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:

 The home has experienced a period of instability and crisis over recent months. This is because young people have continued to engage in risk- taking behaviours such as going missing from the home, using cannabis and being involved in violent and criminal behaviours. These behaviours, alongside the lack of engagement by young people in the opportunities, services and support that are available to them, have impinged on improving their experiences. As such, young people have made minimal progress during their time at the home.  The manager has not been robust in his challenge to placing local authorities when they have not complied with their statutory duties. Therefore, young people are not routinely offered an independent return home interview after every reported incident of being missing from care.  The provider has failed to ensure that one of the recommendations raised at the two previous inspections has been carried out. Repair work to the

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

driveway, perimeter fences, front gate and kitchen floor tiles still needs addressing to ensure that the home is safe and suitable for all young people.  The manager has not ensured that actions and recommendations from regulation 44 visits, independent health and safety risk assessments, and fire risk assessments are carried out in a timely way. Therefore, the health, safety and well-being of the staff and young people are being compromised.  The manager has neither highlighted nor identified within the home’s safe area risk assessment how he and the staff team will address and support young people to manage the known risks associated with the local area.  The provider has failed to ensure that all young people receive the clinical support that they require and as specified within the home’s statement of purpose.  Young people’s case records do not hold all the necessary statutory documentation. Therefore, the manager cannot be assured that he and the

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The children’s home provision requires improvement because:

staff team are meeting or addressing all young people’s identified needs.

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The children’s home strengths

 Staff facilitate and support young people’s contact with their family and friends well. The staff team works well with young people, their friends and their carers to ensure that they can spend regular, good-quality time with the people whom they enjoy being with, doing the activities that they want to be involved in.  Staff challenge any form of discrimination appropriately and sensitively with young people, while ensuring that they support them in gaining a better understanding and appreciation of individuals’ differences.  The staff spoken to during the inspection acknowledge the difficulties that they have been presented with in their care and support of young people, and consequently the limited progress that has been made. Despite this, the staff continue to express commitment and enthusiasm for their role and have genuine aspirations for young people.  The managers and the leadership team support the staff well. Staff spoken

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The children’s home strengths

with report that they can access additional help and guidance as they need.  The operations director acknowledges that the delay in completing the identified outstanding work is unacceptable and has given his assurances that this work will be undertaken.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and ‘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 registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child.

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Requirement Due date

This is in particular reference to ensuring that a copy of each child or young person’s statutory healthcare plan is on file and that details of any immunisations given are available. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 07/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard, the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

(1) (a) the health and well-being needs of children are met; (b) children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being.

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Requirement Due date

This is with particular reference to ensuring that children receive the additional clinical support and services that they require and that are identified within the home’s statement of purpose. 07/10/2016

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that when a placing authority does not provide the services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home, such as complying with its statutory duties to undertake independent return home interviews, the registered person must challenge them to meet the child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person must ensure that the children’s home complies with relevant health and safety legislation.

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to ensuring that the recommendations that have been identified within the independent safety in the workplace risk assessment and the fire risk assessment are completed within the timescales which are set. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home provides a comfortable, homely and secure environment that is well maintained and decorated.

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to ensuring that the repairs are undertaken to the driveway and the garden wall, and that the front gate and the kitchen floor tiles are replaced. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must ensure that the home is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded. Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home once a year. The review should include the identified risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing this.

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Recommendations

This is with particular reference to the propensity for illicit substance misuse. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a large, national private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This home enlists the support of a clinical care team in its delivery of care to children and young people.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

Young people experience variable outcomes. Some young people who are new to the home report that they benefit from positive relationships with staff and are positive about what their future holds. Other young people, who have since moved on from the home, have presented significant challenges to the manager and staff team. These young people did not forge the same level of nurturing and positive relationships with the staff team and failed to make any noticeable progress from their individual starting points. One professional said, ‘I cannot see any progress that (name) has made. I still get reports that they are missing from home, stealing and getting involved in crime. These are all the things that we were trying to stop here.’ The manager considers any new referrals to the home adequately to ensure that he and the staff team can meet the particular needs of each young person. The manager completes individual impact risk assessments to consider the compatibility

