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

Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 1 SC066183 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 provides care and accommodation for up to three young people aged between 11 and 18 years (11 and 17 years on admission). Young people referred to the home may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned and managed.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 13 to 14 November 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 2 This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make significant progress beyond all expectations.  Young people are very positive about their relationships with staff, and their experiences of living in the home.  Staff work extremely hard to secure the full engagement of other agencies to keep young people safe.  All young people have excellent school attendance.  Teachers report that young people’s behaviour, presentation and commitment to learning have improved significantly since they started living at the home.  The registered manager’s enthusiasm is key to the significant progress that young people make.  The staff team’s approach to behaviour management and developing young people’s emotional resilience is exceptional.  Young people benefit from structure and clear boundaries that help to give them a strong sense of security.  Child-focused and perceptive staff provide young people with excellent care so that their individual needs are met.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are ambitious for young people, and seek out all opportunities for them to develop skills and interests.  Staff use research-based practice to help them communicate with and provide strong support to young people.  Vulnerable young people become increasingly safe in their placements.  Highly trained staff work closely with young people to understand how to keep young people safe. Staff skilfully involve young people to help them find their own solutions to managing risk.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 21/09/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 08/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people build self-confidence and make excellent progress. They feel valued and play an integral role in making decisions about their care and their future. They thrive, and experience a strong sense of belonging and immense pride.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff have excellent relationships with young people. One young person told the inspector that he is aware of how proud the staff are of his progress, and added, ‘This is the reason why I get up every morning.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people exceed expectations in education. One young person, who had missed a significant period of schooling prior to his placement, is now on course to achieve GCSE grades. Staff understand the impact of special educational needs, and work closely with teachers to make sure that each young person is making steady progress and, most importantly, is enjoying school. A teacher informed the inspector:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

‘As a school, we have been delighted with how [young person] has settled into the life of the academy. He is gradually starting to relax and is gaining confidence. Seeing [young person] starting to be able to fulfil his academic potential and build relationships with his peers is wonderful, and must be largely due to the consistent and supportive care he has at the home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s self-esteem grows. Positive relationships with staff help them to become more confident and develop their social skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people have better physical and emotional health as a result of living at the home. For example, staff support young people to learn about safe relationships and sexual health. Staff continually encourage young people to improve their personal hygiene, and to understand the need for good dental care and a healthy diet.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people develop emotional resilience and improve their mental health by accessing therapeutic support. Staff use research on therapeutic care to inform their practice, and work closely with specialist services so that young people receive the right help at the point of need. Together, these resources give staff invaluable guidance that is put into everyday care practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff encourage young people, as they get older, to take on more responsibility for their plans and futures. As a result, young people receive excellent support to help them prepare for leaving care and living independently. For example, bespoke independence plans set practical, gradual targets to enable young people to practise budgeting, shopping, cooking and managing their free time. When young people finally leave, their moves are well planned. Staff accompany young people to see their new accommodation, and help them to get to know the area that they are moving to. Young people know that staff are there even after they have left. One young person who recently left the home said, ‘The staff are very supportive and always tried to help me as Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 4 much as they could.’ The clear and individualised structure in independence work gives young people confidence in the skills that they need for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people’s views are always taken seriously. The registered manager and staff are excellent advocates. For example, one young person with particularly complex needs was recently supported to chair his own looked after review. This type of practice is central to the care that young people receive every day. Staff notice achievements, no matter how small, and highlight these for the young people on a daily basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff work with the placing authorities to ensure that young people are able to maintain relationships with their families. A parent said:

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

‘The staff always keep me informed of everything that is going on in my son’s everyday life (good or bad). They are there not just for [young person] but for me and my daughter too, to make sure mine and [young person] relationship stays on track in a healthy way.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The home’s environment feels homely and nurturing. Well-furnished and well-decorated communal areas give young people a choice about where to spend leisure time. Young people’s bedrooms are exceptionally well presented, and are personalised according to their wishes and needs. Some young people have an array of trainers, while other young people have their selection of vintage vinyl and personal items in pride of place.

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

Young people feel safe and well cared for. Their needs are set out and met via a comprehensive and regularly reviewed care, risk and behaviour planning framework. Staff have excellent insight into young people’s histories. For some young people, their histories include risks such as going missing, child sexual exploitation, gang affiliation, criminality or self-injurious behaviours. There are now no concerns about young people going missing or being subject to exploitation. There is also a significant decrease in young people’s self-injurious behaviours. This is because of the support that they receive from staff.

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

One young person has made remarkable progress in respect of decreasing his previous high-risk behaviour. With ongoing support from staff, he has completely detached himself from a previous high-risk gang affiliation. He has developed significant insight into his past experiences. As a direct consequence of the staff intervention, he is now working alongside key partners as a consultant, providing presentations to raise awareness around gang affiliation to other young people and professionals. The young person supports other young people to identify alternative aspirations and goals through effective role modelling.

