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

Paula Lahey

The monitoring visit was conducted following a full inspection when the home was judged as inadequate. Two compliance notices were served in relation to the following:

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Paula Lahey

Regulation 12: The protection of children. Leaders and managers were failing to ensure that there were sufficient staff to meet the needs of children and young people. The monitoring of safeguarding concerns by leaders and managers was ineffective. Safeguarding investigations were not conducted in a timely manner. Staff were not provided with training to ensure that they have the necessary skills to meet the needs of children and young people with high-risk, self-harmful behaviour.

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Paula Lahey

Regulation 13: The home does not have a registered manager. The supervision of staff was not regular and the quality of supervisions was poor. Shortfalls in staffing meant that there were not sufficient staff, and children were not receiving consistent care. Staff did not have the suitable training to ensure that they had the skills to meet the needs of children and young people.

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Paula Lahey

Eight requirements were also set to address the shortfalls identified at that inspection.

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Paula Lahey

Since the last inspection the senior leaders in the company have reviewed the leadership and management arrangements of the home. An experienced manager is in post on an interim basis until a permanent registered manager is recruited. The recruitment for a permanent registered manager is ongoing. The responsible individual is now based at the home and they have a clear role to review the quality of care and make significant improvements. Furthermore, an additional team of experienced leaders and managers from within the company is supporting the responsible individual in the improvement work.

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Paula Lahey

Leaders and managers have made some changes to how the home operates, and one of the houses has now closed. This has increased the capacity of the workforce and the home is sufficiently staffed. Consistency of staff continues to be a challenge, as there are still some vacant posts on the care team. There is still a high use of agency staff. However figures indicate that the number of shifts covered by agency staff are starting to reduce. Leaders and managers continue to recruit new staff and there is a more robust focus on recruiting quality and skilled staff.

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Paula Lahey

The responsible individual is taking effective action to improve the quality of supervision. The responsible individual has prioritised improving the quality of supervision by training and mentoring the staff in a supervisory role. House managers confirm that they have received supervision training which was of a high quality and feel motivated to improve their supervision skills. House managers say that they feel supported and have received training since the last inspection that provides them with the skills they need to do their job. Leaders and managers are honest in their approach and they identify that not all staff are receiving regular supervision. This is detailed on the action plan and there are steps in place to improve in this area.

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Paula Lahey

Leaders and managers have received the training programme and staff are receiving additional training so that they can meet the needs of children and young people. The responsible individual is in the process of setting up further training to upskill the staff team in areas such as autistic spectrum disorder, attachment, trauma and mental health.

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Paula Lahey

The designated safeguarding lead has conducted a comprehensive safeguarding review and concerns are monitored effectively. Safeguarding investigations are conducted in a timely manner. Leaders and managers have revisited the safeguarding log of concerns and improved the quality and rigour of investigations where shortfalls were identified previously. The responsible individual has provided training to all leaders and managers responsible for internal safeguarding investigations.

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Paula Lahey

A case review has determined that the compliance notice is met. A further full inspection will take place to determine the progress against the requirements.

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Information about this children’s home

This national private organisation provides care and accommodation for children and young people with autistic spectrum disorder and/or learning disabilities. It operates as a residential special school, which also provides accommodation for students requiring 52 weeks boarding and is therefore registered as a children’s home for 40 placements.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that 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

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 ensure that staff: (2)(b)(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect. In particular, ensure that bathroom and bedroom doors are closed when staff are supporting children and young people with their personal care needs. 16/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard *

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure that staff: (2)(a)(iii) have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm; (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; (vi) take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In particular, ensure that leaders and managers take swift action to protect children and young people from harm and that investigations into safeguarding concerns are conducted in a robust and timely manner to protect children. Leaders and 16/02/2017 managers must ensure that care plans are updated to include new information about risk and child protection issues. Leaders and

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Requirement Due date

managers must ensure that children are not left unsupervised. Staff must know where the ligature cutters are located. 13: The leadership and management standard *

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture that: (a) lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care to each child; (e) ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; (f) understand 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; (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, ensure that leaders and managers have effective

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Requirement Due date

monitoring systems in place to protect children and young people. Leaders and managers must ensure that there are sufficient staff with the skills and required experience to care for each child and that children get consistency of care, including when agency staff are used. 16/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child; (a) any punishment involving the consumption or deprivation of food. (Regulation 19 (2)(b)) In particular, food must not be removed from children as a behaviour management strategy. 16/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children are provided at all reasonable times with access to the following facilities which they may use without reference to persons working in the home: (3)(a) a telephone on which to make and receive telephone calls in private. 16/02/2017 (Regulation 22 (3)(a)) In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that children’s access to a telephone is not restricted to manage behaviour. 25: Fire precautions

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must: ensure, by means of fire drills and practices at suitable intervals, that persons working at the home and, so far as reasonably practicable, children are aware of the procedure to be followed in case of a fire. (Regulation 25 (1)(d)) In particular, ensure that a fire drill takes place immediately in the new home that recently opened. 16/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered persons must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) In particular, ensure that leaders and managers use supervision to monitor staff performance, challenge poor practice and protect children and young people from harm. 01/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) In particular, ensure that leaders and managers implement an effective system to record complaints from children and make a distinction between a complaint and a child protection concern. 01/03/2017

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection. This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. out in 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 this guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

to 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

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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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