Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Warrington

Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 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 privately owned. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the visit, two children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is in the process of applying 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

Date of last inspection: 19 January 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2022 Full Inadequate 08/05/2019 Full Good 30/05/2018 Full Good 19/04/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children moved into the home in an emergency due to safeguarding concerns presented in their previous home in the company. The plan is short term, and it is hoped that the children will eventually move back to their original home. The manager ensured that when children moved into the home, a few staff from the previous home moved with them. This means that children have familiar staff who have a good understanding of their needs. Staff are nurturing, child centred, enthusiastic and dedicated. The children are starting to develop trusting relationships with the new staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s communication needs. This enables children to participate in decision-making in their day-to-day lives. Staff support children to make choices around their meals and activities. They have a good understanding of how each child expresses their wants and needs, which ensures that the children’s voices are heard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are being met. This includes working with other health professionals and parents. A specialist disability nurse visits the home each week to give advice to the staff team on how to meet the children’s health and emotional needs. This helps children to manage their lifelong conditions. The manager ensures that arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are developing good relationships with children’s parents. Regular family time is encouraged, and children have planned time with them. In addition, children have regular video calls with people who are important to them. There is frequent communication between staff and the children’s parents. This enables parents to feel fully involved in their children’s lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend school regularly, and school staff have played an integral part in helping children to settle into the home by helping to support them during the summer holidays. The manager is working with education staff to ensure that there is a clear education plan for the children to resume their education in September. However, the manager has not ensured that there is an up-to-date education, health and care plan. This means that the plans in place do not provide the manager and staff with all the relevant and up-to- date information about the children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are given opportunities to take part in activities in the community. These include visiting an inflatable theme park, climbing experiences, and going on day trips to the park, lakes and beach. This helps children to develop their relationships with staff and share positive memories and experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s achievements are celebrated by staff. There are photos of them taking part in activities and certificates displayed around the home. Each child has an individual memory book that is full of photos of the activities they have taken part in since being at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 4

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

Children are safe in the home. Keeping children safe is a priority and is integral to daily practice. Children receive a high level of supervision and support in line with their assessed needs, both in the home and when out in the community. This significantly limits the opportunity for children to be exposed to unnecessary risks. Parents and professionals said that staff keep children safe.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s behaviour and individual vulnerabilities. This helps them to identify when children’s behaviour changes and to spot potential new risks. Staff confidently manage complex and challenging situations and take appropriate action to keep children safe.

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

Risk assessments are detailed and informative and are used to highlight each child’s vulnerabilities and the action staff need to take to protect them from harm. These plans are known and followed by staff and are regularly reviewed.

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged. Children receive help and support to manage their behaviours and emotions safely. Children respond well to this calm and nurturing approach, and physical intervention has not been necessary.

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

There has been one complaint, and this was managed effectively. Staff understand the children’s emotional and communication needs. This allows staff to quickly identify when children are unhappy, and staff communicate with them so that their concerns are addressed.

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

The manager has ensured that the environment has been adapted to meet the needs of the children. All health and safety checks have been carried out, and the home is clean and tidy. However, some of the furniture is broken, which does not feel homely. The manager ensures that safer recruitment checks are carried out. This ensures that only suitable adults are working in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been closed for some time. The manager is child centred, caring and has a good understanding of children’s needs. She has management responsibilities for another home operated by the company. There are good working relationships between the manager and the team leaders. Together, they continue to develop the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has good oversight of the day-to-day running of the home. She has the skills and experience to work with children with learning disabilities and has a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities. She ensures that staff are consistent in supporting children’s plans. Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 5 The manager has ensured that there is a suitable staff team in the home. The staff who moved over with the children share their experiences and knowledge of the children with the rest of the team. There is a clear rota in place to ensure that there are sufficient staff to meet children’s needs. However, it is not clear from the rota when the manager will be in this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are enthusiastic, committed, caring and attentive to each child. They work well together and there is good staff morale. Staff are positive about their roles and the support that they receive from the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a comprehensive training and induction programme in place. However, as the children moved into the home in an emergency, not all staff have the required skills and knowledge to meet their needs, as identified in the statement of purpose. The manager has identified this and is quickly organising training for staff to develop their skills and knowledge. However, there is still outstanding training around learning disabilities that needs to be undertaken by staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions take place within the appropriate timescales to give an opportunity for staff to reflect on their roles and responsibilities and to help identify further training needs. New staff benefit from additional supervision during their probationary period.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are opportunities for staff to share their experience and knowledge during team meetings and daily handovers. This supports consistency of practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 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 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

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

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to 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)(a)(b) (2)(b)(c)(f)(g)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have the skills and experience to support children living in the home and lead a team to deliver consistent high-quality care for children. 28 October 2024

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 28 October 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 7 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

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they have a copy of the child’s most up-to-date education, health and care plan and use this to inform the support given.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that records detailed in regulations 35 to 39 are kept in the home. In particular, the registered manager should ensure that their presence at the home and their working hours are clearly recorded on the staffing rota. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with appropriate furniture. This specifically relates to ensuring that the broken sofa is replaced. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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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: 1225371 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

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1225371 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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