Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 1 SC043972 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected and their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/07/2023 Full Good 26/10/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good 16/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Senior leaders made the decision for the newly registered manager to support another home shortly after they were registered for this one. As a result, the quality of management oversight has been adversely affected and some children have not been kept safe. One child has recently moved from the home as staff were unable to manage the dynamic and risks between the children. Four children have moved into the home since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The manager has not ensured that children are encouraged to engage with external professionals to receive appropriate support and advice on the dangers of drugs and alcohol use and how this affects their health and well-being. In addition, the manager has not ensured that staff have received specific training on substance misuse. This does not give staff the knowledge and skills to meet the needs of children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to attend routine health appointments. Staff educate children on aspects of their health, such has the importance of physical health and a healthy diet. However, staff have not discussed with children the importance of them attending their annual health check to ensure that any health issues can be quickly identified. In addition, staff do not always consult with health professionals when children refuse their medication, to understand the effect this may have on their health and well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Children are supported to have regular family time with the people who are important in their lives. Staff ensure that children maintain relationships and build on their support networks for the future. Children are encouraged to form friendships with others outside the home, and this helps to develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Most of the children now have clear education plans in place. The manager works with other professionals to ensure that children engage with education and attend school. External professionals are positive about the level of support staff give to children to help them re-engage with their education. Two children now attend college full time and are making progress. One child has tuition every afternoon. However, there is no clear plan in place in the morning, for them to engage in learning opportunities and have a clear structure to their day.

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

Staff have not safeguarded children effectively. When incidents of bullying have occurred, these have not been managed well. Children have been physically and emotionally bullied by other children. Staff have not intervened to prevent children from being injured or carried out any preventative work to help children make better choices. In addition, the manager has not had clear oversight of each incident, to enable him to review staff practice and to ensure the children’s safety. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 4 There has been an increase in instances of children going out together and not coming home at the agreed time. Staff follow clear protocols, work with other professionals and actively look for children. On one occasion, a child returned with injuries, saying another child had hurt him. Staff did not take action to address this, other than providing medical attention.

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

Staff do not have in-depth proactive discussions with children or adapt the strategies they use to help children reduce the risks in their lives. This means that the risks have not always been proactively and effectively managed to ensure that they are reducing.

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

Following episodes of going missing from home, the manager has not ensured that children are given the opportunity to speak to an independent person to find out why they have gone missing. In addition, children have not always been informed when staff have checked their bedrooms for any indication of where they may have gone.

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

Staff use a consequences and rewards system. However, the manager has not reviewed the effectiveness of the consequences to determine if they are helping children to learn about positive behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The day-to-day management of the home is currently inadequate, inconsistent and ineffective. As the registered manager was quickly given responsibility to support another of the provider’s homes, he has not had the capacity to have effective oversight and keep children safe in this home. As a result, the manager has not identified the shortfalls in staff practice and children have suffered harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

On a number of occasions, staff have not supervised children adequately in the home to prevent them from harming each other. In addition, children have been able to enter each other’s bedrooms and cause damage without staff being aware. This has not been identified or addressed effectively by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not identified the impact of his absence on the quality of the care provided to children. In addition, he has not sought feedback from children, parents, professionals and staff as part of the review of the quality of care or sent this report to the regulator. Also, the manager has not submitted the updated statement of purpose to Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager has not followed up and escalated concerns when responses from other agencies have not been satisfactory. This has meant that children are not receiving the right support when they need it.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is now a full staff team in place. The manager is giving staff opportunities to take on additional responsibilities to help in their development and to develop shared ownership of roles in the home. However, he has not maintained management overview to ensure that they have the skills to meet these responsibilities. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 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 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;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that significant incidents are evaluated with scrutiny, taking into consideration any learning outcomes to help reduce the likelihood of further incidents.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children’s individual risk management plans provide staff with clear 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 6 strategies to manage and reduce risk, particularly around bullying and the use of cannabis.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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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

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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)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that there is adequate management oversight of staff practice and the safety of children.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that staff have received training on substance misuse, so they have the required knowledge and understanding to meet the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that when the statement of purpose has been reviewed, a copy of this is shared with the regulator. 9 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met; 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 7 children receive advice, services, and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans.

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment, and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that children attend their annual health assessments.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must also ensure that children are educated on the effects and dangers of using drugs and alcohol and are supported to speak to other professionals who can give them the appropriate support and advice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that he has good oversight of the medication administered to children, and that there are clear records of when a child is refusing to take their medication, and this has been discussed with health professionals.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

mutual respect and trust; 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 8 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

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

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Requirement Due date

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual, and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(xii)(xiii)(b)) Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 9 In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff follow plans in place to supervise children when there is a risk of bullying.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered person must ensure that planned discussions are held with each child based on their presenting needs and feelings and ensure that any incidents of bullying and drug-taking are followed up with consistent and targeted direct work.

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline, or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that they review the effectiveness of any consequence given to a child. 9 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the placing local authority provides children with a return home interview after they have been missing from home and that any failure to provide this is escalated in a timely manner with the placing authority. 9 December 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. 9 December 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 10 In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities, and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that the review of the quality of care identifies the context and shortfalls, and includes the views of children, staff, external professionals and family members to help inform an assessment of the home’s strengths and any areas for improvement. The review must also be shared with the regulator. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 11

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that when a child is not participating in full-time education, they are supported to sustain or regain their confidence in education and be engaged in suitable structured activities for the whole school day. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that when staff need to search a child’s bedroom, the child is informed of the reason this was necessary. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20)

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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: SC043972 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Maria McGranaghan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 13 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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