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

Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 1 SC456795 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run children’s home can accommodate one young person who has emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 15 to 18 December 2017

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 21 February 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 2

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 The young person has experienced stability and security through living here. The meaningful and trusting relationships that the young person has formed with staff have been central to the very good progress he has made.  The young person has made very good progress in his life through living at the home. He has grown in self-awareness and, over time, has learned to manage his emotions, and to develop positive and trusting relationships with others. This is particularly true of his re-engagement in education.  The young person benefits from being cared for by a consistent team of staff who are very child centred. The staff and the young person have built strong relationships that are based on trust and mutual respect.  The staff team has a detailed understanding of the young person’s needs, and works in a consistent manner in line with his plans.  Consultation with the young person is a strength of the service. His input is

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

sought in all aspects of the work undertaken. The young person said that he valued this and felt listened to.  The staff team is highly motivated, and is very committed to the young person. The staff and managers are fully focused upon providing care that is reflective of his needs and flexible in its approach.  Leaders and managers have developed effective monitoring systems. These are used to develop practice, and to ensure that the young person’s needs are met. They work openly with fellow professionals, who praised them for their work and their commitment to the young person.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 Staff require training to meet the individual needs of the young person, in particular self-harming behaviour training.  Recruitment procedures require improvement to ensure the ongoing safety of young people who live in the home  Young people should be supported to have a healthy, balanced diet.

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 3 21/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Outstanding 04/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 28/05/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that helps children aspire to their full potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to 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;

p.4

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(2)(a)(c)(h)) 15/01/2018

p.4

Requirement Due date

Ensure that the registered person recruits staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety, in particular that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32) 15/01/2018

p.4

Recommendations

 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 age and understanding (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 34, paragraph 7.10). In particular, ensure that children have a healthy, balanced diet, which is monitored closely. Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 5

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person very much sees this as his home, and is comfortable and relaxed with staff, who have a deep knowledge of his needs and preferences. Over the period of his placement, the young person has made very good progress. He has full attendance at school, is in good health, and has developed a degree of confidence and self-esteem that he never had previously. These improvements are a direct result of the carefully planned and consistent approach of the staff team towards his care.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person sees the small staff group as his extended family. He trusts them to act in his best interests and give him support when necessary. He said, ‘I like all the staff as they are always happy and kind and I feel loved and cared for.’ This has led to the young person being confident about sharing his thoughts and feelings with a staff team that is equipped with the emotional literacy to respond well to him. This is borne out in a staff member’s comments, ‘If it is not good enough for my own child, then it’s not good enough for him. We should only strive for the best with him.’

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff record individual sessions with the young person as evidence of the work they do to address particular issues. These demonstrate that staff are non-judgemental in confronting inappropriate behaviour, while firmly reinforcing what is socially acceptable.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person, despite having had difficulties at school in the past, now has excellent school attendance. He is now making very good progress, and has achieved 100% attendance at his new school. The young person said, ‘I love my new school.’ Staff have worked hard to ensure that the new placement is stable. For example, they help with homework and if the young person is struggling, they provide extra support out of school hours.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young person to address his health needs. Staff arrange primary healthcare appointments, such as with dentists, opticians and doctors, to ensure that he remains in good health. Annual health reviews take place within agreed timescales and most actions identified as necessary by the reviews are undertaken. However, staff had recognised that the young person had gained a significant amount of weight in a short space of time. Staff started keeping a food diary to monitor his food intake. The diary indicated that the young person was not eating a well-balanced diet. For example, on one occasion, the young person had the remains of a takeaway meal for breakfast. Staff should use the information gathered to ensure that the young person has a stable, healthy and balanced diet.

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is confident that staff respect his privacy and dignity. He has positive views about living in the home and he said of his key worker, ‘He definitely gets 10/10.’ Individualised care is a major strength of the home. The young person’s needs, wishes and positive outcomes are of paramount importance. Staff are consistently complimentary about him, and focus on his strengths and potential. This consistent, positive approach inspires the young person to believe in himself. A staff member said Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 6 ‘It’s nice to see him so happy from when he first came.’

p.5

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff endeavour to meet the young person’s preferences for leisure activities. He enjoys spending time with his friends and family. He also enjoys swimming and liked taking part in a range of activities while at a holiday park with staff. This improves his health and well-being, both physically and emotionally.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home presents as a lived-in family home. It is warm, welcoming and comfortable. The quality of the furniture and decoration is good, although a little tired in places. However, there are plans to refurbish the home and the young person is involved with these plans. The young person’s bedroom is personalised and reflects his interests. For example, he has a pet hamster, which he keeps and looks after in his bedroom. Having opportunities to learn about animal welfare and take direct responsibility for their care is a positive and rewarding experience for him.

p.6

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

Staff provide high levels of supervision and support which keep the young person safe. Staff are always on hand, even when the young person is at school or in the community. Staff act as good parents and go out of their way to ensure that known and potential risks are minimised. Examples of this include robust supervision and always knowing, and checking, that the young person is where he is supposed to be.

