Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report children's home: SC456850 1 SC456850 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 children’s home is operated by a private company. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties. There were no children living at the home at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in December 2022.

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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 good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requirement 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: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC456850 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/03/2024 Full Good 20/03/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good 31/10/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report children's home: SC456850 3

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved in and two children have moved out. There has been varied experiences and progress for the children in the home. One child who lived in the home for two years told the inspector their experiences were positive.

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improvement to be good

The last child who lived at the home moved out after only three months. The child struggled to settle and their progress there was limited. Staff were not able to meet the child’s complex needs effectively. This resulted in the manager serving notice to the placing authority. Subsequently, the child left the home and moved to another home.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggled to establish stable and positive relationships with the child. This was in stark contrast to other previous children who lived at the home long-term and experienced stability and consistency in their lives.

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improvement to be good

Staff provided the child with well-intentioned care. However, despite their best efforts, staff did not have the necessary skills to meet the child’s specific needs or manage their behavioural challenges. The manager did not assess the child’s needs thoroughly enough before making the decision that the child could move into the home. A high turnover of staff then increased the reliance on the use of temporary staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff provided the child with support through regular one-to-one discussions. However, these sessions were not focused on the child’s underlying feelings and presenting behaviours. This was a missed opportunity for staff’s learning.

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improvement to be good

The child struggled with school attendance and staff were not able to overcome the barriers to their learning or provide effective structure to the day with appropriate educational plans in place to support the child’s learning. This resulted in the child’s poor school attendance and non-engagement in education.

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improvement to be good

Staff were supportive of family time and facilitated the child’s time spent with family members. They provided the child with positive activities and stimulated their interests and hobbies. The child enjoyed some positive activities with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff registered the child with the services required for them to be healthy. They supported the child’s attendance with all health appointments to secure their physical well-being. Staff sourced specialist help and support for the child’s emotional well-being. However, the level of engagement with the child achieved was limited. Inspection report children's home: SC456850 4

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

Despite the various challenges experienced by staff, they were consistently pro-active in keeping the child safe from harm. Staff prioritised the child’s safety and welfare effectively.

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

The use of clear risk management plans ensured that staff were familiar with the child’s specific needs and vulnerabilities. The child’s plans were reviewed and updated regularly by the manager who ensured that the child’s behaviours were monitored so that any emerging risks were appropriately considered.

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

There have been no missing-from-home incidents since the last inspection. Clear missing-from-home’s protocols are in place. There have been no issues with substance misuse or offending behaviour.

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

The use of consequences to address unwanted behaviours are fair, balanced and proportionate. The use of physical intervention is only ever used as a last resort to protect children from harm. There have been several restraints since the last inspection and all records are subject to regular scrutiny by the manager.

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

There is evidence that staff have informed children about the home’s complaints procedure. The manager ensures that complaints and allegations are investigated quickly and handled professionally and effectively. Significant incidents are shared with the appropriate authorities to protect children from harm.

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

The home is managed by an experienced registered manager and deputy manager. There are sufficient numbers of experienced staff employed. However, due to previous levels of staff’s sickness, there has been an overreliance on the use of non-permanent and unfamiliar staff. This does not offer children stability and consistency in their lives and impacts on their ability to form healthy relationships and attachments.

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

Staff benefit from regular team meetings and receive practice-related supervision sessions. Staff receive regular training; however, this has not helped them to meet one child’s needs.

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

The home is visited by an independent person each month who scrutinises the quality of care. These visits help staff, leaders and managers to understand their strengths and any areas for improvement. The manager acts on any recommendations made by the independent person to secure improvement in the care provided for children.

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

Staff employed are recruited and vetted carefully. This ensures that children are looked after by suitable and safely recruited individuals. Inspection report children's home: SC456850 5 Health and safety matters are addressed effectively. Staff ensure that the home is physically safe, comfortable and homely.

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

The requirement and recommendation from the last inspection have been met and addressed by the manager. Inspection report children's home: SC456850 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(v)(ix))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must ensure that when children are not in education, there is clear structure and routine in place at the home to support learning and independent study. 3 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— 3 March 2025 Inspection report children's home: SC456850 7 that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s needs. The registered person must ensure that the employment of any person on a temporary basis at the children’s home does not prevent children from receiving such continuity of care as is reasonable to meet their needs. (Regulation 31 (1))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that there is a consistent staff team who are suitably skilled and experienced to care for the children in their care. 3 March 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff plan direct work sessions to support children’s positive behaviour. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.14)

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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 children's home: SC456850 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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Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC456850 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 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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