Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Herefordshire

Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 1 SC457068

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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 is a privately owned children’s home that provides care for up to three children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2025.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living in the home at the time of this inspection and spoke with the inspector.

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Information about this children’s home

The inspector was aware during this inspection that a serious child safeguarding incident was being investigated by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, the response by the setting to the incident was considered alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspector’s judgements.

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Inspection date: 17 March 2025

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance inspection was carried Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 2 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’. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 3

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following serious and widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection:

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Findings from the inspection

 Significant shortfalls in staff safeguarding practice.  Significant shortfalls in the safe recruitment of staff.  Poor management oversight, meaning shortfalls have not been identified.

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Findings from the inspection

This inspection took place in response to Ofsted receiving a safeguarding notification relating to an incident involving a child and member of staff. Ofsted also received a complaint relating to the same incident. During this incident, a staff member allegedly harmed a child. Other staff present failed to intervene to ensure the child was kept safe. Records of this incident are unclear and there is no record of a physical intervention which was used. Managers’ oversight of the incident is poor. Managers have failed to identify gaps in records and have not properly acknowledged the shortfalls of staff who failed to protect the child.

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Findings from the inspection

Leaders and managers have failed to implement safe recruitment practices. Information was provided to managers which suggested a staff member may not have been suitable to work with children. There is no evidence that these concerns were explored by managers.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have failed to consistently implement restrictions outlined in a deprivation of liberty order relating to the child at the home. This has led to incidents where the child has been missing from home and at risk. Managers have had poor oversight of these incidents and have failed to take steps which could identify where practice could be improved.

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Findings from the inspection

The home environment has improved since the last inspection. The home has been redecorated and any repairs or maintenance needed are now completed in a timely manner.

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Findings from the inspection

One requirement from the last full inspection has been met. The other requirement and two recommendations were not looked at during this inspection and remain in place until the next inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Following a case review on 18 March 2025, which confirmed that there were serious and widespread concerns about the home, a notice suspending the registration of the home was served on the same date. Furthermore, a compliance notice under regulation 12 was issued on 21 March 2025. Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/05/2024 Full Good 17/07/2023 Full Good 24/01/2023 Full Good 01/03/2022 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 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 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

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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand their responsibilities relating to the safeguarding of children and work in line with relevant policies, procedures and children’s plans. The registered person must ensure all incident records are timely and accurate and that there is 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 6 sufficient informed oversight to identify shortfalls in staff practice.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home, if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must undertake a review of staff recruitment to ensure that all staff working in the home are suitable to do so, and ensure that future recruitment practices are safe. 27 April 2025

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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

ensure that staff have the homes’ workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(e)) 27 April 2025 Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 7 This relates to ensuring that managers implement a suitable and effective transition plan to respond to the impact of the registered manager leaving the home.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was not reviewed at this inspection so remains in place.

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information should be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child and take into account any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The registered person should ensure that the review of the premises includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location, and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 8

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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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Inspector

Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children's home: SC457068 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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