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:

 Children receive good, effective care and support. This helps them to make progress in different areas of their lives.  All children have an external education placement and attend their allocated provision.  When problems emerge with a child’s education, the staff see this quickly and seek advice and support from the relevant key agencies. They take a proactive approach to adjusting plans in place and to good effect.  Some children have secured part-time employment in the local community.  Staff are responsive and nurturing in their approach. They persevere with children and get positive results.  Children receive sensitive help and support, which help them to rebuild relationships with family.  Children enjoy a range of activities in the local community and are encouraged to be active.  The model for supporting and promoting independence skills helps the children to think about their futures and to learn to take responsibility for

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The children's home provision is good because:

their actions.  This inspection identified some minor shortfalls, which have minimal impact for the children currently living in this home. They relate to consistency of formal supervision for new staff, staff’s lack of knowledge of the statement of purpose, the use of documentation to assess risk in lone working and the consistent signing of all records.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that staff continually and actively assess and record perceived risks, child by child, with specific reference to lone working, for lengthy periods of time such as holidays. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  Ensure that records are consistently signed by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Ensure that the staff receive supervision of their practice. This is with specific reference to consistently achieving the aspiration of providing all staff on probation with fortnightly supervision in line with the provider’s policy. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this children's home

This home is one of a group of homes run by a large independent provider. It offers care for up to three children assessed to have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

11/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Each child receives good-quality care, resulting in behavioural change. For some, the impact is immediate and, for others, this comes because of staff’s continued perseverance. All of the children benefit from the approach, effort and persistence that staff provide. A representative from one placing authority said: ‘I am personally really impressed with the service they are providing.’ There have been no admissions to the home, and no children have left. This means that the same three children have continued to live together since the last inspection. Overall, relationships have improved, and the children have learned to be more tolerant, understanding and accepting of one another. The children say that there is no bullying and that they are able to sort any differences out, as teenage sibling might. This demonstrates that the provider has met the recommendation from the last inspection. Key staff continue to build trusting and meaningful relationships with each of the

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Good

children. However, there have also been some changes in the team. The staff in post since the last inspection deal with the impact of staff leaving sensitively. The children say that they accept change and have come to see moving on as part of living in residential care. They are aware that each member of staff coming in makes a good effort to get to know them and to invest time in them. One child said: ‘I know that all of the staff are good.’ All children have a school or college placement. When hurdles arise, in relation to children’s emotional or academic capacity to manage being in education, staff are quick to act. They work in partnership with relevant agencies, to devise plans to ensure that the children’s needs remain central. For example, to help one child sustain a college course, the staff discretely go into the classroom to offer support to help him. This solution has made a positive difference for this child. Children

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Good

come to know that the staff will support them, whatever it takes. This helps them to feel sufficiently able to continue with their education. This approach encourages children to reach their potential and to visualise their futures. A representative from a virtual school said: ‘They take a very supportive approach.’ Those children who are old enough have part-time jobs in the local community. Staff ensure that those who require additional guidance and support, to seek and practise employment, receive this. The staff modify their approach, which results in positive outcomes for each child. The homely building provides ample space for each child to relax in the communal areas. Bedrooms are comfortable and highly personalised. One child said: ‘I love my room.’ Families and individuals significant to any child are welcome to visit. The staff work hard to champion any contact plans or arrangements and go the extra

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Good

mile to help children practically by, for example, providing transport and emotionally by, for example, being available to listen to their concerns. This sets the scene for providing children with the best opportunities, to sustain or re- engage with family relationships. This empowers children, while helping them to maintain their identities. Children are encouraged to take an active part in life in the local community. The staff take the children on holiday. Some of the staff and children take part in local charity runs. As in a family, the staff are very good at providing transport and keeping in touch with the children when they are out. For example, some of the children are regular visitors to a local skate park. Some children play cricket or football or are involved in a local boxing club. All of this helps children to develop healthy patterns of behaviour and teaches them positive ways for managing stress

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Good

and anxiety. Plans for encouraging and promoting independence are clear and individually tailored to ensure progress. This helps to raise the children’s self-esteem while encouraging them to take responsibility. When children are not able to engage in plans, staff amend arrangements, and there is a lot of discussion with the individual child. One member of staff said: ‘I know that this child can use a hoover, turn the washing machine on, prepare and cook a meal, but our role is to ensure that they actually do practise doing these things.’ This helps children to prepare for life beyond residential care.