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

While there are no concerns about young people’s exposure to radicalisation, staff training equips them with the knowledge that they need to identify and report concerns should they arise. Internet safety checks and key-work sessions help to ensure that Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 5 young people are safe online, and that they develop a good awareness about the risks of using the internet.

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

Staff take their safeguarding and parenting roles very seriously. They consistently work in the best interests of the young people, and are assertive in delivering difficult messages to young people when this is required. Messages and boundaries are clearly communicated. Young people fully understand how staff will continue to keep them and others safe.

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

The registered manager works closely in partnership with safeguarding agencies. She swiftly refers concerns about young people and potential risks to others. Staff discuss concerns directly with young people when appropriate. This work is instrumental in keeping young people safe and helps young people to reflect on, and adjust, their behaviours.

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

Staff receive extensive training in behaviour management, and implement it consistently in their day-to-day care of young people. Strong boundaries and routines give young people a strong sense of safety. Staff endeavour to spend as much time as possible with young people. Staff have an exceptional understanding of the triggers for young people’s behaviour. Timely intervention, sensitive discussions and positive reinforcement minimise young people’s needs to present challenging behaviours. Consequently, staff have not been required to use physical restraint to keep young people safe. Young people who have complex needs and histories of aggressive behaviours no longer have incidents. This is a real achievement against young people’s start points when they were first admitted to the home.

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

Staff practice is underpinned by the home’s reflective therapeutic model of care. Staff engage with young people to explore and reflect on their behaviours. Young people grow in self-confidence and emotional resilience as they gain a deeper insight into the reasons for their behaviour. Young people engage well with staff. Together, they find strategies that will minimise the young people’s emotional distress and subsequent behaviours. This approach helps young people to improve their behaviour and build better emotional resilience. Staff are reflective, and seek to continuously improve their practice.

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

Young people live in a safe environment due to staff completing regular health, safety and fire checks. The registered manager has sought specialist advice from the fire service to enable a personal evacuation plan to be drawn up for one young person who has a visual impairment. Weekly oversight of health and safety, alongside the commissioning of a fire safety consultancy across all the provider’s homes, demonstrate a commitment to keeping young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has extensive managerial experience. She has been in post since July 2011, and is qualified to a level 5 diploma in leadership and management. Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 6 All staff members either hold their level 3 diploma in residential childcare, or are working towards their award in the required timescale.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager keeps the home’s statement of purpose under regular review. The extent and breadth of staff training are exemplary, and equip staff to work with young people who have complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff benefit from a seamless progression from their induction to achieving an appropriate qualification for residential childcare. This process is supported by regular and much-valued staff supervision. The registered manager also makes sure that staff access specialist training when required. Staff recently had training to support a young person who has specific needs around gender, identity, autism and understanding the impact of having a visual impairment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staffing arrangements are very effectively and sensitively managed. One-to-one staffing ensures individual support for each young person, and underpins the excellent progress that young people make.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work very closely with key partners to ensure that young people’s needs are identified and met. Social workers have very positive views about staff. They are clear that young people’s progress is because of the strong relationships that young people have with staff, and the firm boundaries that are in place. Staff work hand in hand with social workers to ensure that local authority plans and targets are adhered to and regularly reviewed. A social worker recently said:

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

[Young person] is engaged in education, is no longer using substances and is maintaining abstinence. His emotional health has improved, and he has coping strategies that he is implementing to manage situations more positively now. Due to the relevant support [young person] has received, he has made fantastic progress since residing at the home. I would like to highlight that the staff are in my opinion fantastic.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leadership is strong and inclusive. The registered manager leads by example. This leadership starts by putting young people first in the running of the home. For example, the manager arrives early each morning to have breakfast with the young people before they go to school. This helps the young people to feel valued. One young person told the inspector, ‘It’s great here, the staff are really great and I really enjoy living here.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff consult young people about all aspects of their care. There is an upbeat and relaxed atmosphere in the home. The young people’s meetings create an environment where young people talk about their experiences, views and the day-to-day running of the home. Regular key-working sessions capture young people’s wishes and feelings. Young people give regular feedback to the registered manager about all aspects of their care during regular consultations. The registered manager acts on this feedback and uses it to drive improvement. Inspection report children’s home: SC066183 7 Dedicated staff and the registered manager advocate strongly on behalf of young people, and challenge placing authorities when they consider that young people are not being listened to, or are not receiving the support that they need.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has high aspirations for young people and is very clear about her responsibilities. Her monitoring and oversight of the operation of the home is excellent. The home’s independent monitoring reports confirm this.

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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: SC066183 8

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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 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: SC066183 9 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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