Children's home run by Cambian Childcare Limited in Hammersmith and Fulham

Requires improvement

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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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Young people do not receive consistent individualised care. They do not feel listened to and they are not involved in their care planning.  Staff do not consistently implement behaviour management plans.  Staff do not promote young people’s outcomes. They do not consistently advocate for and on behalf of them.  The registered provider does not meet young people’s basic health needs, such as ensuring that they have their immunisations. They do not follow up any health concerns that they may have regarding young people’s well- being, such as concerns about substance misuse or depression.  The registered provider does not meet young people’s emotional needs. Some young people become increasingly withdrawn.  Room searches are oppressive and do not take into account young people’s emotional needs. This has an impact on young people’s relationships with staff.  Staff do not consistently promote young people’s safety and well-being.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

They do not follow young people’s risk management plans when young people go missing. Safeguarding information is not robustly shared with partner agencies, such as the police.  Staff shortages mean that young people do not enjoy positive daily experiences. The registered provider is not delivering its statement of purpose.  Staff morale is low. Staff do not feel supported in their roles, or that there is adequate opportunity to learn new skills to be able to meet young people’s needs.  The registered person does not robustly monitor staff practice or whether staff are meeting young people’s needs.  Management oversight is poor. There is a lack of understanding regarding the impact of staffing on young people’s experiences and progress.  Partnership working is weak. The manager does not escalate concerns about young people’s missing episodes with placing authorities.  Young people’s case files do not contain important information, which is

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

essential to their everyday care planning.

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The children's home strengths

 The registered provider has started to implement an action plan in order to address the care that young people receive.  Some young people are sitting their GCSE exams and are progressing educationally.  Since the interim inspection, there have been some positive changes in the home. For example, staff have started to complete key-working sessions with young people.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered persons meet the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. The registered persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

6: In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, (1) children must receive care from staff (a) who understand the children's home's overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and (b) use this understanding to deliver care that meets children's needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. (2)(c) the registered person must (i) ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child; and (ii) enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

7: In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard, (1)(a) children must receive care from staff who develop positive relationships with them; and

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(v) the registered person must ensure that staff help each child to understand how the child’s privacy will be respected and the circumstances when it may have to be limited. 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

9: In order to meet the enjoyment and achievement standard, (1) children are to be enabled to take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meets their needs and to develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills. 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

10: In order to meet the health and well-being standard, (1)(a) children's health and well-being needs must be met. 23 June 2016 12: In order to meet the protection of children standard, (1) children are to be protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe; and (2)(a)(iv) the registered person must ensure that staff take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. 32 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

13: In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must enable, inspire and lead a culture in relation to the children's home that (1)(a) helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential; and (b) promotes their welfare. (2)the registered person is to (a) 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; (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; and (f) 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. 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

14: In order to meet the care planning standard, the registered person must ensure that (1)(e)(ii) the child's placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child's relevant plans is requested, if the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that all employees have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year (Regulation 33(4)(c)). 23 June 2016

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that the behaviour management policy is implemented, which sets out how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in 23 June 2016 the children’s home (Regulation 35(1)(a)).

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Requirement Due date

Ensure that records (‘case records’) are maintained for each child, which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child (Regulation 36(1)(a)). 23 June 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care, or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes must take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30).

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

3 March 2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

3 July 2014 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Young people do not receive good enough individualised care. They are not consistently encouraged or inspired to become involved in new activities. Staff do not provide a consistent approach to behaviour management when young people are isolating themselves from their peer group and not engaging in the daily routines of the home. For example, when young people stay up all night playing computer games, staff do not take action to stop this, in order that young people can sleep and be involved within the home during the daytime. Staff do not provide the much-needed routine and structure for young people. Some young people do not enjoy positive relationships across their staff team. They say that they do not feel cared for or listened to. One young person said: ‘This is not a home. Staff don’t care. They call me when I’m out but they don’t care really. They wouldn’t normally call me or care where I was and they only do it

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Requires improvement

because they have to.’ Due to the needs of their peers in the home and inadequate staffing levels, some young people’s individual needs are overlooked, which means that they do not have opportunities to go out with staff or to complete independence work in the home. On occasions, staff have not adequately worked and communicated with young people, and this has had an impact on young people’s relationships with them, such as when staff have completed room searches without young people’s involvement or knowledge. Young people do not enjoy consistently positive experiences within the home. Young people’s basic health needs are unmet. They have not received essential basic healthcare such as immunisations. There is no clear paper trail regarding young people’s attendance at their doctors, and so missed appointments have not been re-booked. Staff do not help young people who, due to being on independence programmes, are meant to make their own appointments.

