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

This monitoring visit

The monitoring visit was conducted following an inadequate inspection on 20, 21 and 22 September 2016. Two compliance notices were served in relation to the following:

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This monitoring visit

Regulation 12: The protection of children. Leaders and managers were failing to implement the child protection policy. Leaders and managers did not establish a system to provide them with good oversight to monitor safeguarding concerns effectively.

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This monitoring visit

Regulation 13: Leaders and managers failed to review the quality of care as required. Monitoring systems were ineffective and failed to protect children and young people from harm. Staffing concerns related to the consistency of staff and failure to provide suitable arrangements for supervision and appraisal.

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This monitoring visit

Six requirements were also set to address the shortfalls identified at that inspection.

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This monitoring visit

Since the full inspection, senior leaders have reorganised the management structure in the home to provide additional management capacity. The leaders and managers have started to introduce systems to deal with the weaknesses identified. These systems are beginning to improve the quality of monitoring and their oversight of the care that children and young people receive.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have a better understanding of the child protection policy. Staff were required to attend refresher training in safeguarding children and young people. In addition, leaders and managers have developed strategies to test the team’s safeguarding knowledge. As a result, the number of concerns reported has increased, which suggests an improvement in staff’s ability to recognise and report a concern.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers have started to develop improved systems to record safeguarding concerns to enable them to identify patterns and trends. This system is not yet robust and needs further development to ensure that it reflects all the concerns that staff report to leaders and managers. There is a pattern that staff do not always recognise a safeguarding concern that may arise through one-to-one sessions with children and young people. This needs further improvement.

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This monitoring visit

The designated safeguarding lead manages safeguarding concerns well. In particular, when there is a concern or an allegation about staff, this is managed swiftly. Leaders and managers make appropriate referrals to external professionals such as social workers and the designated officer.

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This monitoring visit

The system in place to monitor incidents and to identify learning from them is effective. Leaders and managers analyse these records with rigour and have a clear focus on de-escalation, triggers and the experiences of children and young people. This has a positive impact on the care that children and young people receive, as well as the development of staff.

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This monitoring visit

The frequency of supervision for staff is improving. Leaders and managers have implemented a monitoring tool that gives them a better oversight of the supervision and appraisal of staff. There is a plan to ensure that every member of staff has their performance reviewed annually. Leaders and managers are developing staff with management responsibilities to increase their skills and knowledge in the supervision and appraisal of staff. The quality of supervision records needs further attention to improve them. Records are not always detailed enough to show how staff practice is challenged and developed when a concern has been made about them.

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This monitoring visit

Leaders and managers recognise that there are a number of staff vacancies, which has an impact on the consistency of staffing for children and young people. An ongoing recruitment drive is making attempts to rectify this. There is an emphasis on recruiting ‘quality’ staff. The headteacher said: ‘Staff should feel privileged to work with these young people.’ A number of new staff are currently having their safer recruitment checks prior to them receiving confirmation of their post. The single central register looks to be well maintained.

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This monitoring visit

The quality of care review was conducted immediately following the full inspection. The report from the review provides some critique and recommendations to improve and develop the home further. There is a development plan in place, which leaders and managers continue to drive forward. A member of staff said, ‘We are feeling more positive and confident in our roles.’

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This monitoring visit

A case review has determined that the compliance notices have been met. A further full inspection will take place to determine the progress against the requirements.

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Information about this children’s home

This national private organisation provides care and accommodation for up to 40 students with autistic spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. It operates as a residential special school, which also provides accommodation for a number of students for 52 weeks of the year, so is therefore registered as a children’s home.

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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

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. In particular, ensure that the needs of children and young people are detailed in these care plans. 01/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard*

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure: (a) that staff: (iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm In particular, ensure that leaders’ and managers’ oversight and monitoring protects children and young people from harm. Also that leaders and managers ensure that the child protection policy is followed effectively. 01/11/2016 13: The leadership and management standard*

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must: (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child (f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, ensure that leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems in place to protect children and young people. Also ensure that children and young people are cared for by a consistent staff team. 01/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered persons must ensure that all employees: (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. In particular, that leaders and managers use supervision and appraisal to monitor staff performance and protect children and young people from harm. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c)) 01/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records

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Requirement Due date

(3) The registered person must ensure that: (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes: (i) the name of the child (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure (iv) a description of the measure and its duration (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and 01/11/2016 of any other person present when the measure was used (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure, and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure. (b) Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to

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Requirement Due date

do so (‘the authorised person’): (i) has spoken to the user about the measure (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate, and (iii) within five days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. In particular, that any incident resulting in physical intervention, authorised or not, is recorded as described above. Children and young people have access to an effective debrief following any restraint irrespective of their communication method. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

(1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every six months. (2) In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating: (a) the quality of care provided for children (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it, and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’). (4) The registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(a) supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed, and (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 01/11/2016 (5) The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)(b)(5)) * These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the home since their last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. 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

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Information about this inspection

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Information about this inspection

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