Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large national provider of children’s homes. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since February 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 30 January 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/02/2023 Full Good 12/01/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved to the home and one child has left. The manager has worked well with the respective placing authorities to ensure that these moves were well planned. This allowed children’s wishes to be considered and helped to identify the best support for them. One child has been well supported with their planned move to adult services. The pathway adviser for the child said that the manager has carried out the most intense work they have ever seen with a care leaver.

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improvement to be good

The manager and staff care about the children and want them to do well. Good relationships have been formed with some of the staff. One child told their social worker, ‘I give it a score of nine out of 10. I like the home and the staff, and it doesn’t feel like a children’s home.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s care plans reflect the aims and objectives of the placing authority. Staff do their best to ensure that they provide care in line with these plans. Children are supported to attend their meetings and give their views and wishes. The manager and staff carry out regular one-to-one support discussions with children in line with their plans or following any concerns.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff know the children’s strengths and vulnerabilities. However, staff are not always provided with clear guidance and strategies to manage risks and behaviours. This limits their ability to respond effectively to children’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to see their families and maintain relationships that are important to them. The manager and staff have a good understanding of the importance of maintaining familial bonds.

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improvement to be good

When children are not in formal education, the manager challenges other agencies to secure an appropriate placement. However, this is not always followed up in a timely manner. A timetable for home learning has been formulated, but this is not always followed. Due to a lack of daily structure, there is no consistent routine for the children throughout the day. This limits children’s achievements and development.

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improvement to be good

The home is warm and comfortable. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms. Improvements have been made to the home. However, there are still some areas requiring maintenance, and repair work is ongoing.

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improvement to be good

Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 4 Children receive support from a consistent staff team. When bank staff are used, children already know them. Managers usually recruit staff safely. However, one staff member has changed their name several times and the reasons have not been explored.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff work with relevant professionals regarding children’s health. Staff try to manage health needs in line with children’s plans. When children refuse intervention or medication, this is clearly recorded. Where treatment has been required after accidents, this has been accessed in a timely manner and advice sought from health professionals.

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improvement to be good

Children know how to make complaints. Consequences are used appropriately, and the manager has oversight of these. Staff are effective in supporting children to regulate their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are responded to appropriately by managers and staff. Incidents are documented clearly, and the manager has oversight of these. Planned discussions take place which allow children to reflect and learn. However, the manager did not inform Ofsted that there had been a fire. This reduces the oversight of the regulator.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a suitably qualified and experienced manager leading this home. She has a thorough knowledge of the children’s individual needs. External professionals said that the manager communicates well and robustly advocates for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings are held regularly and are used as a forum for learning. Staff can contribute to the meetings. Staff receive regular supervision, which is an opportunity for them to reflect on their performance and practice. However, issues raised by staff in meetings and supervision sessions are not always followed up by the manager. This means that opportunities to improve outcomes for children are missed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff feel supported by the manager and the responsible individual. They attend a wide range of training. However, training that is relevant to the needs of individual children is not always identified in a timely fashion. This means that staff do not always have the skills and knowledge to care for children with specific needs, including learning disabilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are knowledgeable in how to raise safeguarding concerns in the organisation. However, not all staff have a thorough understanding of how to escalate concerns of professional abuse externally to the local authority designated officer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have taken action to address the shortfalls identified at the last full inspection. Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 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

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

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff have clear guidance on how to manage risks and behaviours effectively.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are aware of the role of the local authority designated officer. 26 July 2024

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 26 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 6 support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff are consistently proactive in supporting children to achieve the aims in their education plans.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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; 26 July 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 7 demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; 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)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and knowledge to meet the needs of each child, including those with learning disabilities.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that the team works consistently to implement structure and routines for children. When staff raise difficulties regarding this, the manager must explore alternatives.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 26 July 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that safer recruitment practices are followed. When a staff member’s name is changed, the reason for this should be explored. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: 2618541 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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Inspectors

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Sylvia Eboigbe, Regional Inspection Manager Inspection report for children’s home: 2618541 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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