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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people continue to make good progress, developing skills to self-regulate their behaviour and emotions. They are learning essential life, social and personal care skills. Skilled, knowledgeable staff support young people with all aspects of daily living and education. Staff have good relationships with young people and this is apparent in their interactions. Staff possess good insight and understanding of the needs of the young people in their care. Staff follow a wide range of plans that detail practical guidance to enable staff to support young people with daily routines. The whole staff team regularly reviews and updates risk assessments and behaviour support plans, promoting a consistent approach across the setting. Staff follow the appropriate identified strategies, supporting the young people to follow their individual daily programme of activities and education. Other plans that detail additional needs are not reviewed and updated as

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

frequently. Some records are not up to date and do not consistently reflect the current information or detail required. Plans do not clearly state the legal reason under which a young person is receiving care or the contact arrangements (with family) for a young person. The home utilises an electronic recording system for many aspects of records, alongside a paper recording system. The systems and records used are extensive but lack consistency and clarity. Leaders and managers plan to review their recording systems to improve their quality and effectiveness. Staff adhere to a multi-disciplinary approach to the care in the home. A whole team approach is applied to review and planning, which has a positive impact on care and the development of targets. Each young person’s targets focus on new skills being learned and developed. The ‘need to know’ documents provide good practical detail and insight about a young person’s likes, dislikes, how best to support them

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and essential basic information. This information has not been routinely transferred into plans. Leaders and managers collate extensive information and details about a young person prior to their admission. This informs assessments, plans and transitions into the home. Staff do not currently thoroughly explore the impact of a new arrival to the home on other young people currently residing there. Those who have recently arrived at the home have made good initial progress and are now engaging in education and activities they have previously refused. Staff support those moving on from the home. They work closely with new providers, sharing the knowledge and information they have with new providers. They follow thorough plans supporting young people to develop positive relationships and routines in new settings. This has had a positive impact with young people successfully moving on. Staff use a variety of strategies and skills to

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

prepare young people, including the use of social stories and visits to the new home. All young people engage in education, and young people have individual plans and targets. Those that struggle to attend the education setting on site are following clear plans and routines, which include meaningful education and social activities. Staff provide education to young people about risk-taking behaviours, internet safety and other essential education through the education provision. This is then reinforced outside of school time through daily living, experiences and social stories. Staff facilitate work experience opportunities for young people that develop their confidence and self-esteem, while learning basic skills. Young people are encouraged to complete basic household chores, including simple food preparation and domestic tasks. Young people are developing their abilities and life skills, thus promoting their future opportunities and abilities.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people are supported to attend health appointments and reviews. Staff utilise a variety of communication systems and schedules to prepare young people for medical appointments. All young people are supported to attend appointments, either accessing community provision or meeting with healthcare professionals at the home. Leaders and managers have developed the advocacy services available for young people. They have recruited an advocate for the home, who will be trained and supported to communicate with the young people who reside in the home. Leaders and manager aim for this to be meaningful and accessible for young people. This work has been ongoing since the previous inspection and is not yet embedded. Staff have also developed systems for young people to make comments about the care they receive; the noticeboards around the home are being improved to ensure that young people get the essential information and advice given.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home comprises several houses in which young people live; not all of these have a homely feel. They vary in style and presentation, according to the individual needs of those young people that live in them. Some areas were identified which require improvement and repair. In one area, personal care items were unnecessarily on view in communal areas. A bedroom door has a viewing pane in it, without an assessment or recorded rationale for its use. The home does have a site improvement plan and development plan, which identify items for repair or replacement in the coming months. The site is large and a continual programme of repair and redecoration is in place to maintain its presentation. Staff use robust, effective systems for reporting, referring and acting on concerns. They have referred and reported allegations made in the home. There is an evidence trail, a chronology of actions completed, including the investigation detail

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

and outcome. Leaders and managers have good relationships with the local safeguarding board. They have attended training and have good knowledge and understanding of safeguarding risk factors and what is required to minimise risk. No complaints have been made since the previous inspection. There have been no episodes of missing from the home since the previous inspection, and staff have good knowledge and understanding of what is required if an incident was to occur. Leaders and managers have continued to review the use of locked doors and other restrictions in the home. They are using the least restrictive measures currently while also promoting young people’s independence. Leaders and managers have implemented many new systems, acting on requirements and recommendations previously set. Some areas continue to require further embedding into staff practice. Staff have made good progress achieving the required qualification, with others

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

continuing to work towards achieving this. Supervision is offered more frequently to staff, but the new system and frequency of supervision is not yet embedded. Managers plan to implement a central tracking system to promote their monitoring of supervision frequency for staff. Leaders and managers have been robust in their challenge to others to ensure that young people’s needs and plans are reviewed as required. An example of this was the effective challenege with a placing authority to ensure a young person gained all the required support and preparation to enable them to move onto their next placement and into adulthood.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 31 children and young people who have learning disabilities and/or sensory impairment. The home forms part of a residential school specialising in care, education and therapy for young people with autistic spectrum disorder and associated behaviours. It is owned by a public limited company. Specific support is provided to assist young people in developing their communication skills, social skills, independence and self- management of their behaviour. There is a multi-disciplinary approach to care provided to young people, with support available from a variety of professionals.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

16/12/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

12/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

Fitness of workers An individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained the level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England). The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1 April 2014, the date which fails two years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 ((4)(a)(50(a)) 30/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

Employment of staff The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 ((4)(a)(b)) 30/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

Children Case Records The registered person must maintain records(‘case records’) for each child which (a) include the information and documents listed in schedule 3 in relation to each child; (b) are kept up to date; and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 30/03/2017

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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

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support and, where possible, this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. Children looked after are entitled to an independent advocate to advise them and ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives. Specifically, children should be advised and informed of their right to this. (‘‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  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

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Recommendations

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. (‘The guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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 0300 123 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 at 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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