Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Manchester

Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 1 SC043972 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 run by a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to five children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were two 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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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: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Inadequate 12/07/2023 Full Good 26/10/2022 Full Good 22/02/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, four children have moved out of the home, with two children moving in a planned and managed way. However, two of the children moved out at short notice due to incidents that occurred in the home. There has been a significant amount of change for children and staff, yet despite this, two new children have moved into the home, leading to further instability for staff and children. However, the children were supported to move in a managed way, and one child is starting to form relationships with staff.

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improvement to be good

Family time is promoted, and staff have built positive relationships with children’s family members. One child is in the process of returning to live in their family home. Staff are keeping in touch with the child and visiting them in the community in an effort to ensure that the child and their family are supported during the move.

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improvement to be good

Education is valued by staff and the manager. One child is attending college and is making good progress. The other child is being supported to engage in education after not attending school for a long period of time and has been provided with a tutor. However, the child is not engaged in learning or structured activities for the whole of the school day.

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improvement to be good

The children have access to a range of activities, and they are consulted about their likes and dislikes. Children know how to make a complaint. When complaints are made, leaders ensure that the outcomes are communicated to the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children’s health needs. Referrals to specialist services are made when health needs emerge for children. One child has historically been very reluctant to attend health appointments and take prescribed medication. Staff encourage the child to engage with their health plan, and the manager has engaged other health professionals in an attempt to educate the child on the importance of looking after their own health. However, records have not always been kept of when children refuse to take medication.

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improvement to be good

Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms and communal areas; the manager hopes that this will give children a sense of ownership of the home. There has been a recent mouse infestation; however, this has been responded to swiftly by the manager, and pest control measures are in place. Staff are also ensuring that the cleanliness of the home remains a priority.

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improvement to be good

There are now plans in place that guide the staff in how to care for the children and keep them safe. However, these are not always fully personalised to individual children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 4 Furthermore, up-to-date risk assessments have not always been fully accessible to staff or shared with each child.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are generally managed appropriately. The effectiveness of staff’s response to missing-from-home incidents has improved. Children have been given the opportunity to speak to someone independent of the home after they have returned. The manager has had good oversight and has been able to identify when there have been issues with staff practice or following protocols and guidance. He has then ensured that any shortfalls are discussed with staff and actions taken to improve their practice.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete a range of training in safeguarding matters. Staff speak to children about the dangers of substances, being missing from home and managing relationships. This allows children to recognise and reflect on the consequences of taking unhealthy risks.

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improvement to be good

The number of negative consequences given has reduced. Staff are encouraged to focus on celebrating successes and building children’s self-esteem, using praise and positive consequences. The manager has oversight of consequences and challenges those that are not appropriate. However, the evaluation of the effectiveness of consequences is still lacking.

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

There is now a new manager who has been in post for six weeks. He is suitably qualified but has not yet applied to register with Ofsted. The manager has a clear vision for the home and a drive to improve the quality of care provided for the children. However, although the manager and responsible individual are putting systems in place to facilitate this, they are not yet embedded.

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

Staff say that they feel supported by the manager and the responsible individual. Staff receive regular supervision, and the manager has identified how this can be improved to further support staff practice. Team meetings are used as a forum for discussion, learning and re-enforcing expectations and are held regularly.

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

Some staff are experienced and qualified in childcare. The manager is mindful of the need to up-skill the staff to increase their confidence and support them to meet the children’s needs. The manager has a plan to develop the staff and widen their responsibilities in order to give them a sense of shared ownership and investment in good outcomes for the children.

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

Oversight has improved and the manager has introduced a range of monitoring systems to review and evaluate the care that is provided for the children. Leaders and managers have taken steps to address the shortfalls identified at the last inspection and most of the requirements have been met. 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

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)(v)(vi)(b))

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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 strategies to manage and reduce risk that are individualised to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, risk management plans must be fully accessible to all staff and shared with children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 6 The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that when accepting new children into the home, the impact on children already living in the home is fully considered, as is the ability of the staff to meet the needs of all children living in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Additionally, the registered person must ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent the need for immediate notice to be served on a child’s placement. 20 February 2025

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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.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated. 20 February 2025

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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. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)  The registered person should ensure that records are kept of the administration of all medication, including when prescribed medication is refused. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15) Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 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: SC043972 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: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Eve Ostridge, Social Care Inspector Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC043972 9 regulates and inspects to 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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