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

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Young people live in a happy family home where they have good relationships with the staff. They have made significant progress in all aspects of their development.  Staff highly value young people’s individual education provision. They support and drive them to achieve. Some young people have taken exams, gaining qualifications which will assist them in their adult lives.  Staff assist young people to develop resilience, enabling them to manage free time safely. This has enabled young people to be able to visit their family homes and spend quality time with people who are important to them.  A particular strength of this home is the wide range of evidence to demonstrate how young people are at the centre of care practice. Staff regularly consult young people, gaining their views in relation to their care and the running of the home. Consequently, young people’s self-confidence and self-esteem have increased.

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

 Staff support young people to develop skills to help them in their adult lives. Creative workbooks assist staff to understand what young people know and what areas need further development.  Staff have a thorough knowledge of the young people. They know what causes individual anxieties and frustrations, and support young people effectively to manage these in a positive way.  Young people say that they feel safe because staff support and teach them how to keep safe. There have been no episodes of young people going missing from the home and the use of physical intervention has not been necessary.  Managers and staff are highly proactive and child-focused. Multi-agency working is vital to ensure that young people gain the correct level of support, providing a holistic approach in meeting specific care needs.  The manager has excellent oversight of the home. She has high expectations of her staff and drives them to provide highly individualised care to ensure

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The children’s home’s provision is outstanding because:

that young people gain the best outcomes possible.  Staff are well supported to deliver high quality care for young people. They are provided with a range of opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills through supervision and training.

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to two young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. This home is privately owned.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 21/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/10/2015 Full Good 18/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/08/2014 Full Good

p.4

Outstanding

Young people live in a calm, welcoming environment. They say that they are happy living in their home, where they have positive relationships with staff and other young people who live there. A young person said, ‘I love living here. I thought it would be horrible but I was so wrong. I get on well with all the staff, who are really friendly and supportive.’

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Outstanding

Staff deliver highly individualised care. They obtain a thorough knowledge of young people’s complex needs by consultation with placing social workers and families wherever possible. They are highly innovative in gaining young people’s views on their preferences and care experiences. For example, young people engage in quiz books, which assists staff in identifying specific goals and skills needed in preparation for adulthood. This technique has supported young people considerably in accomplishing a variety of skills, such as cooking and learning how to budget. A young person said, ‘Staff have taught me so much and I can cook meals now.’

p.5

Outstanding

Staff have high aspirations for young people and value their education. Young people who on admission had sporadic education attendance have made significant progress in attendance and attainment. Staff work collaboratively with educational professionals and identify barriers to learning. They drive young people to do well and are interested in their accomplishments and celebrate these. Some young people have had the opportunity to sit exams and achieve qualifications. A young person said, ‘I didn’t go to school before I came here. I never thought I would ever go to school. Staff understood me and supported me to do well and I have got my health and social care level 2 and peer mentoring certificate.’

p.5

Outstanding

Staff encourage and enable young people to maintain contact with their families in line with their care plans. They understand the importance of maintaining these relationships to ensure that young people receive consistent care. They take a parent-like approach to ensuring that contact is a positive and safe experience for all involved. This proactive approach has resulted in an increase in unsupervised contact. Young people manage this extremely well and are enjoying the time they spend with people who are important to them.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people are central to their care planning. Staff support them to participate in review meetings where they are able to influence decisions affecting their lives. Staff source materials to help them in obtaining a wide range of information from young people to provide highly individualised care. Interactive books are designed to give young people information on useful services in the location where young people are moving to, for example. This proactive and creative work has assisted staff to empower young people and increase confidence in preparation for forthcoming transitions. This has resulted in young people taking ownership over their lives and planning positively for their futures. This approach runs throughout the home and clearly demonstrates how staff assist young people to work towards independence.

p.5

Outstanding

Young people are well established in this home. They participate in weekly meetings and key work sessions, which provide opportunities to discuss topics such as making good choices and keeping safe. This proactive approach has assisted young people to develop resilience and the necessary skills to keep away from negative influences in their lives. The development of monthly child-friendly progress reports demonstrate the extensive progress that young people continue to make.

p.6

Outstanding

Young people say that staff keep them safe and they learn how to keep safe. They know that the actions staff take are because they care and need to protect them. Staff support them to understand and manage their behaviour and feelings in a safe environment, with clear consistent boundaries. Behaviour management plans are regularly reviewed and adjusted when necessary, ensuring that they are effective and take into account the views and experiences of young people. A young person said, ‘I feel safe here. I know that staff will support me’.

