Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Walsall

Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 1 SC476270 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a large private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post has been vacant since 17 January 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, three children were living in the home. Two children were spoken with during the visit.

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This monitoring visit

On 21 and 22 January 2025, Ofsted conducted a full inspection of this home. The inspection took place following Ofsted receiving information of concern. Serious and widespread failures were identified at the inspection which resulted in a judgement of inadequate. A notice to restrict accommodation was issued, along with compliance notices under Regulation 6 (The quality and purpose of care standard), Regulation 12 (The protection of children standard) and Regulation 13 (The leadership and management standard).

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to assess the action taken by managers to meet the steps set out in the compliance notice for Regulation 6 (The quality and purpose of care standard) and to review compliance with the notice to restrict accommodation. No other requirements were reviewed during this visit. These will be considered at future inspections.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home and no children have moved in. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 2 Managers now have systems in place to ensure that the home is cleaned thoroughly. Detailed cleaning schedules provide staff with a step-by-step checklist of cleaning duties that are completed twice per day. Further cleaning routines are in place for the daily cleaning of children’s bedrooms. Managers complete a daily review of the conditions of the home to provide additional assurance that cleanliness remains a priority. As a result, children now live in a clean and hygienic home.

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This monitoring visit

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in maintaining the cleanliness of the home to promote a comfortable environment for children. Since the last inspection, staff supervision, training and team meetings have focused primarily on why cleaning is important. Managers have sourced additional resources to provide guidance for staff about how to support children with complex toileting issues. Because of this, children are now cared for with sensitivity and nurture.

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This monitoring visit

As a result of this visit, the steps for the compliance notice under Regulation 6 (The quality and purpose of care standard) have been met. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/01/2025 Full Inadequate 23/04/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 04/05/2023 Full Good 08/06/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 4

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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 with 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

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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that risk management plans address children’s known risks, and that plans are clear about the action staff need to take to reduce these risks. That managers put measures in place to increase the confidence and skill of staff in managing significant incidents and reflect on learning to improve practice in keeping children safe. Additionally, that managers ensure that staff educate children to keep themselves safe. 9 March 2025

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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. 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 5 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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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

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that staff understand their roles and responsibilities when a child is injured during an incident of restraint and that managers promptly carry out internal investigations into safeguarding matters when requested by safeguarding professionals.

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that clinicians work with the staff team to develop skills in therapeutic care; 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 6 that the home’s monitoring systems are effective and implemented to help to identify and address areas for improvement in the quality of care provided to children; that managers exercise critical oversight and reflection of incidents and that debriefs with children and staff take place, and they act, when needed, to bring about improvement in the quality of children’s care.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that children live in a clean, hygienic, well-maintained and comfortably furnished home and that the home is personalised to reflect children’s tastes and their personalities. 9 March 2025

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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

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(d)) 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 7 This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they promptly inform a child’s social worker when a child is injured and maintain regular communication about children’s progress.

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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

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

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff support children who are not in education with structured routines and opportunities to learn to prepare them to return to education. 9 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans; 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 8 understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that staff support children’s health needs in line with plans agreed with the child’s social worker.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(xii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to managers ensuring that they implement a plan to address bullying and unkind behaviour in the home. 9 March 2025 Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 9 The registered person must ensure that—

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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

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(v)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c) 9 March 2025

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Deborah Robertson-Kesterton

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Inspector

Kev Brammer, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home – monitoring visit: SC476270 11 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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