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Good

The children feel safe living in the home. One child said: ‘If I need anything, the staff are always there.’ Complaints are rare, because there is much discussion with the children on a day-to- day basis about the running of the home. When a child does complain, they receive a meaningful and robust response. The formalised children’s meetings provide another route for each child to express grumbles. The result is that the children have their say and often feel listened to. The staff monitor the children’s use of the internet and mobile phones. They manage perceived risk competently. This is because key members of the team have come to know each of the children very well. One member of staff said: ‘Building a relationship with any child is organic.’ The result is that the children have confidence in the staff, because, as a collective, they work well together and anticipate where difficulties might arise. This enables them to implement effective strategies to

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Good

minimise risk. Incidents of self-harm had, until very recently, stopped completely, representing significant progress. Staff are sensitively managing a very recent re-emergence of some minor self-injurious behaviours in one child. Overall, incidents in and out of the home have decreased significantly. This is because the children are accepting help, learning to make better decisions and, when they are making mistakes, they are learning from these situations. Thus, the staff are doing a good job to prepare these children for adulthood. The staff complete risk assessments for general activities and for specific situations. The majority of those sampled were well written and balanced. However, the written information specifically relating to lone-working arrangements, when taking children on holiday, falls short. This is because the information is not sufficiently person specific. While this shortfall has no current impact for any of the children living in the

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Good

home, a failure to record specific information about children’s potential behaviour could result in vital information being missed in the future. Overall, incidents of missing are few. Most of the children do not go missing. For one of the children, this represents a significant improvement from her starting point. However, there has been a slight month-on-month increase in one child not returning to the home, when he is out. Staff have plans in place to support this child and consistently take robust and effective action, to ensure his swift return to the home. Staff ensure that the relevant placing authority is kept up to date and, in doing so, ensure that his placing authority fulfils its responsibilities to him. Physical intervention is rare in the extreme. Staff manage challenging behaviour well. They are respectful in approach. One child said: ‘They are definitely fair with us all.’ They hold boundaries and exercise extreme patience in the face of insult and verbal

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Good

threat. Equally and more often, they are quick to recognise and reward when children have demonstrated that they are making an effort to self-regulate towards modifying their behaviour. One placing social worker said: ‘They are always, always encouraging our child.’

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Good

In post for approximately two years, the registered manager is working towards completion of the required level 5 diploma in leadership and management. For some months after the last inspection, she was helping to support another home run by the provider. Thus, her time was divided between two homes. She remained available, and there were suitable management arrangements in place during her absence. However, records show that, during this period, not all documentation was consistently signed. This represents a shortfall in quality standards, but had no impact. While the time-limited arrangement appears to have had no lasting effect for the children or staff, both say that they are happier that the registered manager is back, overseeing the home on a full-time basis. Staff describe the registered manager as supportive and approachable. They are aware that she has clear expectations of them, to ensure that the children remain

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Good

at the centre of their practice. There is a good and supportive approach to delivering staff supervision and appraisal. These meetings take place frequently. Recruitment and induction processes are thorough and robust. The processes used in this home are supported by the infrastructure of the wider organisation. This means that for all staff there is access to good, up-to-date training, such as on staff supervision and delivering effective key-work sessions. However, the provider’s policy for supervision documents its aspiration to provide fortnightly supervision for new staff. In this home, the providers target is not consistently met. While this inspection identifies no specific impact for the current children, providing routine formal supervision for new staff, particularly those with minimal experience of social care settings, helps to ensure that they remain clear about the need to hold professional boundaries.

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Good

All staff who should have achieved the required level 3 diploma in health and social care have done so. Those who have completed their probation are enrolled in good time onto the course. This means that the overall workforce is appropriately qualified, as required by regulation. The arrangements for external monitoring have recently changed. Thus, there is a fresh set of eyes evaluating the home’s overall efficiency. Nonetheless, the registered manager is very clear in her own mind about the work that she wants to do, with the support of the responsible individual, to continue to improve outcomes for the children and to develop the home further. She welcomes recent changes to the front garden and driveway, which result in an improvement to the home’s external presentation. Additionally, she places significant emphasis on ensuring that she and the management team receive regular feedback from children, staff

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Good

and agencies that visit the home. Incorporating feedback into the home’s development plan helps her to have a firm overview of the home’s effectiveness. This means that the manager can be ready to address any areas for improvement, in partnership with other agencies, as required. A representative from one placing authority said: ‘I am really glad and happy that we were able to place our child in this home.’

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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 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 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

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

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

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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