Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Plymouth

Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 1 SC471058 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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 children’s home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties and learning disabilities. At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

There has been no registered manager since July 2024.

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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: SC471058 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/01/2024 Full Good 25/04/2022 Full Good 10/01/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 31/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The inspector spoke to the child who lives in the home during the inspection. The child enjoys spending time with staff at the local parks. The child and the staff eat meals together and enjoys doing arts and crafts activities with staff. The child’s paintings are displayed in the home. Every evening, staff read the child a bedtime story that the child has chosen. This helps create a calm and nurturing atmosphere to prepare them for a settled night’s sleep.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently left the home. This was a carefully planned move. The staff team prepared the child well in advance of the time she was due to leave, and all decisions were child focused. The transition to independence was developed in line with the child’s individual needs. The home worked effectively with the placing authority to ensure that immediate plans and plans were in place well in advance of the child leaving. This resulted in a positive ending for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has recently moved into the home. The best possible planning took place before they moved in. There was a multi-agency approach which always remained child focused. The staff are committed to building trusting relationships with the child and to support them to manage difficult emotions. Staff are calm and nurturing when they interact with the child. They supported the child to decorate their new bedroom in line with their wishes and interests. This has promoted a positive start and made the child feel welcome in their new home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with positive experiences while in the care of this home. One child went on a holiday in England, celebrated their birthday with a party at the home and was supported to spend time with their family. One child has experienced pumpkin picking, trips to a trampoline park and an adrenaline bounce park and time with their siblings.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When entering the home, it feels just like a family home. There are toys, books and pictures painted by the child on display. Photos of the child, staff and the child’s family are displayed throughout the main rooms. At the time of the inspection, there were lots of Halloween decorations both inside and outside the home. The child was keen to show off the spider skeleton that hung from the front room door. There is space for the child to play and rest. The child’s bedroom is bright, vibrant and fun, reflecting exactly their wishes and feelings for their own personal space, and was ready for the child when they moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have not worked proactively with one child’s parents to promote a positive relationship which would support safe contact and a deeper understanding of the child’s journey into care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 4 Staff understand the importance of education in a child’s life. They support the child to maintain educational progress while attending school on a part-time basis. The home has not been able to secure a return to school full-time and ineffective liaison with education colleagues and the placing authority is having an impact on the child’s ability to make any further educational progress.

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

There are plans in place to support staff to understand how to reduce any risks to children who live in the home. In response to any incidents where a child has required help, the home acts quickly and in accordance with plans in place to get the children the care and support they need. Staff use a multi-agency approach to address any known vulnerabilities. Records of incidents provide a clear narrative and reflection is used to promote good practice and to help prevent incidents happening again.

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

Since the previous inspection there has been one incident of restraint used. The record is clear about the events leading up to, during and after the restraint was used. There is evidence of how the child was supported to understand what was happening and why, with space to talk about the impact of the incident on them after it happened. Staff were supported to reflect on the incident and there was management oversight of the record.

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

Staff work hard to promote positive and safe behaviour. They have already identified words and approaches to caring for the child which the child finds hard to manage. Staff are working as a team to quickly adapt and find new approaches to caring for the child, understanding what triggers behaviour and what can be done to implement safe and appropriate boundaries.

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

There is safer recruitment in place and regular monitoring of staff to ensure that a safe and caring environment is established. Staff training is up to date and a dditional training is arranged to enhance their knowledge and respond to the child’s needs. Staff development is a clear ethos of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is currently no registered manager in place in this home. The appointed manager is being supported to submit the paperwork required to register with Ofsted. The home has been managed effectively in the absence of a registered manager by the deputy in place and a senior homes manager in the organisation. This has ensured there has been no negative impact on the child moving out of the home and the child moving in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and the manager recognise the strengths and weaknesses of the home. There is a plan in place to support and develop management oversight through the support of a senior homes manager. The manager of the home monitors the effectiveness of care. He takes on shifts to know what is happening. These include sleeping night shifts so they can be part of the nighttime and morning routines for the child, as well as completing audits of care on a weekly and monthly basis. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 5 During this period of change, whoever has been in charge has continued to make child- centred decisions, promoted the best interests of the children and ensured that staff provide consistent care to the children in their care. However, staff do not always record the care that is provided to the children in language that is clear and non-judgemental.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post for a few weeks and is working hard to establish positive relationships with external agencies. The manager has not yet developed relationships with other professionals to wholly effect positive outcomes for the child in all areas of their life. They have not been able to quickly establish a robust advocating role for the child and effective action to challenge decisions about the child has not been swiftly taken. Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education or training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing local authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure timely and robust challenge to secure full-time education for the child in their care.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must maintain regular contact with all professionals to ensure that education plans for the child are secured and regularly reviewed. 15 November 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they engage and work productively with all external agencies and professionals, advocating for the child and escalating concerns to achieve high-quality support and care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 11, paragraphs 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5)  The registered person should ensure that positive contact between the home and family members is built and maintained. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.14)  The registered person should ensure that the language used to record information about the child is non-judgemental and objective, using words that the child can understand. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC471058 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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Inspector

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC471058 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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Inspector

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