Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Shropshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 1 SC476292 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

The home is owned by a private company. It provides care for up to five children with emotional and behavioural needs.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a new manager who has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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 good

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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: 12 December 2023

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2023 Full Inadequate 12/07/2022 Full Good 21/04/2021 Full Good 21/01/2020 Interim Not judged Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home. They are settled and have developed trusting and positive relationships with the adults who care for them. Since the previous inspection, one child has moved on from the home and returned to the care of their family. Although this happened sooner than planned, the manager worked together with the child’s placing authority and family to support this. The staff team continued to support the child with daily visits to ensure a positive ending to their time at the home and positive move back to their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Improvements have been made to capture children’s views, wishes and feelings. Children are now part of their care planning meetings and they also contribute to their records. Staff regularly provide opportunities for children to have their say. As a result, children feel valued and listened to by the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress from their starting points in areas such as education and building positive relationships with people who matter to them. The child living at the home attends education full time, having previously had a reduced timetable. In addition, children are supported to build and maintain positive relationships with family members. This has enabled children to enjoy regular overnight stays with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children pursue personal interests and hobbies. For example, one child is now attending a local gymnastics group and a local gym. Children are helped to expand their experiences and build social interactions with peers outside the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand and meet children’s health needs well. The manager has made appropriate referrals to specialist health services when needed. In addition, staff have adapted practices to meet one child’s particular learning need. The child, who is a visual learner, has communication boards in their bedroom and around the house to support them to understand the structure of the day, including planned meals and activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is mostly warm and welcoming. Recently, a sensory space has been created, with the design taking into account children’s ideas. However, the soft furnishings in a child’s bedroom are worn and stained. The home’s back garden is unkempt and does not provide an outdoor space that children can enjoy.

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

Since the last inspection, there have been no significant incidents. The manager and staff have carried out additional direct work with children to support them to understand how to keep themselves safe. The children have responded well to this and have developed their knowledge and understanding with adults they feel safe with. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 4 New risk management plans have been created and children contribute to these plans. They set out clear guidance for staff to follow to support children and manage risk. Steps have been taken to reduce risks. For example, bedroom door alarms are no longer required, and the child now attends community activities and family time without the need for staff supervision. Children are able to develop independence skills in a managed way.

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

Safeguarding practice has improved since the last inspection. Managers and staff have reflected on previous failings to report disclosures made by children of alleged abuse and learned lessons. Additional training has also been arranged. Staff have shown that they can put their learning into practice and new concerns have been reported promptly and responded to appropriately.

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

Staff understand the needs and vulnerabilities of children. They receive guidance from therapists who work for the organisation, to explore children’s backgrounds and needs and learn how this affects their emotions and behaviours. Children also receive good help and support from clinical staff to manage their behaviour and feelings safely.

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

When children push boundaries, staff respond in a firm but nurturing way. The manager has taken action to upskill the staff so that they work together and provide children with consistent care and boundaries.

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

When children receive consequences, the manager has not reviewed the effectiveness of these and ensured that they are restorative. This is a missed opportunity to increase children’s sense of personal responsibility.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s manager is experienced and ambitious for children. She has high expectations of staff to deliver good-quality care to children. In addition, she leads by example and has a clear understanding of the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is a focus of the manager’s improvement plans. As a result, staff now engage in workshops and learning as part of their monthly team meetings. This helps the staff team to explore and expand their understanding of children’s needs and areas of risk, such as child sexual exploitation and criminal exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager escalated concerns to one child’s placing authority when the child decided to return home to their family sooner than planned. This challenge to the placing authority brought professionals from different agencies together to ensure the child received appropriate support while settling back into the care of their family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular good-quality supervision. They also have an annual appraisal. When there are concerns about staff performance, the manager takes appropriate action to address them. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 5 Since the last inspection, some staff have left. However, the manager has been proactive in recruiting new staff. On one occasion, managers failed to identify a gap in a staff member’s employment history. This undermines safer recruitment processes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work together well to provide continuity of care to children. No staff from external agencies have worked at the home recently. Staff are positive about their roles and say they feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has created new monitoring and review systems and is embedding these in practice. This enables her to have effective oversight of the quality of care children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably. (Regulation 6 (1)(b) (2)(b)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring children’s bedrooms are well maintained and furnishings replaced when needed. In addition, ensure that gardens are well kept so that children can enjoy these spaces. 2 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(d)) 12 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 7 In particular, ensure that there is a full employment history for all new staff employed to work at the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(a)(b) (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the effectiveness of consequences used to help manage children’s behaviour is reviewed. 2 June 2024

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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: SC476292 8

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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

Joanne Humphreys, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476292 9 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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