Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

One child lived in the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has submitted an application 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 4 and 5 January 2024. During the full inspection, inspectors found significant shortfalls in safeguarding practice and the leadership and management of the home. As a result, two compliance notices were issued under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act 2000. These notices related to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard. Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 2 A monitoring visit was completed on 22 February 2024 where it was judged that the provider has demonstrated sufficient improvement to meet the steps of the compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/01/2024 Full Inadequate 21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 26/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The newly appointed manager has worked closely with the child, staff and other professionals to ensure that they can work consistently to meet the child’s needs and prevent any more moves for the child. This demonstrates the manager’s commitment to children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is nicely decorated and furnished. Any maintenance issues are addressed swiftly to maintain a safe and clean environment. The child’s bedroom spans across the top floor of the home and is personalised. There is an area dedicated to photos and trinkets that are important to the child. However, the child is not always supported by staff to keep their room clean.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is not currently attending education. However, the manager ensures that the child is provided with a tutor in the home. The manager reviews the effectiveness of this and advocates for any changes that may be needed to engage the child. Outside of the tutor’s hours, the child has clear and structured plans for education with staff in the home, which focuses on important issues for the child, including safe and healthy relationships and keeping safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have creative ideas around how to engage the child on topics including the child joining a training course with the staff on child sexual exploitation and involving the child’s boyfriend in sessions around healthy and positive relationships Overall, the child engages well with this work and as a result is now much happier to work with professionals that help to keep her safe.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is supported to maintain relationships with their family and staff facilitate this. There are additional considerations regarding the child’s family which the manager has responded to appropriately. She has supported the child through court proceedings and has arranged for additional support for the child that they now know is available should they wish to talk to someone independent.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are well met, and they are up to date with their regular appointments. Any additional health care support that is required is in place provided by and overseen by the relevant professionals.

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

Since the last full inspection, there has been a decrease in the child being reported missing from home, this has increased again more recently. However, staff responses and actions to these incidents are appropriate. They actively look for and try to contact the child and escalate concerns to the police if they arise. The child stays in contact with the staff more now when missing than previously. This shows that the child is becoming more aware of the need to stay in touch and has good relationships with the staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 5 There has been one allegation made by the child since the last inspection, this was managed and investigated appropriately by the manager. The investigation highlighted some staff practice issues with regards to raising concerns. This was appropriately addressed by the manager.

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

There are appropriate restrictions in place to safeguard the child and reduce the risk of them being reported missing from home. For example, the staff will not facilitate lifts or encourage friendships with particular people. However, door alarms are used on the front door and the child’s bedroom 24 hours a day. The manager has not reviewed whether these are necessary and proportionate, and as a result they impact the child’s privacy.

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

Significant incidents involving the child are quickly responded to by the staff to ensure their safety. Information is shared with professionals and the manager holds regular care planning meetings. The child has good relationships with other professionals. This means that the child has the support networks in place to promote their safety.

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

The manager follows robust safer recruitment processes. This means that the risk of unsuitable people working in the home is reduced.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection, and she is currently in the process of registering with Ofsted. The manager has a good oversight of the home, she evaluates incident reports and addresses any issues with staff practice confidently. The manager worked alongside the previous manager to address all the shortfalls in the previous inspection and took the role of manager in February.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has had a positive impact since taking the role and has built good relationships with the child and the staff team which have been contributing factors in the child making progress and feeling more settled.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been one complaint made since the last inspection that was made by a neighbour. The manager responded appropriately to this, addressing it quickly and personally visiting the neighbour to ensure that relationships are not strained.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say the team feels more stable since the manager started and that they receive regular supervision which they say is useful for them. Team meetings are detailed, child focused, and staff make good use of the time that they are together, by also having regular training sessions from the company’s clinical psychologist. Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 6

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Statutory requirement

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 privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to turning off door alarms on the front door and children’s bedroom doors during the day. This also applies to children’s bedroom door alarm during the night when it is not necessary or proportionate to have this switched on. 18 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered manager should ensure that children’s bedrooms are routinely checked and that children are helped and supported to keep these clean. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.20 ) Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 7

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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: 2623004 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

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2623004 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 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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