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:

 A young person said that they do not always feel listened to about life in the home, or that their worries are taken seriously.  Young people do not have consistently positive relationships with each other and as a new home staff are still working towards addressing this culture.  Staff have struggled to manage young people’s challenging and aggressive behaviours and to resolve confrontations safely.  Young people whose needs have been difficult to meet have been placed at the home. Staff have not accessed training to help them to understand fully the challenges of caring for young people who self-harm.  One young person does not routinely receive his prescription medication as prescribed.  Young people’s records do not identify the potentially negative influences of others.

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The children's home strengths

 Two placing authorities and a parent confirm that the home is having a positive impact on the lives of young people.  The manager and staff work well with other professionals to support young people.  Staff try their best to improve young people’s experiences.  Staff promote and support young people’s contact with family members and those people who are important to them. When concerns arise, these are appropriately passed to the placing social worker.  Young people benefit from a home that is decorated and furnished to a high standard.  Overall, young people’s views about the quality of care are positive.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered persons meets 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

In order to meet the positive relationships standard, the registered person must ensure:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) that staff (ii) help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; (iv) help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone; (viii)strive to gain each child's respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

(xi) de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children; (xii) understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and (xiii) have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and

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Requirement Due date

(b) that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that children are helped to understand the impact of their behaviour on themselves and on others’ safety and well- being. 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that any medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed (Regulation 23(2)(b)). 30/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

The provider must employ individuals who have the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for the work that the individual is to perform to work at the children’s home. Especially in relation to the staff group’s completion of training in self- harming behaviour (Regulation 32(3)(b)). 30/10/2016

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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

 All children's case records (Regulation 36) must be kept up to date and stored securely while the children remain in the home (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62 paragraph 14.3).

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Information about this children's home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a large national private provider.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection since registration.

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Requires improvement

This is the home’s first inspection since it opened in October 2015. Six young people have moved into the home during this period. One placement ended because the staff struggled to manage the young person’s complex and challenging behaviours. Another young person returned home at the request of his parent because they no longer wanted their son to be in the care of the local authority. Some young people have been placed far from their birth family home. Although they say that they like the home, they do not want to live here.

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Requires improvement

Staff try to build and maintain positive relationships with young people. Young people spoken to said that they get along with most staff but did express some negative feelings towards others. However, they did identify a particular member of staff whom they said that they could relate to. Young people have not always got along positively and have colluded in anti-social behaviours that have had an impact on the stability of the home. For example, they have been involved in aggressive behaviours towards staff and towards each other and have used sexual, racist and other derogatory comments. Staff took one young person to visit a war museum, which provided him with an excellent opportunity to learn about the oppression of people during wartime. This helped him to understand and put into context some of the extreme views that he expressed.

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Requires improvement

The picture in terms of progress and experiences for all young people is very mixed. One young person is making good progress from his starting point of placement, despite his making it clear that he does not want to live in the home. In particular, his attendance at school has improved, and staff have helped him to reduce some of his risk-taking behaviours, including going missing from home. A placing social worker said, ‘When (name) moved to the home in January 2016, he’d had a number of foster placements and his behaviour was unstable. They have worked hard to rein him in and stabilise him. They understand him and have his best interests at heart. Previously, he wasn’t attending school, but he is now. They are empathetic about his situation in not wanting to be there.’

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Requires improvement

When young people come to live at the home, they often have a history of non- attendance in education. Staff promote the importance of regular attendance, including transporting young people to their school placement. One young person was encouraged to attend school as soon as he came to live at the home. However, this progress has not been maintained due to his going missing from the home over a prolonged period. A placing social worker said, ‘I am impressed with the home… I know (name) likes it… If they can keep him engaged I think he will do well.’ Staff work with education professionals to ensure that young people can access educational materials when they are not able to attend. This helps to support their learning outside of school.

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Requires improvement

One young person said that he feels that there are times when he is not respected or listened to. Records of planned key-work sessions and young people’s house meetings show that their views are sought about menus, activities and the running of the home. The young person also said that he stands outside the office door during the staff handover so that he can listen to what staff are saying about him. Staff have recently sourced an independent advocate for this young person. This will support him to have his views, wishes and feelings taken into account, particularly about wanting to live nearer to home.

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Requires improvement

Young people are generally in good health and they access appropriate services to meet their needs, including the child and adolescent mental health services. Their health is further promoted as they receive support from specialist resources, such as a drugs and alcohol worker. Staff encourage participation in smoking cessation, but with limited success. Medication is stored securely; however, staff do not administer one young person’s medication as prescribed. This does not ensure young people’s optimal health.

