Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Devon

Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 1 SC467704 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 home can provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties. At the time of inspection, one child was living in the home.

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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: 27 February 2024

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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: SC467704 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

27/02/2024 Full Good 12/12/2022 Full Outstanding 30/11/2021 Full Outstanding 18/11/2019 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 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 being able to spend time out in the community with their friends. They are pleased to be able to have their phone overnight, and they have their own pet hamster in their room. Staff know how to communicate with the child. They respond with kindness when the child is finding something difficult. The staff are committed to building positive relationships with the children in their care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child in the home is making steady educational progress. They are supported to attend a local college. The staff know what aspirations the child has for their future and can provide guidance to the child on how to achieve their goals. When one child arrived at the home from another local authority, the home advocated for appropriate schooling to be put in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff support the child’s independence skills. They recognise the need to start this work well in advance of the child turning 18 years old. Progress towards independence has already started. The child plans and prepares meals, travels to college on public transport and has obtained part-time jobs. Individualised work booklets are a physical prompt and guide for the child and staff to work together to continue to build on the skills already in place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have moved in since the last inspection. The planning for their move was excellent. Consideration was given to the home’s ability to meet the needs of the child before they moved in, recognise the impact it may have on the child already in the home. The staff support children to integrate in the home, and encourage a positive living environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Two children have also left the home since the previous inspection. These moves were both carried out in a planned way, and the manager has reflected on the experience. Appropriate notice was given for one child. The other child wanted to be closer to their family, which was a decision that was whole-heartedly supported by the home. The staff have worked with the children’s local authorities to provide information to support their new care arrangements, and there were positive goodbyes for both children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children know how to complain. Their views are taken seriously and investigated. However, one child was not provided with a resolution to the complaint they made.

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

Staff listen to children’s worries and concerns without judgement. They give them space to express their feelings, allowing children to be comfortable and confident in talking about anything on their minds. Staff record conversations with children in a clear and Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 4 child-friendly way. The conversations include notes for the team on what further work may be needed. The staff work together to support children to feel emotionally safe.

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

Staff are proactive in responding to any possible risks that the children may face outside of the home. There is a multi-agency response to mitigate any risks as soon as possible. The staff continue to work with the children to understand the risk, and then complete targeted work to further provide guidance and support on relationships and personal safety.

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

When children go missing, the staff respond in line with the plans in place. Staff take immediate action to reduce any harm from missing episodes. The plans in place are continually updated after each incident and when new information is known. When there have been extended missing episodes, staff have continually searched for children and endeavoured to remain in contact with them. After incidents, conversations are held with the children involved and staff to support their well-being and understanding of what happened.

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

Room searches of a child’s room have taken place. These were completed with the child’s knowledge, understanding and consent, as well as agreement from the child’s social worker. The searches are all recorded, including the reasons for the search. The manager requested permission from the social worker to stop them after a period, so that the child was not subject to the searches needlessly.

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

Phone checks are completed on a child’s phone to support their understanding of safe relationships. The child understands why these are being completed, and they are logged. The logs are not clear about what is precisely being looked at. The manager and staff team have gaps in their knowledge in relation to social media, the vast array of apps that children access and the risks that can manifest from their use. There is also a gap in knowledge around how these apps can be safely used.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a consistent and experienced staff team in place. There are no vacancies in the home. The manager of the home is well respected. The team know what they need to do and why. The team feel valued by the manager. He listens to their views and ideas on how to care for the children, leading to staff feeling like they are part of the home and decisions made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is always thinking of ways to improve the care that they provide and enhance the experiences of the children who they care for. He can discuss the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and has a vision for the home’s development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has exceptional advocating skills. He maintains close contact with all external professionals. His committed and determined advocacy on behalf of one child resulted in securing a positive outcome for them, and demonstrated to them how they can advocate for themselves in the future. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 5 The manager wants the children in his care to succeed and make progress. They recognise any barriers that the children may face, and find ways to overcome those barriers. He monitors the care that is provided in the home. Monthly audits, oversight of records and working directly with the children allow full oversight.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Supervisions are regular and recorded effectively. Supervisions allow staff to focus on their role within the children’s lives, how they can improve their practice, develop resilience and understand the impact their practice has in the home. The manager uses supervision to support them to feel part of the work they do. Team meetings are used to reflect on practice and how it can be improved. Training is up to date. The manager endeavours to seek out training for the team to meet individual children’s needs. Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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

help each child understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1) (2)(a)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the outcome of any complaint made by a child is provided to them. In addition, the registered person must ensure that the child fully understands the outcome, and is able to express further views and feelings should they feel that the complaint has not been resolved. 3 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; 7 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 7 take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that robust plans are in place for staff to understand and, if needed, monitor children’s internet and social media use. In order to help children learn how to stay safe online and to support healthy usage.

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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: SC467704 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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Inspector

Hannah Spencer-Townesend, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC467704 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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