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 make good progress across most aspects of their welfare, including physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, taking into account their individual starting points. There is evidence of change and improvement in the lives of young people, who benefit from effective, high-quality support from staff.  Young people are actively encouraged to attend school or alternative educational provision regularly, with good support and encouragement from staff. Staff consistently have high aspirations for young people, and maintain effective partnerships with the providers of their education to promote their educational achievement.  Young people enjoy good relationships with staff, and benefit from continuity of care, which provides them with consistency and stability in their lives. Care planning is well organised, and practice is highly individualised to meet the specific needs of the young people at the home.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are kept safe and have a strong sense of personal safety. They become increasingly safer as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them. Risks associated with young people are well known and managed effectively by staff.  Young people benefit from a caring, highly supportive and nurturing environment. They say they enjoy living at the home, where they feel safe and are developing a real sense of belonging.  Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. Leaders and managers ensure that staff are well supported and led. There is effective scrutiny of the performance of the home to improve the standard and quality of young people’s care. Leaders and managers make good use of the home’s monitoring activities. Consequently, they have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses, and take appropriate action to secure improvement.

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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 should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff (including someone in a management role) are on duty to meet the assessed needs of all children in the home, and that those staff are able to respond to emergency placements, where accepted. The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet the needs of children and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that 'relevant plans' are obtained from the placing authority. This relates specifically to obtaining personal education plans, pathways and updated care plans for young people who require them. (‘Guide to the children homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.1)

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Recommendations

 Each child should have permission for staff to administer first aid and non- prescription medication from a person with parental responsibility for them recorded in their relevant plan. For children looked after, this permission should be sought and arranged by the child's social worker. Where appropriate, the child's family should be involved in supporting their child's health needs as well as in providing permission for treatment. (‘Guide to the children homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.14)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child's day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children's home an environment that supports children's physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home's Statement of Purpose. This relates specifically to ensuring young people have access to appropriate therapy at the frequency and intensity required to promote their psychological and emotional well-being. (‘Guide to the children homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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Recommendations

 When a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Recommendations

 All staff in a care role, including external agency or bank staff, must have the qualification in regulation 32(4) within the relevant timescale listed in regulation 32(5). The registered person may extend the time period if the member of staff hasn't worked in the role for a prolonged period, such as sick leave or maternity leave, or if it is not reasonable to expect the member of staff to complete in this timescale due to the nature of the hours they work. (‘Guide to children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.12)

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Information about this children's home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to three young people who may have emotional, behavioural and/or learning difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 02/08/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 06/10/2015 Full Outstanding 03/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Good

There have been new admissions to the home since the last inspection. These young people have settled in relatively well, and have been made to feel welcome by the group. Newly admitted young people reported, ‘I like it here. I came here in October. Staff are nice people and they help me’. ‘I like it here. Staff are nice and supportive. I am not going to lie. Like it’s one of the best children’s homes I’ve been in.’

p.7

Good

Young people have left the home since the last inspection, either through planned and predicted transition to alternative care provision or because they have not been able to settle at the home. For example, a recent admission was not appropriately placed and matched. Insufficient information was shared at the time of admission, and the home was unable to meet the young person’s specific needs or address their presenting behaviours. Consequently, the young person’s placement was ended.

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Good

The young people who currently live at the home make good progress across most aspects of their welfare, including physical, social, emotional and behavioural development, taking into account their individual starting points. There is evidence of change and improvement in the lives of young people, who benefit from a caring, highly supportive and nurturing environment. Young people develop good relationships with staff, with whom they can build strong attachments. They are kept safe, and are developing a real sense of belonging.

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Good

A social worker reported, ‘During my visits staff have always appeared to engage well with the young person, who says he is happy there and wants to stay. He has complex issues which he often finds hard to cope with, especially around attachment and trust. Although there have been other young people moving on and some young people whose behaviour my young person is concerned about, staff will protect him and ensure he feels safe. He is beginning to trust workers and I have seen a very positive change in him in the last few weeks.’

p.7

Good

Care planning is well organised, and practice is highly individualised to meet the specific needs of the young people. However, new admissions require updated care plans to reflect their changing needs and circumstances. There are also young people who are eligible care leavers. Consequently, they require relevant plans to promote their readiness for independence.

p.7

Good

Young people are actively encouraged to attend school or alternative educational provision. Some young people enjoy good educational attendance. However, recent attendance for some young people has got progressively worse. Staff continue to support young people’s regular attendance. Staff consistently have high aspirations for all young people, and maintain effective partnerships with the providers of their education to promote their educational achievement. There are some young people in need of updated plans to track their educational progress and achievements.

p.7

Good

Staff promote contact for young people so that they sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff provide young people with positive and enjoyable activities, both at the home and in the wider community. For example, young people enjoy DVD nights, go-karting, and various trips out with staff, such as to the cinema and sports stadiums. As a result, young people develop their social skills, interests and hobbies.

p.8

Good

Young people are registered with a doctor, dentist and optician, and have access to these services when they need them. Consent for the administration of suitable non-prescription medication is in place for most young people, and staff are familiar with the health decisions and responsibilities that are delegated to them. Consent for one young person is currently outstanding.

