Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Torbay

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 1 SC457318 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care for two children who may have social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities. At the time of this inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/03/2024 Full Good 28/02/2023 Full Good 17/08/2021 Full Good 17/12/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have built trusting and secure relationships with the children. Staff spend time with the children and understand how the children like to communicate. Staff care deeply about the children they work hard to make them feel safe and consistently cared for. The children say they feel safe.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to achieve and work closely with educational professionals to ensure children can access education to meet their needs. One child has achieved well in their final year of school and is excited to start college. One child has not been able to fully access formal education. They have been supported by staff to see a future for themselves and experience informal education within the home. The child has been able to learn how to deconstruct and rebuild technology and how to work on motor vehicles, this is something they are interested in for their future career.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to express themselves positively. When things happen children’s lives, they ask staff for support. One child reached out for support to manage their feelings about starting college. Another child expressed having better communication and understanding of their feelings with the support of staff. One child is now attending specialist support having previously not wanted to do so.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to manage their own health needs in line with their age and wishes, which promotes independence. Children are supported to access regular and timely health appointments. Staff have developed effective relationships with significant health professionals in the children’s lives. One plan to support the meeting of a child’s health needs lacked clarity which may lead to staff not understanding specific care needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage the children to develop independence skills. The staff support the children to plan, budget, shop and cook regular meals. The manager continues to challenge the placing authority when she has concerns about the future for children who will be leaving care. She has provided a robust overview of each individual child’s needs and has plans in place to support further independence skills.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children spend time with people who are significant to them. Staff have built positive relationships with significant people in children’s lives. They appreciate and support these important enduring relationships for chidlren.

p.3

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

Staff ensure children are supported to manage their complex health needs. Staff are aware of and actively work with the children to prevent mismanagement of their health. There are plans in place to store and oversee medication. However, oversight of daily Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 4 recordings regarding health needs are not closely monitored to ensure that any changes in children’s needs are identified.

p.3

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

Staff support children to manage their feelings and emotions. Staff have had targeted training to be able to respond with sensitivity to children’s experiences. They have worked hard to understand how to support them to build emotional resilience. One child has suffered a traumatic bereavement. The staff recognise progress for this child will be impacted by their loss. The trauma and grief they are processing is fully understood by staff and responded to with gentle love and care.

p.4

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

Restraint has been used once in this inspection period. The child was guided away from a situation that was becoming dangerous. There is management oversight of the incident and children are supported to understand what happened and given space to talk about how they felt about it.

p.4

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

There has been one investigation into an allegation of harm while a child was away from the home. The manager ensured there was effective communication with other agencies about this incident and all appropriate referrals were made. She has not been satisfied with the response from the external agency who the child was with at the time of the incident and has appropriately escalated the matter. The child was responded to quickly by staff at the home and given support throughout the investigation.

p.4

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

Staff know children have access to the internet and spend time on several different social media platforms. Staff do not consider that the children are at harm from their social media use or the content they view online. There is no plan in place to fully understand the children’s ability to remain safe online, leaving the children vulnerable to possible risks from their internet use.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in place. Staff are experienced and motivated by the manager. They feel supported by the manager and know what they need to do and why. Children’s case records reflect their daily experiences. They are written for the children using appropriate child centred terminology.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is instrumental in advocating for the children in her care and challenging when children’s needs are not met. The manager seeks to work positively with other agencies and strives to enhance the lives of the children in her care through effective multi-agency working.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a monitoring system in place to review the quality of care provided. She uses learning from practice to raise standards and is implementing plans to develop the children’s independence. Staff work well together to provide consistent and stable care to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 5 The team benefits from regular team and clinical meetings. Whole-team meetings are used to discuss care and reflect on practice. The children are at the centre of these meetings, and they are used effectively to make sure everyone knows what care is needed and the challenges the children may be facing. Clinical supervision enhances the team’s knowledge and plans are developed because of clinical oversight.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision sessions are regular and focus on one topic or an overview of the period. Staff well-being, safeguarding and the children’s needs are all discussed. Actions are provided for staff development. Supervision sessions give staff the space to discuss practice and promote reflection.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff training is closely monitored and additional training is facilitated when required to help promote best outcomes for children. Continued staff development is part of the ethos of the home, for individual professional development and meeting the specific needs of the children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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;

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure they challenge the placing authority when they have concerns about the future plans for when it is time for a child to leave care.

p.6

Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person needs to be reassured that children are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to, without discrimination, as part of their onward care planning to adulthood. 1 November 2024

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure the information that is gathered on a daily basis about the child’s health is closely monitored, to promote the positive management of the child’s health condition at regular intervals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.4) Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 7  The registered person should ensure that language in plans for the children’s health and well-being is specific and clear to show staff exactly how often they should be checking a child has taken their prescribed medication. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.12)  The registered person should ensure that staff have plans in place, underpinned by knowledge and skills, to help them identify when the children are at risk of harm from their online activity. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality

p.6

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: SC457318 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

p.8

Inspector

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457318 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.8

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

p.9

Inspector

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk.

p.9

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.9