Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Somerset

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 1 SC457327 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

This home is owned by a private organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to three children who may have needs associated with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in this home. No new children had moved into the home during this inspection period.

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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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2023 Full Good 30/08/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/05/2022 Full Inadequate 20/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in this home. All three children have increased their engagement with education during their time living in the home, and one child has received an award for ‘pupil of the year’ as a result. Children have also made progress with the relationships that they share with their families, which have been supported and encouraged by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to have a range of positive experiences while living in the home. Children have climbed a mountain in Wales, had a tour of a football stadium, attended a theme park and have been ice skating. Children speak positively of the activities they have completed with staff. One child now regularly attends a youth group and has a network of friends from this. Children bring their friends and family to the home as they wish, and this is encouraged by staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are met, and staff help children to take responsibility for their own health needs in line with their age and stage of development. Children are helped to manage their medication independently as appropriate.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and generally has a homely feel. Improvements are needed to the garden area, which are underway. One communal room is in need of soft furnishings, and locks on bedroom doors detract from the homely feel. Children are involved with decorating their rooms.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The quality of memory books is variable. One child’s memory book is filled with photographs of days out and activities they have completed, including cinema tickets and leaflets for days out they have had. Another child’s memory book is sparse, and the way in which it has been put together lacks care. Children have memory boxes, and staff keep cards and mementos from important events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children have close and positive relationships with staff. One child has distanced herself from staff and the home, which is a concern, and staff have been unable to effectively use their relationships to encourage her to regularly return to the home. Opportunities to strengthen these relationships have been missed when there have been concerns around this child being away from the home for lengthy periods.

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

Medication is stored safely and administered appropriately. Recording systems are clear. When medication is administered, there is a clear record and count of the remaining medication. Internal and external medications are stored separately, with photographs of children on the outside of containers. Where appropriate, children are encouraged and supported to take responsibility for taking their own medication, to aid their independence. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 4 When investigations are undertaken with regard to staff practice, there are clear records and reasonings for the outcomes of investigations. The organisation has acted appropriately when staff actions have been concerning, and have not been afraid to dismiss staff where this has been proportionate and justifiable.

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

Key-work sessions are completed around substance misuse, where necessary, and the acting manager has brought in an external agency to provide information to the young people. However, when staff provide the child with written information, staff are not reassuring themselves that the child reads or understands the information which is provided to them.

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

When children go missing, staff actively search for them. They are tenacious in their attempts to contact the child and their network to try to bring the child home. Consistent, reflective management oversight is lacking, which results in missed opportunities to learn from incidents. Safety plans in respect of what action staff should take when children going missing need to be updated to reflect the current risks that children present. Despite this, staff are clear on how to respond when children go missing.

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

Where window restrictors are in use, written agreement is obtained from social workers, and these restrictions are reviewed. When reviews take place, there is no clear reasoning regarding for why restrictors are remaining in place or what the ongoing risks are. Reviews are not completed in consultation with social workers or external professionals.

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

Care plans and risk management plans are clear and contain some relevant information, However, care plans need to be updated with important changes, and not all aspects of care are consistently included. One child wishes to make significant changes to their life, and their care plan lacks detail around what this means for them and how staff are to support them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an established team, which provides stability and consistency to the children in the home. Leaders and managers work hard to recruit suitable adults to care for children. Agency staff are not used in this home. Known staff members from other homes within the company are used to fill gaps when regular staff are absent. This minimises disruption to the children in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to providing good-quality care and leading a good staff team. Staff who work in the home say that they are supported well. They are proud of the children’s achievements and what they achieve for children as a close staff team. Leaders and managers, at times, show ambitious vision for children and have high expectations for them. One child has become withdrawn around the staff team. The aspirations that leaders and managers have for this child have been impacted as a result. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 5 Leaders and managers have challenged external professionals when children’s plans have not been created promptly. One child experiences mental health issues, and more could be done to support them with these complex emotions, particularly as one organisation will soon cease their involvement with this child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback was gained from two children during the inspection. Both children were positive about their relationships with staff and managers, and feel that their views are listened to in the home. One child was considerably anxious about moving into a children’s home but said that overall, he has enjoyed his time in the home. Children are aware of how to complain if they so wish. Family members and professionals speak positively of the experiences that children are afforded while living in the home. Staff are also praised for effective and timely communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervision notes are brief. They contain some useful reflection on house issues, but do not sufficiently consider how staff are working with the children in the home, or the issues that staff are facing with the children. Team meeting minutes also lack reflection on what issues the team are facing, for example, with engaging the children. This impacts on staff’s ability to review and adapt their ways of working to benefit the children in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that care plans are up to date and contain pertinent information. Risk management plans should include all relevant information. Where young people have mental health issues, the registered person should strive to ensure that young people have access to external support when they turn 18 years old and leave the home. 18 November 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— 18 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 7 mutual respect and trust;

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(viii)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person should ensure that staff are building close and trusting relationships with children, and that opportunities to develop relationships are actively sought.

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC457327 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicola McClements

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Inspectors

Min Sims, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457327 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.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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