p.8

Good

Young people in need of additional help and support are not receiving any therapy to promote their emotional and psychological well-being. The home has made referrals for external specialist support. However, this can be a lengthy process. Two placing social workers were under the impression that the home provided its own therapy, but this is a limited resource. A social worker reported, ‘There’s been a significant delay in her accessing therapy but the placement is going well; it’s very homely and they’re supporting her.’

p.8

Good

The home’s Statement of Purpose states, ‘The home will be clinically supported by a highly skilled clinician who will consult with the home… A psychological decision will be made and the appropriate knowledge base and evidence-based interventions will be sourced. In-house therapy will be offered upon a referral basis and sourced locally.’ A social worker reported, ‘Overall, I am currently happy with the care and feel encouraged by the relationships I am now seeing being built between the young person and certain members of staff. I am concerned that there has been no therapeutic input offered to him to date, especially as this placement was sought due to its therapeutic component.’

p.8

Good

Risks associated with the young people are well known and managed effectively by staff, who have a good understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and take appropriate action to address them. Consequently, young people become increasingly safer as a result of the actions staff take to support and protect them. Young people are kept safe, and enjoy a strong sense of personal safety.

p.8

Good

Staff are trained in child protection, and know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. Young people are protected from abuse and all other forms of significant harm, including sexual exploitation and bullying. There are no current concerns with child sexual exploitation, and young people rarely go missing from care. However, should young people go missing, there are effective procedures and interventions to promote their quick and safe return. Currently, there are no formal arrangements made with placing authorities with regards to the undertaking of an independent return home interview. Currently, these interviews are undertaken by staff to ascertain the reasons for young people going missing.

p.9

Good

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge and understanding of safe working practice. The use of clear risk assessment, effective behaviour management strategies, and proactive safeguarding practice, promote the safety and well-being of young people. The home maintains effective partnerships with the police and other safeguarding agencies to ensure young people are safeguarded, supported and protected effectively.

p.9

Good

Staff promote young people’s positive behaviour and there is good use of targeted incentives and rewards. The use of sanctions is kept to an absolute minimum, and there is evidence that staff use a restorative approach to helping young people reflect on the impact and consequences of their behaviour. Staff are trained and skilled in de-escalation, which means that the use of restraint is exceptionally rare. Restraint is only ever used as a last resort to keep young people safe and to protect them from actual harm.

p.9

Good

Young people know how to make a complaint, and their rights are promoted effectively. There has been one complaint since the last inspection, which has yet to be addressed in the manager’s absence. There have been previous complaints from neighbours in relation to noise levels and anti-social behaviour. The home has taken appropriate action to proactively address all of the neighbour concerns.

p.9

Good

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect young people. This ensures young people benefit from effective support, and protection. The home provides young people with a physically safe, appropriately secure, warm, comfortable and homely environment. Health and safety matters are addressed effectively to promote a safe and hazard-free environment for young people. Judgement grade

p.9

Good

Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The current acting manager of the home has applied to Ofsted for her registration. The previous registered manager has returned to work following maternity leave, but has taken up another post within the company. The acting manager has sufficient qualifications, skills and relevant experience, and demonstrates effective leadership qualities. They ensure staff are well supported, managed and led. Staff benefit from regular professional supervision, and have the necessary skills, training and experience to meet the needs of the young people. However, there are new staff employed who are waiting for a date to begin their Diploma Level 3.

p.10

Good

The acting manager recently sustained a serious injury, at work, and has been off on short-term sick leave. Staff are feeling tired, and on occasions the home has been slightly under-staffed. One young person has made a complaint in respect of this issue. While there are sufficient staff to care for young people safely, without a third member of staff this limits choice, staff efficiency and flexibility. This is also potentially unsafe for staff, given that one young person is prone to making allegations.

p.10

Good

The home meets the aims and objectives in its statement of purpose, delivering a good-quality service for young people that contributes to change and improvement in their lives. However, the statement of purpose may need to be amended in relation to the services the home provides and in what capacity — for example, the provision of therapy — to make it clear to all stakeholders what services and facilities the home can provide for young people.

p.10

Good

The home has met two recommendations from the last inspection. The home is now well maintained and homely. Previous damage caused to the home has been rectified effectively. The home has worked constructively with young people, the police, neighbours and the council to address concerns with anti-social behaviour. However, two recommendations are repeated in relation to the adequacy of staffing and the compatibility of future admissions to the home.

p.10

Good

The performance of the home is securitised effectively. Each month, the home is inspected by a person who is completely independent of the home. Following each visit, an evaluative report is prepared in relation to the conduct of the service. The views of staff, young people and relevant stakeholders are sought and taken into account to form an accurate opinion about the quality of young people’s care. The acting manager makes good use of the home’s internal and external monitoring activities, so they have a good understanding of the home’s strengths and weaknesses and can take appropriate action to secure improvement. Staff maintain highly effective partnerships with the police, schools, social workers and other professional agencies to ensure young people benefit from the best possible help and all-round support. The acting manager escalates concerns, and challenges any decisions if they believe these are not in the best interests of young

p.10

Good

people. They prioritise the needs of the young people in their care effectively, and will advocate on their behalf.

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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 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

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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