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Requires improvement

Staff support young people to sustain significant relationships with families and friends. This includes transporting them some distance for contact visits. When staff feel that there is a risk to a young person from their contact, they liaise with the placing social worker and put additional safeguards in place. A placing social worker said, ‘They support lots of contact every weekend, and the staff have a good relationship with mum.’

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Requires improvement

Young people have caused damage to the home. However, staff have gone to great lengths to ensure that the physical environment is maintained to high standards. A placing social worker said, ‘This is by far one of the best homes.’

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Requires improvement

Despite staff working hard to provide a positive and supportive home, they have been challenged by the competing needs of individual young people. At times, young people have demonstrated behaviours that potentially place them and others at significant risk, including climbing on the roof, smoking in bedrooms and using threatening behaviour with a knife. Furthermore, staff have not effectively addressed issues of bullying. Minutes of young people’s meetings only reflect that behaviour is discussed in the most general of terms. They do not show how the issue of bullying is addressed with the individual perpetrator or victim. Thus, this leaves the victim at risk of further bullying.

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Requires improvement

More positively, physical interventions, with their possibly negative consequences, are not overly used. Although the police have been called to support staff on occasions, every effort is made not to criminalise young people. A placing social worker commented, ‘They’ve not called the police when they could have. They want him to succeed.’ Staff use rewards and praise to promote positive behaviour.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s risks are identified from their starting points and strategies put in place to protect them from harm. For one young person, some specific risks are reducing, such as sexual exploitation, self-harming and drug use. However, risk assessments do not identify the potentially negative influences of others and collusion in negative activity.

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Requires improvement

Staff follow clear protocols and procedures when young people go missing from the home to ensure their safe return. Staff have been proactive in passing on the details of suspicious cars to the police. They also notify appropriate professionals and family members when young people go missing. A parent commented, ‘My son has only been there for a couple of weeks… I find the staff lovely, very honest and helpful. Nothing seems any trouble. Like, for example, my son absconded… The home kept everyone in the loop. Something I hadn't experienced before.’

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Requires improvement

Young people have access to appropriate information so that they know how to make a complaint or to raise a concern. There have been no complaints from the young people, but there have been several complaints from the neighbours. One issue was recorded in the home’s journal and not in the complaint record as required. This is a recording issue however, and has minimal impact on young people.

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Requires improvement

The manager has established effective relationships with other safeguarding professionals to promote welfare and safety of young people. Allegations are handled quickly and effectively, and appropriate action is taken to safeguard young people. During the inspection, a young person raised a concern with the inspector and manager in relation to staff practice. This is currently being investigated by the manager.

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Requires improvement

The home has an appropriately qualified and experienced manager. She has been in post since registration in October 2015, and holds a relevant qualification in leadership and management. The manager demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She acknowledges that at times it has been difficult to manage the challenging needs of young people at the same time as the introduction of a new staff team.

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Requires improvement

The home is adequately staffed and resourced to meet the needs of the young people. Staff either hold or are working towards a relevant childcare qualification. Training records show that staff undertake a thorough induction, and there is ongoing training to support their development. For example, they received introductory training on therapeutic parenting from the psychologist. However, they have not had training that would give them a better understanding of the needs of the young people whom they are currently supporting, such as training on the risks of self-harm and ligature use. Regular supervision and team meetings afford staff opportunities to reflect on practice.

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Requires improvement

Admissions to the home are planned. However, placements of young people have not always been a good match. This has resulted in some young people not making good progress and experiencing disruption in their lives. For example, staff described a young person being ‘manipulated’ by the older boys, and how two young people had been a ‘terrible match’.

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Requires improvement

The home has effective working relationships with other agencies, including the local community police team, looked after children’s nurse, the youth offending service and the placing authorities, to support young people’s development. Comments from professionals include:  ‘The home are helpful arranging welfare visits.’  ‘Staff always keep me updated.’  ‘The manager is very proactive in making sure staff liaise with me.’  ‘Initial impressions are that staff are knowledgeable and aware of (name)’s background.’  ‘I’m impressed with the home .’  ‘Have to say up to now they seem to be the most empathetic, caring, compassionate staff I have experienced.’

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Requires improvement

The manager’s monitoring includes some analysis of practice. For example, she identified a need for further training on physical interventions. An independent visitor undertakes monthly visits and provides the manager with feedback on the operation of the home.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s records lack clarity in some areas. On the first day of the inspection, one young person did not have an internal health plan, education plan or placement plan in place. Thus, it was unclear whether he was registered with all health professionals, and there was no information about his school. However, this was rectified on the second day. Records of key-work sessions and young people’s meetings do not fully evidence discussions about how to improve relationships or the group dynamics.

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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

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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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