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Requires improvement

Consequently, young people’s health is neglected. Staff do not consistently respond to young people’s emotional needs. While there has been an improvement in the key-working sessions that staff complete with young people, the quality of the sessions varies. On occasions, staff have waited for a significant period prior to discussing an incident with a young person. Staff do not always follow up actions from the key-working sessions or complete ongoing work with young people about issues such as substance misuse, bereavement or domestic violence. Young people do not have the help and support that they need in order to reach their full potential and to be able to develop their resilience ready for when they leave the home. Some young people are making good progress in education. They attend school and are sitting their GCSE exams. A dedicated education worker in the home works in close partnership with education providers to promote young people’s needs and

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Requires improvement

educational achievement. However, some young people choose not to continue to engage in further education. Staff do not work collaboratively as a team or consistently to try to motivate them and engage them. Those young people spend long periods in their bedrooms and without a daily structure or routine. Peer relationships are positive and improved since the last inspection. Young people spend time with each other in the home. Staff promote young people going on activities together. This has aided their relationships with one another, and there have been no incidents of bullying. The home has been redecorated, and young people have been involved in choosing the colours for their bedrooms. However, staffing shortfalls have meant that staff have been unable to attend to the home environment, which has resulted in some young people not being able to complete chores such as washing their clothes. On occasions, young people’s

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Requires improvement

bedroom furniture has not been replaced after they have damaged it. This means that they have had nowhere to put their clothes. Planning of young people’s transitions is good. Young people are involved in their plans to move and they contribute to them. They visit their placements beforehand, and staff talk openly with young people about their feelings regarding their impending move.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s risk-taking behaviours decrease from their starting points. For example, there have been no recent incidents of sexually harmful behaviour or aggression. Physical interventions are rare, and young people say that they are learning how to manage their feelings more productively and in a less harmful manner. Staff have recently attended training, on issues such as sexually harmful behaviour and anti-radicalisation, to equip them with the skills to meet young people’s complex needs. Some staff are starting to identify risks. However, this is not consistent across the staff team. Consequently, there is a lack of robust action when young people go missing or there are safeguarding concerns. Staff do not always implement the actions in young people’s risk management plans, such as following young people when they leave the home or contacting friends and family members to find out where young people are. After missing episodes, young people do not receive

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Requires improvement

return interviews with someone independent from the home. Consequently, opportunities for staff to learn from these incidents are minimal. The registered provider does not escalate concerns about missing behaviours appropriately with the placing authority, to ensure that it reviews risks and implements appropriate plans. While staff document well any safeguarding concerns, the registered provider does not always ensure that safeguarding information is passed on to relevant professionals, such as the police. This does not promote young people’s overall safety and well-being. There is a lack of preventative work with young people, to minimise future safeguarding incidents. For example, the registered provider has not ensured that there are robust risk assessments in place regarding young people’s siblings visiting the home. On occasions, staff have been aware that young people have been involved in safeguarding incidents when away from the home but have not

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Requires improvement

gone to find them. They do not always complete debriefs with young people, or key-working sessions after significant incidents, in a timely manner. This means that young people do not have opportunities to talk about their emotions and to learn from incidents. Recent staff changes have impacted on the consistency of boundaries within the home. However, there have been no significant safeguarding concerns as a result of this. Staff recognise the areas for development within the team and are committed to improving the experiences and well-being of the young people in their care.

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Inadequate

There is a manager in post. She has recently successfully completed her registration with Ofsted and is awaiting her certificate. She has the level 5 national vocational qualification in leadership and management. Over half of the staff team members have their level 3 national vocational qualification. The manager is aware of the areas of development needed within the home. Since the interim inspection, she has started to implement the action plan, in order to address the shortfalls highlighted at the last inspection. However, there continue to be significant failings within the leadership and management of the home. While some young people have made some progress, there is a lack of robust action to address young people’s behaviours that are affecting their outcomes. Staffing shortfalls have had a significant impact on the quality of care that staff are providing for young people in the home. Despite rotas being planned in advance,

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Inadequate

frequent short-notice changes in staffing have resulted in staff having to spend significant periods finding cover for shifts. On occasions, there have been insufficient numbers of staff, which is contrary to the requirements of young people’s risk management plans. This has resulted in staff having to complete a full day shift and a waking night shift. Staff shortfalls have resulted in the manager placing members of staff on shift together when there is already a conflict of interest. This places staff in vulnerable situations. There is a lack of insight into the impact of staffing issues on young people’s quality of care and their experiences within the home. Management oversight is weak. The manager has not been aware of incidents, such as room searches or staff not following young people when they go missing. She has not been aware that staff have not completed follow-up work with young people. This means that staff do not receive the guidance that they need in their

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Inadequate

practice, and that she is not promoting young people’s well-being. Young people’s case files do not contain important information, such as personal education plans and pathway plans. Staff are not providing care that meets the aims and objectives outlined in young people’s pathway plans. Consequently, they are not delivering the aims and objectives of the statement of purpose. Staff support and guidance is poor. Some supervisions are of poor quality and do not focus on the young people, their needs or staff practice. Staff do not have opportunities to reflect on their practice. Some staff members have not had an appraisal for over a year, which means that any development needs are not picked up at an early stage prior to their becoming potential practice issues. Staff identify that morale is low within the team and say that they do not have confidence in the management team to support them. They struggle to identify what, currently, are

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Inadequate

the strengths of the home for young people. Partnership working is poor. The manager does not work effectively with partner agencies, such as placing authorities or the police, to manage strategies in relations to young people’s risk-taking behaviours, such as missing and substance misuse. This has an impact on young people’s progress. Young people do not receive the services that they need in order to progress. Multi-agency working is poor.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of children looked after is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place. However, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm, or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the ‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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