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

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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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

This home was judged requires improvement at the last full inspection in July 2016. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that the home has declined in effectiveness .

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Since the inspection in July 2016, leaders and managers have not sustained the progress and improvements that had been made in the home. Shortfalls found at this inspection are a repeat of deficits identified at previous inspections. Leaders and managers are failing to embed and maintain effective systems to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The premises require urgent attention. There is a general lack of care and attention with regard to making some parts of the home comfortable for children. Staff are not taking effective action to eradicate unpleasant smells in some children’s bedrooms. The quality of the bedding is poor. Sufficient consideration is not always given to the appearance of the houses. As an example, one child’s bedroom has bars on the window and the reason given for this is that the glass is not safe.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Staff do not value young people’s personal belongings. A number of examples that were noted during the inspection indicated an apparent lack of care with regard to toys, clothing and personal items, such as photographs and artwork. Some of the children’s personal items had not been taken with them when they moved to their new home.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The staff team fails to recognise that the school is also a home. In one of the homes, administrative staff were using the kitchen to prepare a buffet for a recruitment event. By way of another example, it was noted during inspection that some of the lounges have a computer which is used by staff and children. Staff said that they sometimes use the computers to do their own work while the children are in the lounge. This means that when staff are preoccupied and working on the computer, in a communal area, children are not always supervised appropriately. This also restricts the opportunity for children to enjoy playing and learning when they want to.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Children and young people continue to be restricted in their movements around the home. In particular, in some houses, children still cannot access the gardens as some external doors remain permanently locked. All external front doors are operated by a key-code system that prevents children and young people from entering and leaving their homes independently. Placement plans need to be reviewed in order to ensure that they clearly describe the needs of children and young people and how they wish to be cared for.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

While leaders and managers have taken some steps to improve children’s awareness about their sexual health needs, basic information about sexual health is not included in placement plans. In addition, children’s and young people’s records are not always stored securely.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Two fire exits in one of the houses were locked. Staff could not locate the door keys in a timely manner. Inspectors requested this to be rectified during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Staff are not consulting with and advocating on behalf of children and young people regarding their care and long-term future plans. When children move from one house to another, leaders and managers do not routinely ask the children currently living in the home how they feel about someone new coming to live in the home. Staff work hard to meet specific requests that parents may have about the care of their children, but no time is spent on consulting with children and young people about what they would like.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

The monitoring systems that have been put in place to oversee the quality of care provided to children and young people are ineffective. Leaders and managers who were previously in post brought a rigour to management oversight of the running of the homes. However, this has now ceased and, as a result, standards have fallen. Supervision arrangements for leaders and manager are inadequate.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Risk assessments and behaviour management plans lack clarity with regard to which support strategy links to which behaviour. They do not link well with placement plans. However, risk assessments are individual to children and young people; they identify children’s and young people’s risks and provide strategies to minimise them.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Staff have not received training on working with children who self-harm.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Leaders and managers monitor incident records effectively and provide children and young people with debriefs following a restraint.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Isolation practices have been used for one young person whose needs the staff were struggling to meet. Restraint records for restrictive care in respect of this young person are not detailed enough. Despite this being highlighted at the previous inspection and the subsequent education inspection, no improvements to the records have been made.

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The effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of

Leaders and managers have effective systems in place to monitor safeguarding concerns. Staff follow child protection procedures and report concerns to the designated safeguarding person. An appropriate referral process is in place to ensure that children and young people are safe; through this process the relevant agencies are contacted when concerns emerge

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Information about this children’s home

This national private organisation provides care and accommodation for up to 68 students who have autistic spectrum disorder and learning difficulties. It operates as a residential special school which also provides accommodation for a number of students who require 52 weeks’ boarding; it is therefore registered as a children’s home. Care is provided in 11 homes, of which nine are within the grounds of the school and two are situated in the local community.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 05/01/2016 Full Requires improvement 10/11/2015 Full Inadequate 03/12/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness 15/07/2014 Full Adequate

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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 with 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:

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Requirement Due date

2(b)(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

(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;

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Requirement Due date

(vii) provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

(viii) provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

(c)(i) ensure that the premises used for the purpose of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of any child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records such as placement plans, behaviour support plans and risk assessments clearly detail the needs of children and young people and how to meet them.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the quality of the environment is improved, paying particular attention to children’s bedrooms and some communal areas and gardens.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, improve the quality of personal items for children such as bedding, beds and toys.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children and their belongings are treated with dignity and respect. 17/02/17

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Requirement Due date

7. The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard 28/02/17 In order to meet the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

1(c) take children’s views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives;

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Requirement Due date

2(b)(iii) ensure that children are given appropriate advocacy support.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the views of children and young people are sought when making changes to their care. 10: The health and well-being standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the health and well-being standard the registered person must ensure that staff help each child to:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a)(ii) understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that placement plans or records provide clear information about how staff support each child and young person with regard to how their body develops and matters relating to sexual health. 28/02/17

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Requirement Due date

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 ensure that they inspire and lead a culture that:

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Requirement Due date

(2) (f) understands 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;

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Requirement Due date

(h) uses monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

Paying particular attention to improving the monitoring systems that are in place to ensure that they consistently identify shortfalls and weaknesses. 28/02/17 20: Restraint and deprivation of liberty

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing:

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Requirement Due date

(a) injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

(b) serious damage to the property of any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

(2) Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered manager considers any restriction imposed as a restraint and that these restrictions are communicated explicitly to local authorities in relation to deprivation of liberty. This includes the use of locks on external doors preventing access into the home and access to gardens. 28/02/17

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Requirement Due date

provide adequate means of escape from the home in the event of a fire.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees:

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff receive training on self-harm, and that leaders and managers are provided with effective and regular supervision by a person with the necessary skills. 28/02/17

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure care records are kept: 31/01/17 securely in the children’s home during the period when the child to whom the case records relate is accommodated there.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 36 (2)(c)) * These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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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 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 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 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 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

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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