Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Stockport

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 1 SC457182 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a private company. It provides care for one child who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in August 2021.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/08/2023 Full Good 23/08/2022 Full Good 08/09/2021 Full Good 09/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection. The child was spoken to during the inspection and said that they like living there. One young person moved out of the home following their 18th birthday. The young person successfully moved into their own accommodation. This was a well-planned and managed transition, resulting in a positive outcome for the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are supporting the child with settling into the home. This includes personalising their bedroom and acknowledging and understanding themes in behaviours and routines and how staff respond to this. This supports the child to feel accepted and able to build relationships with the staff team. However, the child may be moved on from the home due to presenting risks, which the manager and staff believe are reducing. A recommendation is made to improve this situation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s routine is inconsistent. Staff use a tool to track and identify patterns in behaviours and sleep hygiene. When the child does not want to engage with input around this, staff use the support of a clinician to help them understand and improve the quality of care they provide for the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to take part in activities, both in the home and out in the community. For one child, this is more difficult, and they rarely spend time with staff in the community. During the inspection, it was evident that this is encouraged and promoted consistently.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational outcomes are variable. One child was supported back into education and achieved good grades at their final assessment. One child has not attended education for a considerable amount of time and struggles with informal and alternative education. The home’s staff and staff at an alternative provision have plans in place to support the child’s education in line with the child’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager supports children’s right to have access to an advocate and complain when decisions are not being made in their best interests. This allows children to speak about matters relating to their future. This onward planning is crucial for children when decisions are being made about their care, as it ensures that when children leave the home, they do so with continued support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For both children, there is, or has been, a lack of formal challenge from the manager and staff when the children’s placing authorities have not ensured that local authority plans meet children’s needs. The manager has escalated this with both placing authorities but has not submitted a formal complaint in a timely manner. Despite this, the manager and staff work with the children and other agencies to provide them with the care and support they require in the interim. A requirement has been made to reflect this shortfall. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 4

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

Risk assessments and behaviour support plans include clear strategies to manage children’s risks and vulnerabilities. Staff know what to do in practice to reduce the risk of harm to children.

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

Incidents of the child being missing from home have reduced since they have lived in the home. When incidents do occur, staff are proactive in looking for the child, and work with other agencies to try to find them. Written plans viewed during the inspection did not identify all the steps that staff take when looking for a child who is missing. This did not impact the child and was rectified during the inspection.

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

Staff help the child to understand the risks they may be exposed to when they are missing and out in the community. Staff talk to the child about the risks associated with exploitation and complete regular key-work sessions in relation to the risks they may face. Strategies are included in children’s plans to reduce risk.

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

When the child requires intervention from external agencies following incidents, staff support agencies to build a rapport with the child. Key-work sessions take place with the child to support their understanding of incidents. As a result, the child is supporting a criminal investigation for the first time.

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

There have been no incidents that require children to be physically held.

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

Managers ensure that safe recruitment processes are in place. This means that children are cared for by suitable adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

An experienced registered manager leads the home, supported by a deputy manager. Both the registered manager and deputy know the child well and demonstrate a good knowledge of the child’s needs. This is embedded in the staff team’s knowledge and their practice. The manager is dual registered and manages her time between two homes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have systems in place to ensure that there is effective oversight and monitoring of the home. The manager has taken action to address the recommendations identified at the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable and consistent staff team in place, who know the child well. Staff speak highly of the manager and the support she provides. Regular supervision and team meetings provide staff with opportunities to reflect on their practice and consider approaches on how best to support the child moving forward. When there are issues with staff practice, the manager quickly addresses these and ensures that staff are aware of relevant protocols. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 5 Staff attend training that meets the needs of the child in their care. This means that the child is cared for by a skilled and knowledgeable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff understand the plans for children. The manager takes action to request all relevant plans and reviews. However, this is not escalated effectively when they are not received or actioned. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 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

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

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)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must challenge the children’s local authority when children’s plans are not being reviewed in accordance with the local authority duties. 17 March 2025

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Recommendations

 The registered person should make sure that there is effective care planning and strong working relationships between the staff of the home and the placing authority, to ensure the success of children’s placements. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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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: SC457182 7

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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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Inspector

Nicola Rutherford, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457182 8 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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