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

Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 1 SC451174 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned by a large, national private provider. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for two children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been five admissions to the home. Four of these placements have ended after less than six weeks. The registered manager’s planning for new admissions is not robust. For example, the registered manager has admitted young people to the home who are vulnerable to child sexual exploitation and have a history of cannabis use. This is despite these being known risk factors within the local area. The registered manager’s poor planning means that young people are admitted to the home without sufficient planning as to how to manage these known risks. Staff do not always take effective action to keep the young person safe. For example, the inspector observed during the inspection that staff failed to take decisive action when a young person, who is assessed as being at high risk of child sexual exploitation, was allowed to remain outside smoking with an unknown adult male. A staff member

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 2 told the inspector that a similar incident had occurred the previous week. However, the staff member had not intervened as he was concerned that the young person and adult would become aggressive. He stated that he did not believe his colleagues would support him if he were to respond to the incident. This demonstrates that staff do not have the skills and confidence to keep the young person safe. Staff do not always take adequate steps to follow up on incidents of young people going missing. For example, one young person went missing 18 times over a period of two months without an appropriate independent person completing a return interview with him. Staff miss opportunities to understand why young people go missing and to develop strategies to reduce the likelihood of this being repeated. A young person, who, until recently, lived at the home, has caused extensive damage

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

throughout the property. Although there is a plan in place to address these repairs, a young person described the appearance of the home as ‘depressing’. A young person advised the inspector that, when she moved into the home, there were cigarette butts under her bed and underwear in her wardrobe. The young people do not enjoy the benefits of a homely, well-cared-for environment. The young people’s access to some parts of the home is restricted. For example, staff lock the kitchen and lounge at night. A young person told the inspector that she did not like the fact that she could not access the kitchen for a drink of water during the night. The locking of doors is an established pattern of staff practice, and is not based on an assessment of the current young person’s needs. The use of such measures of control does not promote a homely feeling in the property. The young person’s educational needs are not currently being met. For example, the

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

young person has only attended two days of education since the start of the current school term. Although staff have offered the young person incentives, these are ineffective. Staff struggle to implement basic routines such as encouraging the young person to get out of bed in the morning. Since the last inspection, there have been three changes to the staff team. This has reduced the level of experience, knowledge and skills of staff. This means that only three out of the six staff have achieved the required qualification. The registered manager does not ensure that permanent and bank staff have the necessary skills and training to meet the needs of young people. For example, a member of bank staff has been allowed to work in the home despite not having up-to-date training on how to manage behaviour and complete physical restraints. The registered manager does not ensure that case records are up to date. For example,

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

a young person’s placement plan was incomplete. This means that staff do not have clear guidance on how to provide the young person with personalised care. At the last inspection, one requirement and three recommendations were raised. Of these, only one recommendation has been completed. The registered manager has not taken effective action to address the shortfalls identified at the previous inspection. The registered manager’s monitoring systems have not enabled him to maintain a good enough oversight of the quality of care being provided to young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2017 Full Good 25/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Requires improvement 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation (6)(1)(2)(c)(i)) Specifically, the registered provider should ensure that damaged doors and door frames are repaired. Furthermore, the registered person should ensure that before a young person is admitted to the home that their allocated bedroom is clean and empty of any other young people’s possessions. 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff— help each child to achieve the education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans; understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers; help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment; help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plan. (Regulation 30/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 4 8(1) and (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv)) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the

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Requirement Due date

registered person to ensure that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; help each child to understand how to keep safe; have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm. (Regulation 12(1) and (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)) Specifically, the registered provider should ensure that incidents involving young people using substances, being vulnerable to exploitation, or go missing, are reviewed appropriately and strategies implemented to manage and reduce this risk. 28/02/2018

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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 fulfil their potential and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(e)(f)) Specifically, the registered provider should ensure that permanent and bank staff have the necessary skills, training and

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Requirement Due date

experience to meet the needs of young people. 30/03/2018

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving from the home. (Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)) Specifically, the registered provider should ensure that all relevant information is obtained in advance of a young person being admitted to the home. This is to ensure that staff have the skills to meet the needs of the young person, and that the 30/03/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 5 young person is appropriately matched with any existing young people resident at the home. The registered person must ensure that— the privacy of children is appropriately protected; children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises— is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) Specifically, the registered provider should not lock the kitchen and lounge doors unless there is evidence that this is required to safeguard the young person. Any such safeguarding concerns should be assessed and kept under review, with a clear plan as to how to reduce any identified risks. 28/02/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) Specifically, the registered provider should ensure that placement plans are kept under review and act as helpful guides for staff to provide young people with personalised care. 30/03/2018

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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. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection. Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 6 Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out

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Information about this inspection

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’.

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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

Paul Robinson, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC451174 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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