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Requires improvement

of the young people joining the home. This is to reduce the likelihood of conflict and further placement disruption for all young people. This, alongside the introductory visits that are undertaken by the manager and staff to the young people prior to their admission, alleviates young people’s anxieties about their imminent move. One young person confirmed that the manager and staff had visited them prior to their move to inform them about their new home. The young person said that they were made to feel welcome when they arrived, and that they were now happy and settled within the home. The education arrangements for young people are variable. Some young people have returned to education and maintained good attendance for a limited time following a prolonged period of absence. However, other young people have failed to engage with good-quality education provision throughout their time spent at the home, so have not acquired the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications

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Requires improvement

that they require to move on into adulthood successfully. Practical arrangements are in place to meet young people’s known and emerging physical health needs. Young people are registered with the doctor, dentist and optician, and are supported and encouraged to attend their routine health appointments at the point of their admission. Young people are provided with additional opportunities to engage in specialist health services, such as the professionals linked to substance misuse teams and sexual health services, to support them with their individual and identified needs. Although staff encourage young people to engage with and make the most of these opportunities, most young people have been reluctant to do so, thus do not fully understand the consequences of their actions and continue to engage in risk-taking activities, which impact on their general health and well-being. There has been no noticeable progress with some young people’s emotional well-

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Requires improvement

being. Despite the assurances to provide clinical support that are outlined in the home’s statement of purpose, this has not been systematically provided to all young people. Consequently, some young people’s emotional needs have not been fully met and others’ behaviours have continued and, in some instances, escalated. This has resulted in some young people’s placements ending prematurely. Young people are offered a range of interesting experiences and opportunities to enhance their childhood memories while at this home. Young people choose who they want to join them on their trips and which activities they wish to be involved in. Some young people have enjoyed trips to Alton Towers, Blackpool and Jump Nation, also the use of more local community provisions such as local youth clubs and cinemas. While some young people have participated and engaged well in these activities, others have chosen not to take part in the opportunities that they

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Requires improvement

have been given. Young people are placed some distance away from their families and friendship groups. Despite this, staff support and enable young people to maintain strong links with those who are important to them. Staff ensure that young people’s wishes and views are heard and acted upon, and they facilitate contact for young people with family and friends sensitively, safety and in line with their requests. This supports young people’s emotional well-being and helps them to maintain a positive sense of identity and belonging. Young people confirm that their views are listened to and taken seriously by the staff. Staff spend time with young people to gain a good understanding of their wants and needs, and to ensure that these are captured and incorporated into their care plans. This ensures that young people remain central to their care planning.

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Requires improvement

Staff take effective action if they have any concerns about young people’s welfare, and understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. This is because they receive suitable training in this regard. When young people or those within the local community have raised any areas of concern, the manager investigates these complaints promptly and ensures that a suitable solution is identified quickly. The manager consults adequately with the designated officer when any allegations are made against staff. The staff are aware of the young people’s risks and vulnerabilities, as these are clearly stated within young people’s individual risk management plans. These are regularly reviewed and updated. Young people spoken with during the inspection are clear about the rules and the expectations of them. They confirmed that the sanctions and consequences that are in place for non-compliance with these expectations are fair. While most sanctions are used appropriately to address

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Requires improvement

young people’s undesirable responses, they have been ineffective in changing the unwanted behaviours of most young people. The manager has correctly identified, responded to and taken appropriate action to redress sanctions which have been incorrectly imposed by the staff. The staff use incentivised behaviour management strategies to support young people, to respond to their emotional responses in a positive manner and to develop their independent living skills in line with their age and experience. Despite this and the suitable efforts of the staff team, young people continue to engage in behaviours that compromise their health and well-being, such as taking part in criminal activities and using cannabis. Incidents of being missing from care are responded to adequately. Staff are familiar with young people’s risk management plans and the protocols that are in place, and implement these routinely. When young people go missing from the

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Requires improvement

home, staff make suitable attempts to contact and locate them. Staff ensure that parents, police and social workers are kept informed of these incidents. While the systems have improved to ensure that young people are given the opportunity to undertake an independent return home interview following any episodes of being missing, these are yet to be offered to all young people routinely after every reported incident. As such, pertinent information is lost and cannot be used to inform future care practice and thus to reduce further the number of. Staff support young people to gain a wider acceptance of individual differences well. Staff challenge young people appropriately and sensitively when they engage in discriminatory behaviour. Staff spend time with young people to discuss research-based literature with them and undertake individual one-to-one sessions. This support enables young people to consider their actions appropriately so that

