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

Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 1 SC456413 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This service is a privately run children’s home. The home provides care and accommodation for one young person who has behavioural and/or emotional difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection: none

Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is good because:  Staff ensure that they provide consistent care, which has resulted in stability and security. This is helping the young person to develop relationships with the staff and she is gradually increasing in self-confidence.  Staff provide opportunities for daily one-to-one discussion with the young person, to gain her views and preferences on the care that she needs. These discussions are well recorded and staff identify any future work needed from these sessions.  Staff give the young person’s safety a high priority. They have a good understanding of her risks and vulnerabilities. They ensure that the right action is taken to keep her safe from harm.  Staff have made good links with placing authorities, health and educational professionals to ensure that the young person makes some good progress with her social, emotional and educational needs.  The young person is making great progress in developing independent living

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Key findings from this inspection

skills. Staff have sourced interactive tools that are helping to ensure that she is well-prepared for adulthood and independent living.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:  There has been significant damage to some areas of the home, including slashes in furniture, a broken window and blinds and several of the kitchen’s cupboard doors are missing. Repairs need to be made swiftly to meet the young person’s needs and enable her to engage in daily living.  The manager should use the home’s development plan to monitor and review systems to make improvements in the quality of care provided in the home and to consider developments that will enhance the young person’s life.  Staff supervision records are brief. They lack evidence that staff have been afforded time to discuss their development needs and there is no record that matters have been discussed relating to the young person.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/05/2016 Full Outstanding 17/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 09/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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

The registered person must ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child and enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(c)(i)(ii)) 14/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person is required to monitor and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 6 (2)(h)) 31/08/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff receive good-quality supervision, which allows them sufficient time to reflect on their practice and discuss matters relating to the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There has been significant damage to areas in the home that are in need of repair. The cushions on the couches in the living room are ripped. The window in the kitchen is boarded up and some of the kitchen cupboards are missing doors. These damaged items need repairing swiftly to ensure that the environment is homely and to enable the young person to develop her cooking skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are aware of the young person’s complex needs and how she often struggles to form relationships with her peers and adults. They ensure that wherever possible the staff team remains consistent and stable. They use a gentle, gradual approach, gaining her trust, enabling her the time to get to know staff. This method has afforded her stability and security and has assisted in increasing her self-confidence and self-esteem with people she knows. A family member said, ‘[Name] doesn’t tolerate people who she doesn’t like and this can cause incidents. The staff team does a great job. I like this placement.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 4 Staff identify barriers to learning. They understand how young people’s families can influence them and how young people’s negative views of themselves can affect their learning. Staff work collaboratively with education staff to ensure that the right level of

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

education is sourced, such as a home tutor. They support young people to engage in education and praise them for their attendance and achievements. This has resulted in the young person sitting maths and English exams.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide individualised care. They gain a good knowledge of young people’s complex needs by consultation with placing social workers and families, wherever possible. They are creative in gaining young people’s views on their preferences and care experiences. For example, young people engage in books called ‘get ready for life’, which assist staff in identifying specific goals and skills needed in preparation for adulthood. This technique has considerably supported the young person in achieving a variety of skills, such as cooking and learning how to budget.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A particular strength of this home is the formal and informal key worker sessions that are completed on a daily basis. There is evidence of discussions about a variety of topics, such as education, activities, health and radicalisation. Staff evaluate the young person’s understanding of what has been discussed and plan future sessions. For example, sensitively planning and encouraging the young person to attend a doctor’s appointment, which will assist her to enjoy good health into adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff actively promote the young person’s contact with those who are significant to her. Staff support and facilitate contact with family members sensitively and ensure that the young person is supported during times of distress. As such, the young person is able to remain in contact and develop and sustain positive relationships with those people who are important to them.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person came to the home with high levels of risk-taking behaviour, such as going missing from home. Since her admission to this home, these behaviours have ceased. Staff have helped her to understand the importance of making the right choices. The young person feels more secure in this solo placement with a smaller staff team that is stable and consistent.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager and staff have a good insight into the young person’s particular emotional needs. They understand how her frustrations and anxieties may affect these. They work sensitively with her to ensure that she has sufficient opportunity to talk about issues that may worry her. Staff anticipate situations which have the potential to cause a change in behaviour, such as a forthcoming transition to independence. Staff develop plans with the young person to help to manage these more successfully. For example, making a list of items she will need in her own home. It is anticipated that this will reduce her anxieties. During these incidents, staff keep a calm stance and talk to her. As a result, she is learning how best to manage her behaviour and physical restraint has not been necessary. A staff member said, ‘We can identify her mood by the music she plays in the Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 5

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

morning. We all stay calm and respond by talking and reasoning with her and she tends to calm.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The manager ensures that the relevant safeguarding agencies, such as the placing social worker, are informed following any significant incidents. The manager is proactive and takes a multi-agency approach in requesting the necessary meetings to ensure that all risks are considered cohesively. She also requests additional support and services that may be required to meet the young people’s emerging needs, such as child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The young person is appropriately protected from the potential risks associated with internet use and social media, including abuse and online grooming. Staff talk to young people about the intrinsic risks so that they understand how to keep safe. Should staff have concerns about unsafe behaviours they will take immediate action, which may include restrictions in use and notifying appropriate agencies.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff employed at the home are subject to organisational vetting procedures and do not start work at the home until all appropriate checks are complete. All fire, gas and electrical equipment is routinely serviced to ensure that it is in good working order. This ensures that the environment is safe and that young people are protected from people who may present a risk to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager post is currently vacant. The acting manager commenced her post on 21 April 2017 and has vast experience of working as deputy manager in another home within the organisation. She is in the process of applying to register as manager for this home and two other homes within the organisation. She is currently undertaking the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The manager is supported by experienced team leaders and is presently involved in recruiting a deputy manager. She is highly child-focused and has a positive relationship with the young person who lives in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is ongoing through training and regular team meetings. The recommendation at the last inspection has been suitably met. Staff have completed a more in-depth training session on autism, which they report has been of great benefit to them. They now have a much more informed understanding of the young person’s highly complex needs and are more confident in how best to care for her. Staff are either qualified or are working towards the required qualification within timescales. They are committed to supporting the young person to achieve good outcomes in preparation for adulthood. A member of staff said, ‘The training course gave me a better understanding of [Name’s] difficulties and how to manage her anxieties, which is keeping calm and giving her information gradually.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they are supported by their manager through regular supervision and team meetings. They report that these are good opportunities to discuss the specific needs and development of the young person and their own development. A shortfall found at Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 6 this inspection is that the records of staff supervision are brief and they fail to demonstrate the discussions between supervisor and supervisee.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a good understanding of the home’s strengths and where this still has capacity to improve. The home’s development plan lacks this information and the manager is keen to include these improvements into this document. The home’s workforce development plan identifies how the manager supports staff with their development and training. External monthly monitoring includes scrutiny from the independent visitor and offers additional attention and challenge to the manager to ensure that the home continues to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Care and placement plans are developed to meet the young person’s complex needs. The manager regularly monitors and reviews young people’s progress and development, enabling her to recognise any emerging patterns or trends. The manager is a good advocate for the young person and escalates any issues with the placing authority to ensure that her plans are effective and achievable.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Sureeta Nayyar-Abbassi

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Inspector

Jo Hornby: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456413 8 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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