Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 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 five children with mental health difficulties and who may not be able to live in the community without continued support.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in April 2024, when the home opened.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a separately registered school on site. The inspector only inspected the social care provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: Following a full inspection in July 2024, Ofsted served a compliance notice in relation to the leadership and management of the home. On 17 September 2024, Ofsted carried out a monitoring visit to establish the provider’s progress in meeting the steps set out in the compliance notice. At this visit, the steps had been met. Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/07/2024 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been some changes, and the quality of care has improved. However, these are in the early stages and are not yet embedded.

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improvement to be good

All three children were spoken to during the inspection. Children’s daily routines do not support their well-being. At times, children are up until the early hours of the morning and sleep late into the day. This affects their school attendance and mood. The staff prompt children to wake up. When children are not in school, they are not engaged in meaningful or structured activities. This limits children’s experiences, learning and opportunities.

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improvement to be good

Two children have pets, which they enjoy. However, there is lack of consideration and planning regarding the care and welfare of these animals. Incidents that may have a negative impact on the animals are not considered or planned for. This does not guide children in caring for pets responsibly.

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improvement to be good

The turnover of staff is high. This means that children are always developing relationships with new staff. The children have good relationships with the manager and established staff.

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improvement to be good

There have been some concerns about the dynamics between children. Staff are monitoring this and are reviewing the concerns. Staff have spoken to the children to try and address the issues. However, some incidents are unpredictable and take up staff’s time. This leaves some children feeling unsupported. The staff try to support positive relationships between peers.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff work with children’s social workers and the clinical team to explore ways to encourage children’s independence. Two children have built up free time away from the home. Staff talk to children about potential and known risks to ensure that they are aware of these.

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improvement to be good

At times, staff use physical restraint to support children’s safety. Staff have restrained a child while they had a dangerous item in their mouth. The staff have not considered the risks this entailed. Additionally, the manager has not commented on this. This means that staff could repeat these actions due to a lack of understanding or awareness. This could place a child at significant risk of harm. Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 4 Restraint reports and incident reports are written for the same events. These reports are not always consistent. Therefore, the recordings about what happened, and staff’s actions, are unclear.

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improvement to be good

After children receive behavioural consequences, the manager evaluates the proportionality of these. However, the effectiveness of consequence is not always considered. Therefore, staff could repeat ineffective actions due to poor management oversight.

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improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from home. Staff follow the appropriate actions when they do not know a child’s whereabouts. Staff talk to children about the risks of going missing from home to try and support the child to consider these.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment is followed for new members of staff. There is an induction process for new staff, which helps them to learn their roles. Risk assessments are provided for new staff to ensure that they have clear responsibilities before they have finished their induction training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Despite some improvements, management oversight is still being embedded. The manager provides management oversight following all incidents and safeguarding concerns. However, this is limited in places and does not look at the whole situation. This means that patterns and trends may not be identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The rationale for decisions is not always clear. Following incidents, the manager implements changes to children’s plans or decides that these are not required. However, there is no clear rationale for these decisions. Therefore, should a similar incident occur again, there is no reasoning as to why this was able to happen.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager is highly involved with the children at the home. She is aware of the need to empower the staff team more and has started to support staff to make day-to-day decisions. The manager has sought support from the on-site psychologist to review the management and staffing. The actions from this review are being addressed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

An updated statement of purpose has not been sent to Ofsted since the home registered. There have been changes to staffing and to the clinical team. This means that the most up-to-date information about the home is not available to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Supervision sessions and team meetings take place regularly. Staff talk positively about the support they receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 5

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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.

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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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a) (2)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that management oversight identifies patterns or trends and shows the rationale behind decisions being made. 10 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline and restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)— 10 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 6 has spoken to the user about the measure. (Regulation 35 (1)(b) (3)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the management oversight of restraints considers all risks and whether alternative actions could have been taken.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all records about the same incidents are consistent and contain full details.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated. 10 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles. (Regulation 10 (1)(c)) 10 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (“the statement of purpose”) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b)) 10 January 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that consequences used to address poor behaviour are evaluated to ensure that they are effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  The registered person should ensure that staff take reasonable precautions and make informed professional judgements based on the individual child’s needs and developmental stage about when to allow them to take a particular risk or follow a particular course of action. This specifically relates to ensuring that risk assessments are carried out when children have pets. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.7)

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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: 2770974 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: Caretech Estates Limited, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Leanne Lyon, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2770974 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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