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

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people live in a nurturing and highly supportive environment, which meets their needs and helps them to make progress in their lives.  The quality of care is good and provided by a skilled and well-motivated staff team.  Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff, which has helped them to improve their behaviour and reduce levels of risk taking.  Care planning is focused on young people’s individual circumstances and is therefore effective in meeting their unique and diverse needs.  Young people benefit from successful partnership working between the staff and professionals from other agencies, which contributes to good holistic care.  Although young people feel safe, one aspect of safeguarding practice does need to improve.  The manager leads a highly motivated and child-centred staff team and he manages the home effectively.

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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 the ‘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 ensure that staff understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (Regulation 12 (2) (a) (v)). In particular, that staff know when to use restraint and use restraint proportionately to prevent a child from putting themselves at risk of harm. 28/10/2016

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Information about this children's home

A private company has registered this home to provide care and accommodation for up to two young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home opened in June 2016.

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Recent inspection history

This is the first inspection of this children’s home.

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Good

Young people enjoy positive experiences of their care and make good progress as a result of effective care planning and a nurturing staff team. Young people’s individual needs are met, whether this is for emotional stability and well-being, social skills, behaviour, developing independence or further education. The standard of professional practice is strong in all but one aspect and makes a positive contribution to young people’s care. Young people have good relationships with staff who are caring and understanding. Staff are friendly, warm, patient and sensitive to young people’s individual needs. This helps young people to feel understood, acknowledged and valued and allows them to thrive. The targeted care and close work with other agencies help young people to progress across different aspects of their lives. Staff help to maintain good attendance at school and support practical hobbies such as bike maintenance and

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Good

camping. This helps one young person who is developing his practical education and has completed his Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. When young people leave school staff are proactive in helping them to apply to college and seek employment. Staff provide young people with high levels of emotional support and encourage counselling where this is beneficial. The manager and staff access clinical advice and use this to inform the support and care that they give to young people. Young people are physically healthy. They take part in regular exercise, bike rides, horse riding and sessions at the gym. Young people follow healthy diets and risks to health from smoking or drinking alcohol are minimal. Young people make a positive contribution to their care plans and running of the home. Staff advocate strongly for young people about placement decisions and future care plans. Staff are responsive to comments from young people,

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Good

particularly about aspects of care that may make the home feel institutional, such as the record keeping systems. Staff respect young people’s wishes not to be involved in record keeping and signing any records. Young people are able to follow their own lifestyles, for example vegetarian or vegan diets, pursue individual hobbies and interests and decide how they spend their time. Young people pick their bedrooms and are involved in choosing decor for the home. This helps young people to feel part of the home and respected as individuals. Both young people progress well in preparation for adulthood. They learn practical skills such as budgeting, shopping and cooking. Staff assess their abilities, which includes making appointments, how to pay bills, finding employment, setting up a home and where to seek support. Effective planning focuses on individual areas of need such as social skills, building relationships and social networks. Again, staff

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Good

respect young people’s views, such as, ‘It does not feel homely to cook meals for yourself.’ Staff balance the promotion of independence with young people’s needs for care and support. Young people have good opportunities to learn to drive as part of their preparation for independent living.

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Requires improvement

Staff are not sure when to use physical intervention proportionately to prevent young people from putting themselves at risk of harm. This potentially could expose young people unnecessarily to unsafe situations. Other areas of safeguarding practice are stronger. Young people feel safe. One young person commented, ‘Staff are very protective.’ Staff help young people to understand the risks to their safety. For example, staff have helped them to learn about internet safety and to develop a better understanding of other people’s points of view. This has in turn led to a reduction in risk-taking behaviour. Missing from home incidents have reduced and risks of offending are much lower. There has been only one missing from home incident since the home opened. On this occasion, staff acted quickly to locate the young person. Despite this, they then lost contact. A more proactive approach in these circumstances may have

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Requires improvement

prevented this. Staff were persistent in trying to find her again and made sure other relevant agencies were notified, which helped to ensure that she was found. The manager works closely with other safeguarding agencies and clinical health professionals to ensure that appropriate strategies are in place to keep young people free from harm. Staff manage risks well, in an age-appropriate way that takes into account young people’s needs and upholds their dignity and respect. Young people’s views inform risk reduction strategies that promote their strengths and help to maintain good relationships with staff. High staffing levels, advocacy and promoting young people’s wishes and feelings, contribute to an all-round effective strategy in keeping young people feeling safe and valued. This also helps to maintain the strong, positive relationships between staff and young people. As a result, there is a pleasant homely atmosphere with

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Requires improvement

very low levels of swearing or aggressive behaviour. Staff are skilled in de- escalating any incidents if they arise and any use of discipline is very rare.

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Good

The registered manager has been in charge of the home since it opened in June this year. He has a wealth of experience in residential childcare and is appropriately qualified. He has a deputy and three team leaders to support him and ensure the consistent, smooth running of the home. He knows the young people well, what their individual needs are and ensures that their care helps them to develop. The manager regularly monitors the quality of care and the needs and progress of young people. He uses this information to track young people’s journeys since coming into care and to focus on their particular individual needs, such as social skills, social support networks, emotional well-being and further education. This approach helps to maintain high standards of care that are responsive to young people’s development and progress. There is an independent visitor who checks monthly on how well the staff safeguard young people and promote their welfare. These visits have helped to

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Good

highlight some shortfalls in records and procedures but corresponding reports are not all rigorous in their assessment of practice. The registered provider recently took action to improve the quality of these arrangements. A significant number of staff have moved from other homes owned by the same provider along with young people to maintain the consistency in care and relationships that young people enjoy. This reflects the staff commitment to the well-being of young people. The staff team all know the young people well, are determined to help them succeed and have their best interests at heart. Staff receive good support and supervision and there is good communication within the staff team. This keeps staff up to date with any new incidents or concerns and changes to risk assessments and care plans. The majority of staff have achieved the required care qualification. New staff undertake a thorough induction before

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Good

starting this training. In addition, all staff undertake a range of training to keep young people safe and promote their individual needs. The manager and staff are proactive in building and maintaining good working relationships with partner agencies. This is particularly positive for one young person who goes to a residential school. The continuity and consistency across both settings are effective in contributing to his progress. The manager and staff will challenge other professionals to provide the best for young people. This has helped to make family contact arrangements safer and to promote placement stability.

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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 looked after children 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 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, 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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