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

Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 1 SC457553 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

This children’s home is part of a large national provision and is located in a rural setting. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 11 to 12 December 2017

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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 outstanding

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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: 7 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: declined in effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are helped to understand how to keep themselves safe when they are away from the home. In particular, the staff help young people to negotiate risks in preparation for when they move on to independence.  Young people are living in a home that is of a good standard. Staff have paid Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 2 particular attention to ensuring that the home is comfortable and decorated in a style that reflects the young people living there.  The registered manager is knowledgeable, experienced and leads the staff team with confidence and skill.  Staff regularly undertake good-quality training that equips them with the knowledge and skills required to care for the young people.  The staff team is motivated, enthusiastic and exceptionally caring in the support that they provide the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager needs to ensure that young people are more fully involved with the development of the home, including the recruitment of staff.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 24/11/2016 Full Good 09/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people have made good progress while living in the home. This is due to a stable and nurturing staff team with an excellent understanding of the young people’s needs. Personalised, well-written plans and records chart the young people’s progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A particular strength of the manager and staff is their understanding of each of the young people, their needs, wishes and abilities. Strong, positive and trusting relationships exist between young people and staff, and as a result young people feel able to explore their feelings and anxieties. Since the last inspection, there have been no physical interventions and the use of sanctions is rare. Instead, young people talk with staff and work through any issues that might arise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Progress for the young people is such that they are joining in local clubs, going to college and school, making friendships and developing their relationships with their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are helped to make sense of their experiences. This is because staff take time to talk with the young people and help them ask questions. Staff are good role models, and as advocates for the young people they challenge professionals, decisions and processes when necessary. As a result, young people have access to a range of services, for example speech and language services. This has helped young people have the confidence to communicate more effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff recognise the importance of young people developing the skills and confidence to be by themselves without staff supervising them, either when out with friends or when moving to live by themselves. For one young person, who has since successfully moved on from the home, a common sense and realistic approach was adopted by the manager and staff. Decisions and plans ratified by the social worker meant that this young person could take age-appropriate risks. A direct result of this caring and sensible approach is that young people living in the home learn how to move safely from adolescence to adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health and emotional well-being are at the very heart of the home and its ethos. The manager and staff ensure that young people maintain good physical health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a warm, comfortable home in a rural location. They benefit from space to play and have adventures, but are still within easy access of the city. The registered manager recognises the additional challenges of living rurally. A locality risk assessment with robust contingency plans means that the young people are well supported in the event of an emergency. Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 4

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

Staff give the young people’s physical safety and emotional well-being the highest priority. The manager and staff team are particularly strong in identifying and understanding the vulnerabilities of the young people as they become increasingly independent. Excellent collaborative working with professionals takes place. This is coupled with the use of extremely detailed risk assessments which lead to strategies for the staff team to support the young people.

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

High-risk behaviours by young people living in the home have significantly reduced. As a result, the young people are able to immerse themselves fully in activities with friends outside of the home without staff supervision. The manager and staff have made impressive progress in being able to identify risk and help young people to move safely and confidently towards independence.

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

The manager and staff team actively promote the positive behaviours of the young people. This is achieved in part by staff using effective communication, coupled with positive role modelling, patience and compassion. Interactions between the young people and staff are extremely positive and lovely to see. The impact of such loving, trusting relationships is that physical intervention has not taken place since the last inspection, and sanctions are rarely imposed.

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

Young people do not go missing from the home. The manager and staff team are clear on the protocols to follow in the event of a young person going missing. However, a common sense approach by staff means that young people are helped to understand the risks of being away from the home, and staff go the extra mile to ensure that young people are safe when they don’t return on time. Staff routinely go out looking for the young person, and check who they are with and where they are staying. Staff have taken an extra duvet and made sure that they have food, and pick them up when they are ready. As a result, young people do what other young people do; practise being away from home and safely rehearse being an adult, knowing that when they come home, they haven’t done anything wrong.

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

The manager and staff take careful account of the individualities and needs of the young people to ensure that they are well balanced. There is safe and sufficient room in the home to allow young people individual care, meetings with family and friends, and social areas for them all to meet. Depending on the needs of the young people, staff support them, joining in activities, clubs and enjoying holidays.

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

All significant events are reported and recorded accurately and to a high standard. They are shared with the young people’s families, local authorities and Ofsted in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is consistent and strong leadership in the home. The registered manager provides consistency for the young people, other professionals and staff. He is appropriately Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 5 qualified and regularly returns to learning and keeping up to date with research. By sharing his knowledge across the staff team, the manager ensures that all staff have their practice informed by research.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff group have an appropriate qualification in working with young people and some of the staff, including the registered manager, are undertaking higher-level awards. This helps to ensure that young people are cared for by a professional and able staff group.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Training is varied and staff speak well of its content and accessibility. Staff are kept up to date with latest practice developments in regular team meetings, and as a team they use this learning to challenge and improve their own practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager rigorously monitors and evaluates the home and analyses patterns and trends to identify areas for development. The home’s development plan, while requiring some further attention to ensure that it is more detailed, is well written, incorporates the views of young people and focuses on improving the young people’s outcomes. However, the registered manager does recognise the need to develop further young people’s active involvement in the recruitment of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The aims and the objectives of the home are clearly and accurately spelled out in its statement of purpose. Young people are provided with information about their home and care in a children’s guide that continues to be developed. The independent visitor reports confirm the improved outcomes of the young people.

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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: SC457553 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Linda Bond, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC457553 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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