Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Bolton

Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 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

The home is owned and operated by a private provider. It offers care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this 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 18 August 2023.

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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: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/04/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/01/2023 Full Inadequate 28/03/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 15/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last full inspection, two children have left the home and two have moved in. On the day of this inspection, two children were living at the home. Both children were spoken to by the inspector.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from structure and routine. They receive care from staff who understand their adverse childhood experiences and their need to receive predictable care. This helps children to develop trusting relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can remain in contact with people who are important to them. Leaders, managers, and staff work in partnership with professionals to ensure that family time is a positive experience for everyone involved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported and encouraged to develop their hobbies and interests. Staff are keen to learn about activities that children enjoy, and they participate in these with them. This helps to build children’s self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational achievements are prioritised by leaders, managers, and staff. Due of this, children make progress academically. For example, with staff’s support and encouragement, one child’s school attendance has improved. A professional said, ‘[Name of child] had a significant amount of time out of education before they moved to the home. Staff were able to promote [name of child]’s education, resulting in improved attendance.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn about healthy and safe relationships. Staff help children to access support and advice from health professionals to address concerns around their sexual health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Care planning arrangements for children are good. Leaders and managers consider the capacity of the staff team to meet the needs of children moving into the home. They work closely with other professionals, such as teaching staff and social workers, to ensure that children’s anxieties around moving to a new environment are reduced. For example, leaders, managers, and staff have supported children to remain in their previous school, despite the considerable distance from the home.

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

Children say that they feel safe and can identify a trusted adult who they can confide in if they are worried. Professionals and family members commended the team of staff for the safe environment they provide. A family member commented, ‘I used to worry about them but now I don’t. I know they are safe.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 4 The culture in the home focuses on protecting children from harm. Safety plans alert staff to children’s vulnerabilities and what action staff can take to safeguard them. Staff speak confidently about children’s risks and how to manage these. In addition, leaders and managers ensure that staff have access to training that focuses on keeping children safe.

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

Staff educate children about the dangers of behaviours that are harmful, such as substance misuse. They talk to children about these risks and help them to access services to support their abstinence from alcohol and drugs. However, following a child’s disclosure of self-harm, staff missed an opportunity to carry out some meaningful key work with the child to reduce the risk of further incidents.

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

Staff actively search for children when they go missing from the home. They meet with safeguarding professionals to consider measures they can take to facilitate children returning to the home quickly. Furthermore, when children frequently go missing from the home, leaders and managers work closely with partners to identify strategies to prevent incidents occurring.

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

Restraint incidents are rare. There has been one incident of restraint during the inspection period. Records demonstrate that leaders and managers ensure that debriefs with children and staff take place to support best practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is child focused. Her desire is for children to live in a nurturing environment where they feel safe and happy and can achieve good outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager understands the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Monitoring tools are used to track the quality-of-care children receive to ensure that any shortfalls are quickly identified and addressed. However, records do not demonstrate that leaders and managers always challenge poor practice. For example, leaders and managers did not raise their concerns with staff around their approach to children. This means that inappropriate practice may be repeated.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe leaders and managers as ‘supportive.’ They are confident in the manager’s ability to lead the team. Staffing arrangements provide a stable support structure for staff and continuity of care for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff regularly receive practice-related supervision. Records show that leaders and managers do not always use these meetings to reflect on staff practice as a method of helping them to learn and develop.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have completed mandatory training in accordance with the home’s policies and procedures. Leaders and managers provide training in response to children’s needs. They work closely with the home’s therapist to ensure that staff care for children in a trauma- informed way. Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that supervision is reflective and supports staff to critically reflect on their care of the children in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that children understand the risks associated with self-harm and are supported to develop coping strategies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 35, paragraph 7.18)  The registered person should ensure that, in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose, leaders, managers and staff take an approach to behaviour management that treats children with respect and with unconditional positive regard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 52, paragraph 10.4)

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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: 1156098 6

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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

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1156098 7 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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