Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 1 SC483846 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

The home is privately owned. It provides care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

A new manager has been appointed but is not yet registered with Ofsted.

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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: 7 September 2023

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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: SC483846 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/09/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Inadequate 26/04/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 25/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four children have lived at the home. During this inspection, three children were living in the home. One child left the home in April 2024 in an unplanned way, with little consultation and preparation for the child, staff and other children living in the home.

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improvement to be good

The children currently living in the home have trusting and positive relationships with staff. Throughout the inspection, warm and nurturing relationships were observed between the children and staff. Children were easily able to identify staff who they can talk to with ease. One child said of a member of staff, ‘She is like a big sister. I can talk to her.’

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to have time with their family. This is done in line with their individual plans. When there have been concerns around family-time arrangements, leaders and managers have not been proactive to work alongside the placing authority to address these issues and review the plan to ensure the child’s best interests, safety and welfare.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to access routine medical appointments and health professionals when needed, such as child and adolescent mental health services and other specialist health care providers, in line with the child’s presenting needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to attend school and access education. One child has recently completed their exams and was appropriately rewarded for their commitment to studying and attending school each day. Children who have blended timetables are supported by staff to learn at home on specific days. One child shared in the inspection written work they had completed about the solar system.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to take part in a range of activities, such as gaming events, kickboxing, football, arts and crafts and trips to the beach. One child recently attended their school prom, and staff supported the child to have their hair and make-up professionally done for the event.

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improvement to be good

The children’s home environment is welcoming. Children are comfortable in their surroundings. One child’s bedroom was personalised with football posters, and another child said that they like their bedroom a lot because it is a big space. Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 4

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improvement to be good

When children have been missing from home, staff know how to respond and take the necessary actions to locate children, and they report them missing from home to the police without delay. Management oversight of these incidents is placed in tracking packs and includes debriefs with children. However, children do not have the opportunity to discuss these incidents with someone independent to the home.

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improvement to be good

There have been two incidents of self-harm that have occurred when a child with specific medical needs has had access to their medication due to staff not being vigilant and taking the appropriate steps to store and administer the medication in line with the child’s plan.

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improvement to be good

When children have made allegations, leaders and managers share the concerns with appropriate agencies, including the local authority designated officer, in accordance with statutory guidance. This ensures that children are supported and safeguarded.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management in the home is inconsistent. Staff are not always confident in managing conflicting relationships. This has led to incidents of bullying among the children and left them feeling vulnerable and unsafe. Conflict resolution has been tried with children, but when this is rejected by children, limited attempts have been made by leaders and managers to explore the reasons why. Meaningful direct work sessions have not been completed with children about the emotional impact bullying can have on others.

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improvement to be good

Planned work sessions with children have not frequently taken place for the last two months. This is a missed opportunity to have discussions with children about a range of topics that have significance in their lives, as well as supporting children to take risks appropriate to their age and understanding and helping children explore what to do when things do not go as planned.

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

The current manager has applied to be registered with Ofsted. Since the last inspection, she has implemented some changes in the home. However, general monitoring of the home is limited. Lack of management oversight has resulted in low morale for some staff, who do not always feel supported.

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

Supervision takes place with staff, but the frequency is not in line with the supervision policy and procedure. Leaders and managers accept that there are gaps in the quality and frequency of staff supervision.

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

The quality of written records is varied. Some records are clearly written and are evaluative. Other documents lack attention to detail and do not provide a full account of what has taken place. Management oversight of these records is inconsistent and lacks critical analysis. Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 5 Leaders and managers have not been proactive in escalating concerns with a child’s placing authority regarding the child’s care plan not being received. This means staff are not working in line with the local authority plan for the child.

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

The responsible individual and the deputy manager are in the process of assessing the home’s strengths and weaknesses and the quality of care. Reflections on lessons learned in relation to children moving out of the home have also taken place. Plans are currently being implemented to improve internal processes related to management oversight and how relationships with placing local authorities can be strengthened. Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 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 registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicines kept in the home are stored in a secure place so as to prevent any child from having unsupervised access to them;

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all medication is stored, administered and appropriately supervised by adults and that a full and accurate record is kept. 26 August 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

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Requirement Due date

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

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 7 understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(xi)(xii)(xiii)

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that children are prepared to move into the home or move on from the home in a way that is conducive to their specific needs. 26 August 2024

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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— 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 8 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

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

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)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must have suitable oversight of records and significant events and must use monitoring and review systems to make necessary improvements.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person should take action to challenge the placing authority when children’s plans have not been received.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 26 August 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person must ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraphs 9.30)

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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: SC483846 9

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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

Michelle Greenhalgh, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC483846 10 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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