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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness . Since the full inspection the home has made steady, consistent progress. All the requirements made at the last inspection have been met. The registered manager and senior team now have better systems in place to track children’s progress and ensure that the home is safely maintained. There is clear improvement in the way the home is managed and this has improved the experience for children living in the home. Children make very good progress from their starting points. All children in the home are in full-time education, with staff going the extra mile to ensure that children settle into school, and advocating robustly on their behalf if they are not making progress. Children have access to recreational opportunities and are encouraged to take part in activities outside the home such as the Brownies,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Scouts and sporting activities. Staff recognise the need for children to develop peer relationships and to learn how to manage these friendships. Children have had overnight trips with school and have been invited to parties, all of which are encouraged and supported by staff. Staff create an environment which is welcoming, homely and calm. It is very much a family home, with photographs, pictures and toys evident. A picture board has been created for the children with photographs of all the staff and their roles, as well as frequent visitors to the home. This is used to help children become familiar with the names of staff caring for them, as well as facilitating discussion about all the visitors to the home, and allaying anxieties about this. Children engage in good quality direct work with staff. Children have child-friendly placement plans, with their aims and goals written in age-appropriate language.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Recording in the home is good, and is enhanced further by age-appropriate care planning material and consultation documents for children. There have been no new admissions to the home in the period since the last inspection. The registered manager has thoroughly reviewed matching processes and is considering admissions to the home carefully to minimise the impact on the children in the home and to ensure that staff can meet the needs of any new child admitted. Transitions from the home have been managed well. Staff have developed excellent resources to support children moving on from the home and to facilitate a smooth transition. Since the last inspection there has been improvement in staff stability. Responses to challenging behaviour from children have become more consistent as new staff have developed skills and gained experience. Having consistent and familiar care enables children to develop positive, trusting relationships with staff. This has

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

improved the experience for children living in the home. There has been a marked reduction in incidents of restraint. Staff are effectively using de-escalation techniques and have the confidence to intervene and divert situations at an earlier stage. Staff are also very aware of the physical environment and how this can be a trigger for challenging behaviour through being over- stimulated or through difficulties in peer relationships. The registered manager has used monitoring of restraint and physical intervention to identify where staff need additional training and support. This targeted work has resulted in staff de- escalating situations more confidently. Debriefing for staff and children takes place following restraint. Recording of restraint is very clear. Staff benefit from opportunities to have reflective debriefs with colleagues, and from strong clinical support. Staff report that they value the opportunity to reflect on practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are aware of the vulnerability of the children they work with and all staff have had safeguarding training. Staff support children to develop age-appropriate self- care skills and, as they get older, independence skills such as free time in the community. Children’s unsupervised time in the community is carefully assessed, taking into account their age and specific needs. A recommendation has been made to make the home’s location risk assessment more meaningful, so that it assists in planning for independence work. Greater consultation is needed with partners to establish a better sense of risks in the community. Comprehensive monitoring and effective quality assurance systems have facilitated ongoing improvements to the home. The registered manager and the senior team have been able to focus on these improvements due to having sufficient staff in place who are skilled and experienced enough to effectively deliver the day-to-day

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care and accommodation for up to five children who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is owned and managed by a private company and provides services to local authorities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13/01/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendation

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendation

 The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. This is with reference to the need to give more consideration to safeguarding in the community, and greater consultation with partners. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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 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 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 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: 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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