Children's Home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Central Bedfordshire

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to four children aged between 11 and 18 of single gender. The home specialises in care for children at risk of exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager left on 8 August 2024. The home currently has no manager in post.

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Inspection date: 25 March 2025

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 25 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 inspectors has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 2

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Findings from the inspection

We identified the following widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance.

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Findings from the inspection

 Children have experienced unplanned and sudden moves from the home.  There is a lack of assessment, planning and preparation for children moving to the home.  Children have not been given the supervision levels required to enable them to participate in activities or go out.  Poor management oversight of incidents.  An absence of supervision and support for staff.  A high turnover of staff.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, the home has had no registered manager. A temporary manager was appointed to manage the home. A new manager was appointed on 26 February 2025. They have applied to register with Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have not experienced well-planned transitions moving in or out of the home. Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and three children have moved out. Two children moved out of the home in an unplanned way. The home supported one child by taking them to their new home on the same day.

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Findings from the inspection

In the case of the two children who have moved into the home since the last inspection, the staff did not complete an assessment of the child’s suitability to live in the home before accepting the referral for the child.

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Findings from the inspection

One child moved into the home for two days, with the child’s time at the home ending with immediate effect when the child was in hospital. The child had only been in the house for a few hours.

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Findings from the inspection

The incident that led to the sudden ending of the child’s time at the home was related to a known risk for the child. The staff said that this information was missing from the referral paperwork. However, this information was in the referral paperwork and had been risk-assessed in the assessment as to whether the home to meet the child’s needs.

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Findings from the inspection

One child moved into the home on 24 December 2024. A lack of information-sharing during their move meant that the home did not have contact details for the child’s family until early January 2025. This meant that the child was not able to have any contact with their family over the Christmas period. In addition, the home did not provide the staffing ratios required for court-imposed restrictions on the child’s supervision in the community. This was not clarified with the local authority until 9 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 3 January 2025. This meant that the child was not able to go out on activities during this time.

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Findings from the inspection

There has been one incident of restraint since the last inspection. A manager who was involved in the restraint reviewed the record. This does not provide an independent review of the effectiveness, necessity and proportionality of the restraint.

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Findings from the inspection

Consequences are not always proportionate or restorative in nature. One imposed on a child had not been reviewed by a manager. Positive rewards are not always appropriate. One child was rewarded for positive behaviour by having toiletries replaced that were stolen by another child at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are not permitted to have mobile phones when they move into the home. This is supported by the home’s statement of purpose prohibiting mobile phones and SIM cards. This restriction is not individually assessed for each child.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have not been supported with regular supervision sessions in line with the home’s statement of purpose. This has failed to support staff throughout periods of change and high staff turnover.

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Findings from the inspection

There have been significant improvements in the decor and maintenance of the home since the last inspection. Many of the rooms have been redecorated and have new carpets. The home is welcoming, and the child has chosen new furnishings.

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Findings from the inspection

The child currently living at the home is making progress. There has been a significant reduction in risk for this child. The child is engaging in full-time education. There are no longer court-ordered restrictions for the child. The child said that they are happy living at the home, and that their voice is listened to in relation to their care.

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Findings from the inspection

The new manager is experienced and ambitious. She has a good understanding of what the home needs to do to improve and has a plan to address the quality of care offered to children. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/10/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 16/05/2023 Full Good 26/05/2022 Full Good 04/08/2021 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(iii)(c)(d)) 6 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 6 In particular, ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

 the assessment of the suitability of a child to live in the home is completed before accepting a referral for the child  the relevant contact information is held to follow a child’s agreed contact plan at the point of admission into the home  children are supported to move in and out of the home in a planned, positive way.

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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

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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 the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(d)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that reviews of restraint are conducted by someone who has not been involved in the restraint and that reviews of incidents consider the effectiveness of staff actions, actions to prevent recurrence and steps to improve the quality of care provided. 6 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (5), the registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home— 6 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 7 a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered person considers it to be necessary for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the welfare of a child, the registered person may impose conditions, prohibitions or restrictions upon a child’s—

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Requirement Due date

contact with parents, friends or relatives;

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Requirement Due date

access to communications under paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

No measure may be imposed by the registered person under paragraph (5) unless—

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents to the imposition of the measure; or

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Requirement Due date

the measure is imposed in an emergency, and full details are given to the placing authority within 24 hours of its imposition. (Regulation 22 (3)(a) (5)(a)(b) (6)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that any restrictions placed on a child’s communication are individually assessed, agreed with the local authority and regularly reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

Nothing in paragraph (5) or regulation 46 (review of premises) requires or authorises the registered person to contravene or not comply with—

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Requirement Due date

any other provision of these Regulations. (Regulation 16 (5) (6)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children are admitted to the home in line with the process outlined in the home’s statement of purpose. 6 May 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 6 May 2025 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 8

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that any measures used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Dennise Springett

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Inspector

Andrea Bounden, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 2534827 10 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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