Children's Home run by Cannon Children Services Ltd in North Northamptonshire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 1 Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately run and provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Since the last inspection, four children have lived in this home, and three children have moved out. One child is currently being cared for in the home, and they contributed to the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

There is no manager in post. The registered manager post has been vacant since July 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

Date of last inspection: 11 October 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/10/2023 Full Good 19/07/2023 Full Inadequate 01/02/2023 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 3

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improvement to be good

The home is clean and well maintained. The child’s bedroom is decorated in line with their personal interests.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to embrace their culture and religion, which are respected and celebrated. Staff support the child to attend their place of worship regularly. Staff ensure the child has foods that are in line with their religious beliefs. Staff research significant celebrations throughout the month and provide information about them to the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of children spending time with their family. Family members visit the home regularly and say that they are welcomed by staff. Staff plan fun activities during this time, such as a ‘cook-off’. This supports the child to continue to make positive memories with their family. This has a positive impact on the child.

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improvement to be good

The child has positive relationships with staff. The child trusts staff with their feelings and likes spending time with them.

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improvement to be good

Although education is valued by staff, they have not yet managed to support the child in having consistent routines in place. This has not yet resulted in consistent attendance in education for this child. Staff are not consistent in their approaches to motivating the child to achieve academically. This is an area for development.

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improvement to be good

Children have plans for when they move in and out of the home. The plans include children’s views of what they feel they need. Staff support children’s moves even when they arrive at short notice.

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improvement to be good

When children go missing from home, staff report them and continue to communicate with relevant safeguarding agencies until the children are found. External return home interviews are not always completed. Staff do not escalate this with the relevant agencies. This is a missed opportunity for children to share their views. This is necessary to help keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not manage challenging behaviours consistently or effectively. Consequences given to manage behaviours vary between staff members. This creates inconsistency for children.

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improvement to be good

Staff use physical interventions with children; however, restraint practice requires improvement. For example, one physical intervention lasted for 40 minutes, and Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 4 afterwards, the child was not offered medical attention. Staff were unable to use effective de-escalation strategies to reduce risks for the child.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not have plans in place to support children to attend health appointments when appointments are consistently declined by children. On one occasion, a child did not attend an arranged child protection medical. This was not escalated to the relevant agencies.

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improvement to be good

The responsible individual has not ensured actions from the fire safety risk assessment have been completed. This is a shortfall because actions have not been taken to ensure children’s safety.

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

Having no registered manager negatively impacts on the continuity of care for children. A manager was appointed for a short period; however, they handed in their notice with immediate effect. This has created further management instability for the staff team.

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

The responsible individual has maintained oversight of children’s care since the last registered manager left. Staff report that they feel well supported by the responsible individual. Staff receive regular supervision and attend team meetings. The responsible individual provides the necessary training and guidance to staff.

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

The responsible individual ensures diligent safeguarding checks are undertaken for all staff.

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

The statement of purpose is not fully reflective of the care offered and the ethos of the home. For example, the statement of purpose states there is a diverse staff team but this is not the case.

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

Overall, although there are positives in the quality of care being provided to children, shortfalls remain. The responsible individual recognises that improvements need to be made to improve the overall quality of care for children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 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 registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to the responsible individual ensuring a manager is appointed as soon as possible and that the manager then registers with Ofsted. 14 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home;

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Requirement Due date

make arrangements for persons working at the home to receive suitable training in fire prevention. (Regulation 25 (1)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to leaders and managers ensuring the fire risk assessment actions are followed in the fire risk assessment. 14 January 2025

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20 (2))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to managers and leaders seeking to learn lessons following physical interventions. Leaders and managers should also ensure every child is offered medical attention after any use of physical intervention. 14 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

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; 14 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 6 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

This particularly relates to leaders and managers escalating when external return home interviews have not been completed.

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Requirement Due date

This also relates to leaders and managers liaising with the relevant safeguarding agencies to ensure children attend statutory health appointments.

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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. (Regulation 8 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This particularly relates to leaders and managers ensuring children receive consistent support with day-to-day routines to help them attend school and achieve. 14 February 2025

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Recommendation

The registered person should seek to establish a diverse staff team with a range of interests, skills and experience. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.16)

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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: 2691235 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cannon Children Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Calais Hill, Tyler Hill, Canterbury CT2 9LT

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Inspector

Becky Thompson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2691235 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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