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

Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 1 SC405713 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care for up to three children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and forms part of a large social care company.

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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: 23 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not judged

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress in respect of their behaviour, as well as their social and emotional development. Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 2  Staff value the importance of young people’s education.  Staff recognise risks and consistently make appropriate safeguarding referrals.  Staff provide young people with the skills, knowledge and opportunities to keep themselves safe.  Resilient and committed staff work hard to develop trusting and respectful relationships with young people.  The staff encourage young people to take responsibility for their health.  Staff take every opportunity to listen to young people and advocate for them.  Staff have good relationships with other agencies. These include social workers, health professionals and police.  The registered manager is passionate and child focused in her practice.  Young people receive consistent care in line with the statement of purpose.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/02/2017 Interim Not judged 09/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/01/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Intuitive staff tailor their care to meet young people’s individual needs. Staff work well with a range of partner agencies, including the police, schools, and child and adolescent mental health services. This enables staff to provide tailored, multi-agency support to young people. As a result, young people make progress from their starting points. Staff recognise that young people need lots of reassurance and emotional warmth. One professional told the inspector, ‘Staff are very complementary about my young person and this helps her feel wanted and valued.’ Staff work hard to develop positive relationships with young people. Staff ensure that they are available when young people need them the most. For one young person, this sensitive approach has helped her to develop her self-esteem. Young people recognise that the staff care about them. As a result, young people show signs that they trust the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff listen to young people and consider their views. For example, young people’s meetings take place that enable young people to raise issues about meal choices and activities. Young people also talk about things that they are unhappy with and want to change. Records show that the management team responds to issues raised by young people. As a result, young people are confident that staff take their views seriously. Young people are aware of the complaints procedure. When issues arise, staff look into young people’s concerns. One young person told the inspector, ‘My opinions matter.’ This means that young people feel empowered to speak up about the things that are important to them. Staff have a clear expectation that young people engage in education. Staff encourage young people to attend school. This includes ensuring that young people access the right school. Staff promote young people’s health and well-being. Staff ensure that young people access

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

the relevant services, such as the optician, dentist and specialist counselling services. Staff help young people who are reluctant to engage with services. This includes responding to young people’s emotional health needs. Staff encourage young people to talk and open up about what is causing them to be anxious or upset. This support helps young people to become more resilient. The home is well decorated and comfortable throughout. Young people personalise their bedrooms. This increases their feeling of belonging. A social worker told the inspector, ‘Staff have made the effort to make my young person’s bedroom feel comfortable. The young person remarked on how homely the place felt.’

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

Staff are consistent in their approach. Young people adhere to the clear boundaries that staff provide. The staff use rewards and praise to promote positive behaviour. Skilled staff deescalate challenging situations well. As a result, staff rarely need to use physical Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 4 intervention to keep young people safe. Staff take every opportunity to encourage young people to make positive choices. Dedicated staff provide young people with positive alternatives to risk-taking behaviours. As a result, young people become safe. Some young people go missing, and staff plan well for such events. Staff follow clear missing from care protocols. When young people do go missing, staff take quick action to help end the incident. When young people return home, staff focus on reassuring the young person. This helps staff to gain an understanding of why the young person felt the

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

need to go missing. Staff understand the risks surrounding online safety and exploitation. Staff use this knowledge to make sure that young people receive help and support. Staff use key working to support young people to make safe decisions. This helps to protect young people from becoming involved in exploitative relationships. Staff have a good working knowledge around issues such as radicalisation and extremism. Staff use this knowledge to keep young people safe. Some young people self-harm and can get involved in serious incidents. Staff respond well to incidents and are collaborative in their approach to care. Staff recognise the limitations of their skills and knowledge. They consult with specialist services to ensure that their responses are appropriate to safeguard young people. Staff also review risk assessments to ensure that young people stay safe. Staff check health and safety regularly. This includes fire safety. These regular checks help

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

to keep young people and staff safe. The manager ensures that the locality risk assessment remains under review in order to assess risks in the community. As a result, staff understand the risks that young people can face and put in place protective measures. The registered manager ensures that there is a thorough recruitment procedure. This procedure helps to prevent unsuitable adults from working with young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in post since February 2017. She is working towards the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. A requirement and recommendation made at the last inspection have been met. The registered manager provides strong and inspirational leadership. She strives to improve and develop the service for young people’s benefit. She promotes the welfare of young people in her care. In turn, staff reflect her determination and energy. The registered manager is aware of the strengths of the home and the areas for development. She ensures that staff are well supported through supervision and annual appraisals. In addition, staff have access to a range of training to develop their knowledge and skills. Most staff are qualified to a level 3 diploma in residential childcare. Those who are not qualified are in the regulatory period to gain this qualification. Staff feel supported, with staff morale high. Staff describe the manager as approachable

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

and supportive. Effective team meetings ensure that staff have good communication and Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 5 consistent practice. An independent visitor completes monthly visits and writes a detailed report. Managers use these reports to help develop the service. This includes having a key focus on young people’s quality of care. The registered manager is reflective in her approach. She recognises the impact of admissions and discharges. She has used this knowledge to complete a critical analysis of the impact of new admissions. This is helping to improve the matching of young people’s placements in the future. Staff work hard to ensure that records are well maintained. If there are any omissions, such as care plans, staff will chase these up with the appropriate agency. This helps to ensure that staff have access to relevant information to meet young people’s needs. Staff form collaborative working relationships with a range of partner agencies. These

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

include the police, schools and local authorities. This joined-up approach means that young people receive support and help to thrive. Staff advocate for young people. For example, one young person expressed a wish to have an overnight stay with a school friend. In direct response, staff spoke to the social worker, who put all arrangements in place. The statement of purpose provides clear information about the level of service provided. The children’s guide is in an accessible format. This means that young people are clear about the services that the home provides.

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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 difference 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 who 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: SC405713 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian Group, 4th Floor Waterfront Building, Chancellors Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Lisa Walsh, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC405713 7 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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