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’s safety in the home is potentially compromised due to a lack of robust action and response to young people’s risk-taking behaviours.  A lack of individualised behaviour management plans potentially compromises young people’s progress. Young people are not involved in their plans.  Young people’s risk management plans do not take into consideration previous risks, such as fire setting.  Young people do not learn about appropriate behaviours due to a lack of planned and purposeful key-working sessions taking place after incidents of bullying have occurred.  Partnership working is weak. Incidents in the home are not always passed on to the clinical team. Other professionals, such as the looked after children’s nurse, are not involved in supporting young people’s specific needs.

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The children's home strengths

 Some young people are making exceptional progress educationally. They have completed A levels and been accepted onto college courses.  Staff work in partnership with young people’s families. They support contact and help young people to maintain positive relationships with their families.  On the whole, young people and staff enjoy positive relationships with one another. Young people feel able to raise complaints if they are unhappy.  Young people’s risk-taking behaviours reduce. Staff have worked effectively to reduce incidents of behaviours such as self-harm.  The management team and staff are committed to the young people.  Since the last inspection, there has been progress in the recording of incidents, and the registered manager has put new recording systems in place, although these are still in their infancy and are yet to be embedded into everyday practice.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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

5: Engaging with the wider system standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the engaging with the wider system standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (b) seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child's needs (d) 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. 25 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2)(b)(iv) provide personalised care that meets each child's needs, as recorded in the child's relevant plans, taking account of the child's background. 25 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure that (1)(b) children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on an understanding about acceptable behaviour. 25 July 2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff (2)(a)(vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare. 25 July 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Rooms should only be searched if the child has been informed or asked for their permission. Immediate searching may be necessary when there are reasonable grounds for believing that there is a risk to the child's or another person's safety or well-being (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.20).  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home's records as 'living documents', supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voices on a regular basis (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 58, paragraph 11.19).  If a child's educational progress is not in line with their agreed targets or next steps, staff should seek expert advice from education professionals, such as the

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Recommendations

virtual school head, special educational needs coordinator, learning mentor or teacher (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11).

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Information about this children's home

 The home may provide care for up to four children and young people.  The home is privately owned by a large childcare provider.  The home provides a 12-month therapeutic service for young people involved in, or at risk of, child sexual exploitation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16 November 2015 Full Requires improvement

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Requires improvement

Staff know the young people and so are able to provide some degree of individualised care to them on an everyday basis. However, behaviour management plans do not contain information regarding young people’s individual needs. They do not provide staff with guidance about how to work effectively with young people on issues such as debriefs after incidents. Young people are not involved in their plans. This potentially hinders the effectiveness of the work that staff are able to complete with young people and, therefore, potentially hinders the young people’s progress. Young people do not always receive the input of services that they need. For example, when young people have specific dietary needs, neither they nor the staff have received input from the looked after children’s nurse to support them in managing their dietary requirements. Staff have liaised with some partner agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services, to be able to

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Requires improvement

support young people’s emotional well-being. However, there is a lack of accountability regarding following up recommendations made and ensuring that young people continue to receive the recommended input. Young people’s engagement with the in-house clinical team has been positive. However, there is a lack of proactive information sharing after incidents in the home and a lack of accountability and oversight regarding follow-up work being completed with young people. Young people say that they feel listened to by their staff team. Staff encourage young people to take part in activities and some young people have secured part- time employment and joined a local youth group. Young people say that they know how to raise any issues or complaints that they may have. Overall, young people report that they are happy in the home, although some young people highlight recent relationship difficulties with their peers as having had a negative impact on

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Requires improvement

them. While staff document incidents of bullying, there is a lack of robust documentation regarding how they proactively challenge bullying incidents. Key- working sessions are not always carried out after such incidents, and therefore young people do not have enough opportunities to learn about their behaviours. Young people make progress. Some young people have completed their exams and are looking at future career and study opportunities. Communication between the home and school has improved. However, young people do not have individual educational plans, which would help to support them further. For those young people who are not attending school, personalised plans, detailing how this will be encouraged and challenged, are not in place. This would help them to engage and succeed. Staff are positively preparing young people for their transitions into semi- independence. Young people have started to buy furnishings for their new

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Requires improvement

accommodation. The registered manager has challenged and advocated for young people to have clear plans in place for their transitions. Since the last inspection, the home has had admissions of young people. These have met the criteria set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requires improvement

Young people say that they feel safe. Young people have risk management plans in place, although these lack individualisation and do not always contain enough detail regarding issues such as phone contact. Nor do they contain enough information about young people’s historical behaviours, such as fire setting. The home’s fire risk assessment has not been updated to contain this information and to ensure that there is a robust response to fire setting behaviours. There have been occasions when staff have not robustly addressed risky situations, for example, when young people have used the telephone and shared confidential information about the home. This has potentially placed other young people and staff at risk. Overall, incidents of risk-taking behaviours have reduced. Staff implement strategies to manage behaviours, such as self-harm. For example, some young people have self-soothe boxes and boxes where they can put items that they may

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Requires improvement

self-harm with. This has reduced the number of self-harm incidents. When young people have gone missing staff have learnt from these incidents, implemented learning effectively and put in place strategies to ensure that the opportunities for such behaviour decrease. Staff work with other agencies such as the police, Barnardo’s and the clinical team to share information and, consequently, to start to reduce young people’s risk-taking behaviours. Boundaries are becoming much more consistent in the home, and staff have started to implement a clear guide to actions and consequences for one young person. Staff talk to young people about their behaviours and praise them for their progress. Staff complete room searches as a last resort when young people are displaying risky behaviour, such as having lighters in their bedroom. However, staff have not always ensured that young people know when their bedrooms will be

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Requires improvement

searched or the reasons for this action being taken. Staff are trained in the behaviours of young people. They have good knowledge of the young people, their behaviours and how to keep young people safe.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has been in post since last year. He is qualified up to national vocational qualification level 4 in leadership and management. There is a stable and consistent staff team in place. 10 of the 13 staff members are qualified to national vocational qualification level 3. The registered manager has implemented new structures and systems in the home, and these continue to be embedded into everyday practice. The registered manager continues to address areas for development and is committed to continuing to make the necessary improvements to the home. For example, he is currently improving health plans so that they link more effectively with young people’s risk management plans and placement plans. The registered manager ensures that activities and routines in the home are focused on the young people. Young people have opportunities to develop and to progress. Their progress is reviewed in monthly team meetings and monthly

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Requires improvement

meetings with the clinical team. The registered manager works with the local children’s home policing team and the clinical team to review any areas of risk. On occasion, there is a lack of oversight in following up tasks for young people. However, the registered manager is quick to rectify this. Care staff receive regular supervisions. New members of staff say that they found their induction informative and that they are well supported by the staff team. While staff training ensures that they are able to deliver the home’s statement of purpose, it lacks personalisation and staff do not always receive opportunities, outside of mandatory training, to have training about young people’s specific needs. Improvements have been made to address the requirements identified at the previous inspection. The registered manager has robustly challenged placing authorities to ensure that young people have identified semi-independent

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Requires improvement

accommodation within a reasonable time prior to their leaving. The registered manager has worked much more cohesively with the school to ensure that young people have the support that they need, such as language teachers, to overcome any potential learning barriers. Other shortfalls have been identified during this inspection, and requirements and recommendations made.

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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 that 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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