p.6

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

Staff tailor behaviour management to the young person’s needs and clearly outline his safety and supervision needs in his behaviour support plan. The young person is fully involved in ‘what works’ for him in times of crisis. The plan provides detailed information about the reasons why the young person may present challenging behaviour, and informs staff on how best to support him. Staff have received training on de-escalation and focus on techniques and the development of positive relationships. The staff have an incentive scheme where the young person is rewarded for positive behaviour. This works well and he is able to earn all sorts of extra treats and activities. The staff do use some sanctions and these are mostly reparative or restorative. It was pleasing to see that the use of rewards was significantly higher than the use of sanctions. The interim manager monitors the effectiveness of these and evidence suggests that they

p.6

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

successfully discourage further negative behaviour.

p.6

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

The interim manager ensures that the young person’s known risks are identified, and that staff are provided with comprehensive risk assessments that guide and support them regarding how to manage and reduce the risks. These plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are relevant and up to date. The young person is protected by clear safeguarding procedures and care practice that ensure that his safety and well-being are given high priority. All staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff successfully manage the balance between protecting the young person and enabling him to take age-appropriate risks. This approach allows the young person to enjoy the same social experiences as his peers in the wider community. Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 7 Staff support the young person to maintain regular contact with his family. Expectations from the placing authority are clearly understood and safe care arrangements are in

p.6

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

place. Staff understand how important this is to the young person and liaise well with social workers and families to ensure that he enjoys positive experiences. This has resulted in the young person having increased contact with his siblings.

p.7

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

The young person confirmed that has not made any complaints while living at the home. However, he said that he knew that staff would listen to him and would take action if he wanted to complain about any aspect of his care. This reassures him that his safety is of the highest priority.

p.7

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

The physical environment is safe and protects the young person from accidental injury. Health and safety processes are robust. The young person has a detailed individual risk assessment that staff understand. As a result, the home is able to take all of the necessary steps to reduce the likelihood of him being at risk of harm. Environmental risk assessments accurately reflect identified risks and potential hazards. The young person and the staff understand the fire safety systems and respond appropriately if emergencies occur. The safety of the young person is further promoted through good environmental health and food safety processes. Safer recruitment procedures are not always followed. For example, on one recruitment file, there is no evidence that gaps in employment have been considered. There is a lack of management oversight or accountability in this area of practice and, as a result, recruitment is not consistently safe. This does not safeguard young people or minimise

p.7

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

potential risks to them, as adults who have not been suitably vetted could be recruited.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A motivated and committed interim manager leads the home effectively, and has high expectations of, and aspirations for, young people. She is suitably experienced and qualified to undertake her responsibilities. She is in the process of registering with Ofsted. She understands the needs of young people and is accessible to them. Her presence is felt within the home. A staff member said, ‘She is supportive, approachable and really does care.’

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a strong shared ethos in the team regarding the importance of gaining and considering the views and wishes of the young person. Discussions with the young person take place daily to inform staff of his emotional well-being. Weekly house meetings take place to allow the young person to express his preferred choice of activity and menu. He also has the opportunity to comment on what has gone well and any changes or personal requests he may have. This demonstrates that the young person has a say in the running of the home.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff interviewed during this inspection feel extremely positive about their work and have a full understanding of the home’s ethos as outlined in the statement of purpose. Staff feel very well supported and report that they receive regular supervision. Staff supervision is well recorded, and shows appropriate challenge and scrutiny. Team Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 8 meetings are well attended and discussions are focused on the needs and behaviours of the young person Staff share the young person’s achievements, and review patterns and trends in behaviours.

p.7

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All mandatory training has been completed. However, some staff have not received training in particular areas, so that they can meet the specific needs of the young person as identified at the point of referral, for example, self-harm. This lack of training means that not all of the staff are able to meet the known or emerging behaviours of the young person who is living in the home.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the home and areas that need developing. Staff commented that they feel supported by the interim manager and are supported and encouraged to bring new ideas to her. This means that managers and staff have ownership of supporting the young person to continually progress and have positive experiences.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Internal and external monitoring of the home takes place regularly, and is of a very good standard. This process takes account of the views of young people, placing authorities and families. The monitoring systems provide a robust review of the home’s practice relating to the quality of young people’s care. The manager uses testimony from young people and information from professionals working with the home, and from complaints, to learn lessons with a view to improvement. This informs the home’s development plan, which is focused on maintaining a high-quality service. Areas identified for improvement are actioned, which means that the home does not stagnate. As a result, young people receive services that the registered manager is constantly seeking to improve through using quality assurance processes.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has appropriate systems in place for notifying Ofsted and other relevant bodies of significant events that occur within the home. This ensures that those with an interest in the young people’s welfare are kept appropriately informed.

p.8

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although some requirements and recommendations have been set at this inspection, these do not significantly undermine the good-quality individualised care that the children receive.

p.8

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 9 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

p.8

Information about this inspection

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: SC456795 10

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.10

Children’s home details

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

p.10

Inspectors

Elaine Allison: social care inspector Michelle Edge: social care inspection manager Inspection report children’s home: SC456795 11 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.

p.10

Inspectors

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 . 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspectors

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.11

Inspectors

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

p.11