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Requires improvement

they can treat others with dignity and respect, and consider and embrace difference better. Staff carry out searches of young people’s bedrooms when this is necessary to promote the safety of young people, staff and others. Where possible, young people are encouraged to be present or give consent prior to the search. Any items which are recovered are recorded and disposed of appropriately. The manager ensures that young people’s risk management plans are reviewed and updated in accordance with this information and that all the necessary agencies are informed. The registered manager reviews and updates the home’s safe area risk assessment in line with the required timeframes. He uses this information in his consideration of new referrals to the home. That said, the manager has missed an opportunity to identify the specific known risks associated with the local area, for example the propensity for illicit substance use, particularly cannabis. Consequently, the

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Requires improvement

manager has not illustrated how he and the staff team will endeavour to address these known risks when supporting young people placed within the home with these particular needs. While a range of health and safety checks are routinely undertaken to promote young people’s and staff’s safety within the home, the provider has failed to ensure that the actions identified within the independent health and safety assessments and the fire risk assessment are carried out promptly. For example, one of the actions identified with the home’s health and safety in the workplace risk assessment, completed in February 2016, identified that the provider should install anti-tamper restrictors to all upper-floor windows. This task has yet to be completed, and one of the upstairs bedroom windows remains sealed shut.

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Requires improvement

The home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified manager. He has been registered with Ofsted to manage this home since October 2012. The manager is supported in his day-to-day management tasks by his competent and experienced deputy manager, who assists him in undertaking the management tasks of this and two other homes. The home benefits from a full complement of staff, the majority of who are, suitably qualified and experienced. Suitable arrangements are in place to ensure that the two newer members of staff acquire the necessary qualifications within the required timeframe. The manager ensures that systems are in place to support new staff through the robust probation support systems. These systems, suitable training opportunities and regular supervision sessions ensure that the staff have the skills and knowledge to provide consistent care for all young people. The manager effectively monitors serious incidents to ensure that appropriate

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Requires improvement

action is taken and any points of learning can be integrated into future practice. All significant events relating to the welfare and protection of young people living at the home are notified to the appropriate authorities in a timely manner. Young people confirm that the information that they receive regarding the home prior to their arrival is satisfactory. They confirm that the children’s guide is shared with them prior to their admission so that they know what they can expect when they arrive, the services that are in place to support them, and the avenues and support services that they can access, should they need to.

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Requires improvement

The two requirements from the previous inspection have been adequately addressed by the manager. He has ensured that adequate arrangements are in place to enable young people to access a suitable education provision. Secondly, the manager has been proactive in requesting services, meetings and reviews when he considers that the home cannot continue to meet young people’s needs safely. The manager has taken suitable action to address one of the two good practice recommendations. Young people’s competing needs are now considered and assessed by the manager prior to any new admission. The good practice recommendation in regard to the fabric of the home, which has been raised within the last two inspections within the independent monitoring of the home and, more recently, within the home’s health and safety work place risk assessment, has yet to be suitably addressed. This relates to improving the fabric of the home, both

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Requires improvement

inside and out. For example, the driveway still requires resurfacing, the garden wall and the front gates still need replacing, and the kitchen floor tiles still require attention. While the registered manager has attempted to rectify this, the provider has failed to ensure that these jobs are completed. The manager has a good understanding of the strengths and areas for continued development of the home. This is because he utilises a number of internal and external systems regularly to monitor and review the quality of care provided for young people. Internal monitoring processes are in place to evaluate the care practice of staff and the experiences of young people. Furthermore, an independent person undertakes the monthly monitoring visits and provides written feedback to the registered manager. That said, the recommendations and action points identified within these systems are not routinely scrutinised by the

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Requires improvement

registered person to ensure that all the outstanding areas that have been identified are addressed promptly. The manager makes suitable attempts to ensure that young people’s case records are complete and up to date. He is proactive in contacting the placing local authority to request that any outstanding statutory documents and records are provided to the home, and he chases these requests up appropriately. However, the healthcare assessment for one young person is not yet complete. Consequently, it is not clear if all the young person’s current health needs are being appropriately met and addressed.

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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’. 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 looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 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 who 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 ‘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 0300 123 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, work- based 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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