Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Salford

Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 1 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 and managed by a private company. It provides care for two children with social and emotional difficulties. Two children were living in the home and were present during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2020.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/07/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 12/07/2022 Full Good 28/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/08/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Significant shortfalls in management oversight following serious incidents have meant that children have not been sufficiently safeguarded and have suffered harm. This has significantly impacted on children’s experiences and progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not understand the risks that children may experience when they do not take their prescribed medication. One child did not take their medication for two days as they were missing from the home. On the child’s return, they disclosed that they had been misusing substances and alcohol. The staff team responsible for the care of the child failed to seek appropriate medical advice to ensure that the prescribed medication could continue and would not have any adverse effects on the child’s health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager is not proactive in taking action to ensure that the home environment is clean and free from hazards. Children’s bedrooms are not maintained to a high standard and previous requirements about the environment have not been met. The garden areas are overgrown and the windows of the home have not been cleaned. Internal and external doors were key-locked. Action was taken during the inspection to change the locks so that children are not restricted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite the safeguarding shortfalls, some children make progress. One child is preparing to sit their GCSEs and has a place at college to progress towards a career. Another child, who was previously dependent on staff providing a high level of support, has grown in confidence. The child has been out in the community alone to buy their weekly shopping and is now more confident in getting on a bus independently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff respect children’s relationships with family and friends. They support children to develop and maintain relationships with those people who are important to them.

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

The manager and staff do not understand how to meet each child’s needs and keep them safe when they are at risk of harm. The staff do not follow missing-from-home protocols and risk assessments to keep children safe. This is unsafe practice.

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

The manager does not ensure that risk management plans are clear and consistent to enable staff to understand how to minimise risk for children. Managers and staff do not seek appropriate medical attention for children, meaning that their health needs are compromised.

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

The manager failed to submit a complaint after an external agency did not share important information to safeguard a child before the child went missing from the home. In addition, when children are missing, staff are not proactive in searching known Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 4 locations and addresses to ensure that they are found as soon as possible. This is a missed opportunity to prevent delays in locating a child who may be at risk of harm.

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

When a child self-harms, staff react quickly. They ensure that the child receives immediate first aid to treat their injuries and then further medical attention. However, staff do not follow the actions identified in the child’s risk assessment to reduce or prevent further self-harm incidents. This includes conducting a room search and ensuring that regular monitoring checks are conducted to safeguard the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not provide sufficient oversight for serious incidents, including when children go missing from home or self-harm. Risks are not understood by the manager, which means that shortfalls in staff practice are not identified. As a result, staff do not understand risks to the child or the actions they need to take to safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not provide strong leadership or give consistent guidance and direction to staff. Staff are not challenged effectively when there are gaps in their practice, and they do not receive sufficient management support to develop their skills. In addition, staff supervision is not consistently recorded, and some staff do not receive formal supervision. This is a missed opportunity to develop staff practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not taken action to ensure that the previous requirements and recommendations were actioned. As a result, shortfalls remain. For example, there is still broken furniture in the home and carpets are heavily stained. The curtains in one child’s bedroom are damaged. This is the third time this requirement has been issued. This does not show that leaders and managers are taking action to rectify shortfalls in a timely way to improve outcomes for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

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

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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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that staff take effective action to try to locate a child when they are missing from home. This includes going to any addresses or locations where they believe the child could be, and contacting any parents or professionals who they believe might know the child’s whereabouts.

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Requirement Due date

The registered manager must ensure that staff understand a child’s risks and what action they need to take to minimise that risk. Managers and leaders should ensure that staff follow risk assessments so that children are safeguarded. 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 6 The registered manager must ensure that staff seek medical attention for a child when they have disclosed misusing substances and/or have missed prescribed medication for a diagnosed medical condition.

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that regular monitoring and review systems are in place to evaluate staff practice. In particular, where shortfalls are identified, ensure that action is taken.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure risk assessments are clear and consistent, so that staff understand how to respond appropriately to keep children safe. When staff do not follow actions identified, the registered person must ensure this is addressed with staff.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must report any safeguarding concerns about other professionals immediately. 30 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 7 understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that the home is clean and that this is part of the daily routine of the home.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that all staff receive supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: 2594007 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

Sarah Probert, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2594007 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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