure to the day. This is positive for the child, who is not yet in school.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use trauma-informed practice with the child. However, this approach is not yet embedded in practice. Written material contains language that is not trauma informed. This does not help staff to be consistent in their interactions with the child, whose progress is mixed.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff follow individualised plans to safeguard the child. High levels of supervision by staff who know the child well, are helping the child to feel safe and to be safer.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff use bespoke support plans to support the child’s behaviour. This advice does not always provide the help that staff need. Despite this, guidance has not been reviewed, to provide staff with improved support. This means that staff resort to reacting to incidents, which then become difficult for everyone.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff do not routinely physically intervene to help manage the child’s behaviour. When this is required to keep the child safe, staff use minimum pressure for the shortest period to be effective. Staff spend time with the child following such events. This reassures the child and helps to maintain their relationship with staff.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager is supportive of her staff team. She is readily available and makes time to answer queries and to provide advice. Staff are confident in her abilities, which is reassuring and helps them to develop their own skills. The registered manager models positive practice with the child, so that newer members of staff can learn from her skills and approach.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager knows the staff team and their individual capabilities. Although the staff team is new, they work well together under her leadership. Staff have training to help them to understand and meet the child's needs. Some Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 3 knowledge is still to be embedded within the team to ensure consistency, but further training is already in place.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager knows the child well and advocates on their behalf. This is effective and means that emotional and educational support is being arranged in line with the child’s needs. The registered manager has excellent links with local services, which is helping to ensure that the required support is in place.

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Findings from the inspection

The registered manager’s monitoring of the home is not consistently effective. Although she reviews all documentation, she does not provide staff with required additional guidance. She does not always evaluate patterns of behaviour and ensure that the child’s plans are revised accordingly. This means that staff continue with responses that are unlikely to work.

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Findings from the inspection

Requirements made at a monitoring visit in January 2021 are restated at this inspection, as there has been no previous opportunity to evaluate the provider’s progress against those shortfalls. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Full Good 06/03/2019 Full Good 06/12/2017 Full Good 23/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 5

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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, 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.

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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

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

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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

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; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is re-stated from the last inspection, as there have been no children in the home until recently. 14 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and 14 June 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 6 positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children; and

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ix)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement is re-stated from the last inspection, as there have been no children in the home until recently.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff provide care in line with the identified needs of the child, including when assessments indicate that therapeutic care is required. When staff need help to understand how to provide this care consistently, they should be provided with effective support to do so. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.15) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 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

Jane Titley, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC465079 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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