Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 1 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 organisation providing care for up to two children with complex needs who require specialist support. Two children were living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager registered with Ofsted in April 2023.

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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

Date of last inspection: 28 November 2023

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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: 2596421 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/11/2023 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good 08/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children both spoke with the inspector during this inspection. The children said that they liked living at the home and spoke positively about staff. Interactions between children and staff are warm and mutually respectful. These positive relationships have helped children to make progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has persistently advocated on behalf of children to their placing authorities about their education. This has ensured that children have individualised education arrangements. Staff support children to attend education. This approach has helped to ensure that children’s educational needs are met, and they have improved attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to learn about the world around them and themselves. They regularly take part in meaningful conversations about their identity, well-being and their feelings. Children come together during children’s meetings to talk about their experiences, share their views and learn about differences in others. This helps to support children to accept themselves and celebrate the differences in others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who move in or out of the home have carefully planned moves that are centred around their needs. When children move out, staff plan leaving parties and celebrate children’s achievements. For a child moving from the home to live alone, staff helped them to prepare a well-thought-out life-skill plan. Staff stay connected with children and regularly hear from them. This gives children a sense of belonging after they have moved on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are spending more time with their families because of the helpful links established between staff and relevant family members. One child is seeing their family more regularly and is moving towards this time not being supported by staff. This is progress for the child. A parent spoke highly of the progress that their child has made and the regular communication from staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to take part in a wide range of activities relevant to their interests. These activities include going on forest holidays and city breaks and to arcades, the cinema and football practise. Children’s experiences and the time spent with staff are thoughtfully recorded. Photos capture these different experiences.

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

Children generally have settled experiences living at this home. When children have displayed behaviour that challenges staff, this has been responded to well. Staff use reflective and proportionate consequences to help support the children to develop acceptable behaviour. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 4 The manager and staff have a good dialogue with the local community support police officer, who regularly visits the home and spends time with the children.

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

Staff have a good understanding of the children’s vulnerabilities and risks they face. They work with the children to support them to understand their risks and vulnerabilities in an informed way. Staff support children to take age-appropriate risks to develop their risk awareness. This has helped the children to understand how to keep themselves safe in the home and community.

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

When children share concerns about staff, the manager reviews the children’s worries. There are detailed investigations, and the manager follows the relevant procedures to ensure that concerns about staff are dealt with appropriately.

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

Since the last inspection, physical intervention has been used on one occasion. This was appropriate, proportionate, necessary and well managed. Children do not go missing from the home. Staff have clear policies in place should this happen.

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

The home’s location is regularly assessed and reviewed by the manager. This assessment does not include up-to-date information from relevant people. This does not ensure that the provider has an accurate understanding of the risks and benefits presented by the location of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is working towards a level 5 qualification and is expected to finish this within the relevant time frame. The manager is focused on improving the lives of children in his care. Staff speak highly of the manager’s commitment and support that they receive from him and each other.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions. These are detailed and explore topics relevant to the children and staff’s well-being. Team meetings are well attended and explorative. During meetings, staff discuss different approaches that will support children. These approaches help to build positive relationships with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the home’s strengths and areas for development. Identified areas of improvement are actioned and used as learning opportunities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is in regular communication with the home’s allocated mental health lead, who provides additional training and support to staff. Suggestions made by the mental health lead have been put into practice. This has aided staff to further their knowledge and provide individualised care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Professionals involved with the home provide positive feedback about the manager and staff. They have no concerns about the quality of care provided to children. This reflects the strong relationships and good communication the home has built with external agencies. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 5 There have been several changes to the staff team since the last inspection. Staff training is sufficient. However, one member of staff has not achieved the level 3 diploma within timescales. This prevents all staff from having the knowledge required to fulfil their role. However, this has not undermined the overall quality of care provided to the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 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

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (‘the Level 3 Diploma’); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)(b)) 10 April 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that when completing the review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home, up-to- date information is sought from relevant people. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 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: 2596421 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

Syvanna Matthew, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2596421 9 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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