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

Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 1 SC434806 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 able to accommodate three children and young people. It is privately owned and provides care for children and young people who have emotional and behavioural 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: 21 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is good because:  Young people are making good progress in many aspects of their lives.  Young people’s emotional health and well-being needs are understood early in placement. There is a significant reduction in risk-associated behaviours for all Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 2 young people.  Young people receive a high standard of care, delivered by skilled and committed staff.  Staff follow comprehensive risk management plans and behaviour support plans. This is consistent and ensures that young people are safe. There is clear recording of significant incidents.  Young people have trusting relationships with staff, who provide consistent and nurturing care.  The home is welcoming and offers a safe and homely environment.  Staff support young people well to maintain relationships with their family.  Key working is a strength. Key-worker sessions are used well to reflect on

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Key findings from this inspection

progress and review care plan objectives.  The staff team has stabilised over recent months. This stability enables staff to achieve good outcomes for young people. The children’s home’s areas for development:  Managers and staff have not always monitored all aspects of the healthcare plans so that they are progressed.  Managers and staff have not always escalated matters to ensure appropriate educational plans are quickly put in place for young people.  Managers and staff have not ensured that advocacy support is made available for young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 16/08/2016 Full Good 12/11/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/07/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 3

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Recommendations

 All children must have access to appropriate advocacy support, and where possible this should be provided by a person that the child chooses. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  Children’s homes staff should encourage children to take a proactive role in looking after their day-to-day health and well-being. Where children have specific health needs or conditions, they should be supported to manage these subject to their age and understanding. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10)  Where children placed in a home are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason, the registered person and staff must work closely with the placing authority so that the child is supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as

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Recommendations

possible. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress in many aspects of their lives. They have individualised care plans that are understood and implemented by a strong staff team. One young person commented: ‘I do feel like I have made progress here, my behaviour is so much better.’ A social worker reported: ‘I have witnessed all staff to be positive, friendly and approachable within the home. Overall the young person has made significant progress in the last six months, and this is credit to how well the home have worked with them.’ Staff work with placing authorities, parents and young people to understand the young people’s starting points. There is evidence of significant progress in relation to young people’s emotional health and well-being. All young people have been supported to reduce risk-associated behaviours. As a result, children run away less frequently, and are significantly less vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Self-harming behaviours have also

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

reduced. All young people report that they have positive and trusting relationships with staff. Staff are consistent, empathetic and have a good understanding of young people’s starting points. One young person reported that ‘the staff are amazing’. Another young person, who has had many placements, said: ‘Staff are nicer here, they do activities with you.’ Key working is a strength at this home. Key-working sessions are well planned, and well recorded. The manager shared the records of a key-worker session that demonstrated a Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 4 good understanding of attachment theory and current research findings. The organisation’s psychotherapist attends team meetings to support continual improvement in key-worker practice. The majority of young people are making excellent educational progress. One young person had not attended school for a year before placement at this home. They are now

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

receiving education daily. This young person’s parent commented: ‘My child’s engagement in education has really improved.’ However, there is significant delay in the provision of a full-time package of education for another young person. The manager has been proactive in escalating this matter and a further meeting with the placing local authority is imminent. Most young people’s health needs are met. Staff access specialist support for young people when needed. Staff are supported by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) and the organisation’s psychotherapist, who provide consultancy and direct support. There is a need for more thorough monitoring and review of one young person’s dietary and associated health needs. The home environment is welcoming, safe and warm. There is a lovely atmosphere, lots of fun, laughter and positive relationships. Young people are involved in decorating the

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

home. One young person has completed a fabulous piece of artwork, which is displayed on the wall in the dining room. The home’s cat is significant and central to all the young people’s experience. Young people enjoy their interactions with him. Young people have a say in the running of the home. There are weekly consultation meetings and young people are able to share their views, wishes and feelings freely. Most young people feel listened to. The home has access to a children’s rights officer and young people know how to make representation to appropriate agencies. Young people do not always have access to independent visitors or advocates. This would help some young people to progress their current issues or concerns. Staff support young people with life-story work, and invest considerable time making creative and personalised memory books for each young person. These books provide a positive memento of young people’s time at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with young people, their parents and their relatives to promote regular, good- quality contact. For one young person, this involves supporting contact at a distance for both family and friends. There is excellent communication between the home and parents.

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

Young people are safe, and become increasingly safe as they stabilise and settle into the routines of the home. Despite significant histories of going missing and being at risk of exploitation, young people rarely run away. The positive relationships that staff have with young people, combined with staff’s understanding of individual risks and triggers, have been extremely effective in safeguarding young people. Staff work effectively to address the needs of young people who self-harm. This work is underpinned by a sound understanding of each young person’s starting point and Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 5 history. Staff use positive behaviour-management strategies. The relationship-based approach underpins strategies that support young people to make safe choices. Challenging or aggressive behaviours reduce because staff are skilled in using de-escalation techniques. One young person was described as ‘aggressive’ before being placed. The registered

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

manager says that the young person is now ‘a ray of sunshine’. Young people’s behaviour improves because they feel valued. A young person said: ‘Everyone likes me, it’s just so nice here’. There have been some peer relationship difficulties within the home. The manager and staff are well aware of these and are constantly working to address them. The manager uses the organisation’s psychotherapist and CAMHS well to support work with young people around sustaining appropriate and positive relationships. Managers and staff understand safeguarding policies and procedures. The manager has completed a detailed locality risk assessment. She has also produced a young person’s version so that young people can be supported to understand risks in the community. The manager liaises with the police and other agencies, gathering relevant information and using this to promote young people’s safety. Feedback from the local police

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

community support officer was very positive, confirming good inter-agency communication. The manager is able to evidence safe recruitment processes. She ensures that adults who work with young people in the home are subject to appropriate pre-employment checks and ongoing supervision and appraisal.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced and is working towards the required management qualification within regulatory timescales. She is relatively new to the home but is demonstrating strong leadership. The registered manager is very well organised, committed and child-focused. She leads a team of staff who feel valued and share her vision to improve the lives of children and young people. One social worker reported: ‘The registered manager is very involved in all aspects of the young person’s care and I am confident that she has a very good insight into their needs, as well as being able to advocate their wishes and feelings appropriately.’ The manager and staff are strong advocates for young people. They challenge other agencies if young people are not receiving the help and support they need Staff present as a strong and cohesive team, offering good support to each other. The home experienced a number of staff changes but the manager worked hard to ensure

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

that the service continued to run smoothly. Some staff are new and others have recently been promoted to supervisory roles. One staff member who has been promoted highlighted the additional support that they have received. She stated: ‘It feels like we and the young people are in a good place.’ The manager has produced an excellent home development plan that outlines what the home does well and plans for the future. The registered manager and staff demonstrate a clear understanding of the progress that young people have made. Regular, good- quality staff supervision and team meetings promote consistency across the staff group. Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 6 The registered manager has dyadic developmental psychotherapy knowledge and experience. She cascades this through to her staff team via supervisions and team meetings. Staff are well trained. There are excellent tracking systems in place to ensure that all

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

necessary training takes place. A new staff member confirmed that he had received a robust and thorough induction programme. In addition, staff take part in specialised training in attachment theory, and physical intervention. Staff are also given training that enables them to respond well to self-harming behaviours. All staff are either suitably qualified or working towards the required qualification.

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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: SC434806 7

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Blyth-Bishop

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Inspector(s)

Bev Allison, social care inspector Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC434806 8 and inspects 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, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk

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