p.6

Outstanding

Staff give young people’s safety the highest priority. Individual risks are clearly identified, understood and well managed. Interventions are thoughtful and supported by individual risk assessments and behaviour management plans. Staff are vigilant to indicators of risk and are able to recognise signs when young people are at risk of sexual exploitation. They take immediate action to protect them by supporting them to engage in activities designed to discourage them from negative influences in their lives. They take a multi-agency approach, working with police, placing authorities and the home’s local authority to ensure that young people are safe from harm. A police officer commented, ‘The home is a safe environment for the young people who are cared for by highly motivated people.’

p.6

Outstanding

The home has developed highly effective links with specialist agencies in respect of risk assessment and young people. Sharing information with these people helps to promote their safety and well-being. Positive behaviour is encouraged, with clear, consistent boundaries to assist young people in understanding the effects of their behaviour on themselves and others. Young people who feel anxious and frustrated are supported to find more positive ways to express their feelings, such as talking to staff about their emotions. Overall, this is having a positive influence on young people and means that there are no episodes of missing from home and physical intervention has not been necessary. A police officer commented, ‘Information sharing is extremely valuable to the police. It makes a massive difference to young people when information is shared between relevant agencies.’

p.6

Outstanding

Staff work calmly and sensitively with young people to ensure that they have ample opportunities to discuss issues which may worry them. They recognise the triggers to behaviour and identify how individual frustrations and anxieties may have an impact on these. They anticipate circumstances that may cause a change in behaviour, developing robust plans with young people to help to manage these more effectively. Managers monitor and review these strategies effectively, to ensure that they are successful and in the best interests of young people.

p.7

Outstanding

The registered manager regularly reviews the home’s premises to ensure that it is suitably located. She consults various agencies, such as the police, to ensure that any known risk areas are identified. This provides a useful reference for staff to educate young people on areas which may not be safe. The registered manager has included the risks to young people from sexual exploitation and radicalisation effectively. This additional information assists staff in ensuring that any potential risks to young people are minimised.

p.7

Outstanding

The registered manager is highly experienced, suitably qualified and holds the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. She manages two other homes within the organisation. This has not proved detrimental to the running of this home, because they are close to each other. The registered manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager. Both are child-focused, confident and proactive and have excellent oversight of the running of the home. They ensure that the home is consistently run in the best interests of the young people who live there.

p.7

Outstanding

The home is well managed and successful in meeting the aims and objectives as outlined in its statement of purpose. Child-focused practice is embedded within the home's philosophy. Consequently, young people are achieving positive outcomes in all aspects of their lives. A staff member said, ‘We are very proud of the huge progress young people continue to make.’

p.7

Outstanding

Staff are highly valued and supported by their managers and receive regular supervision and support from them. Staff development is ongoing through training and regular team meetings. Staff have completed all safeguarding training and additional guidance which focuses on the needs of the young people, such as sexual exploitation and substance awareness. Some staff members have benefited from the opportunity of attending multi-agency training. This has provided them with more understanding of different roles and how other agencies respond to situations. A member of staff said, ‘I thoroughly enjoyed learning how other agencies look at situations. It’s given me a good understanding of their role, what to expect from them and how important multi-agency working is for young people.’

p.7

Outstanding

The staff team is well established, solid and consistent. Staff are positive and highly dedicated to supporting young people to succeed and achieve the best outcomes in preparation for adulthood. A member of staff said, ‘There is a really positive vibe here. We are fully committed to helping young people and want them to succeed in life.’

p.8

Outstanding

The manager has a positive relationship with young people. She enjoys spending time with them, talking to them and seeking their views on the care they receive. She is highly proactive and strives to improve and develop young people’s experiences. These positive relationships provide her with sound opportunities to obtain young people’s views on a variety of subjects, to explore how they are feeling and to offer support. Young people value their manager’s input. A young person said of the manager, ‘I really like her, she’s very friendly and easy to talk to’.

p.8

Outstanding

Care planning is of a high standard and is individually tailored to meet the specific needs of young people. The manager regularly monitors young people’s progress and development, enabling her to identify any developing patterns or trends. This proactive approach allows her to take swift action to address any areas of concern that she identifies. A social worker said of the manager, ‘She is excellent and knows X very well. She is always well prepared and knows what will work and what won’t.’

p.8

Outstanding

Since the last inspection the manager has implemented a number of improvements in relation to care practice. For example, a simple information booklet in the home’s hallway ensures that young people have easy access to bus and train times. This means that young people can independently access all the information they need. These systems are in their infancy and will be monitored and reviewed to ensure that they are effective and of benefit to young people.

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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 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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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