Children's home run by The Cambian Group in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC471164 1 SC471164 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned and run children’s home registered for up to three children/young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties. The home is one of a number owned by this nationally operating provider.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

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 sustained effectiveness.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, one requirement and three recommendations were set. The manager has since overseen effective improvement in most but not all of these areas.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the last inspection, the manager and responsible individual were asked to improve particular safety and security measures at the home. As a result, the staff now consistently ensure that visitors provide suitable evidence of identity on arrival. Fire safety measures have improved. The communal fire doors now have automatic closures, ensuring that they close in the event of a fire. The organisation has made changes that reduce the ease with which young people can climb the building and gain access to the roof. However, these measures have not been consistently effective. Since the last inspection, young people have climbed the building, placing them at significant risk of harm, on no less than six occasions. Inspection report children’s home: SC471164 2 Admissions are carefully considered and well planned. The manager is clear about the needs of the young people for whom the home can provide a service, and the potential

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

impact of a new admission on the dynamics of the existing group. As a result, the home provides a stable environment for most of the young people in which they make good individual progress. Older young people are helped effectively to transition into independent living, and the staff help them to build skills for independence. On the occasions that have arisen when the home was unable to continue to meet a young person’s needs, for example due to escalating levels of risk, the staff have worked hard to ensure a planned transition.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

All of the young people are healthy. They are attending school or suitable post-16 provision and their needs are kept under regular review. Despite the good levels of staff support, the young people have varying levels of success and engagement in learning. However, they all make some progress in relation to their starting points. The staff work extremely well in partnership with local police, schools and social workers. One professional said, ‘Staff are highly professional.’ Another said, ‘They’ve [the staff] worked really well in partnership and they’re always one step ahead.’ The manager has used these relationships to advocate effectively for young people. For example, the virtual headteacher in both host authority and the young person’s placing authority assisted in a successful appeal against school exclusion.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people feel safe, secure and well cared for. One young person described the staff as ‘alright’. Another young person said, ‘The staff are very friendly and welcoming.’ Most young people make significant personal progress from their particular starting points. One placing authority referred to a young person as having made ‘massive improvement’. A professional from the authority said, ‘It’s been really good. He [the young person] is settled and happy. He is now expressing aspirations and plans for the future.’

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relaxed and positive relationships permeate the home, and behaviour management arrangements are effective. One parent said, ‘The home is really good. It’s doing a great job. Everything was smooth and good once he went there.’ Consequences for negative behaviour are relevant and fair. However, the young people’s views are not consistently sought following the application of a sanction. This limits the structured opportunities for staff to support the young people to understand and reflect on their behaviour. Physical restraint is only used by suitably trained staff when a young person is presenting a risk of harm to themselves or others. The manager reviews the records of all incidents of restraint, including on one occasion an event in which they were the person subject to threats of harm. This potentially undermined the ability for objective reflection to contribute to meeting the ongoing and changing needs of the young person.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The good relationships with staff enable the young people to reflect on their risk-taking behaviour. Consequently, for most young people these risks significantly diminish. Incidents of children going missing from the home in the past eight months initially increased but recently settled again. The frequency of these incidents has related to changes of young people at the home and the associated unsettling of the group. When the young people have gone missing, this has been for very short periods. This Inspection report children’s home: SC471164 3 represents a great improvement for those young people who, previous to this placement, were at significant risk. One parent said, ‘He [the young person] was missing lots and living on the street. Since he has been there [the home], I have noticed a big change. Thanks to them [the staff] he’s doing really well.’ When young people have gone missing, the staff have responded well, ensuring that the young people’s safety

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection, the manager has ensured that staff undertake suitable safeguarding training. Consequently, the staff are aware of their wider safeguarding duties and make referrals to specialist partner agencies when concerns emerge, for example regarding potential radicalisation.

p.3

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager and provider have managed effectively and transparently any complaint received. The young people are supported to develop new friendships and maintain contact with the family and friends who are important to them. This has helped the young people to rebuild fractured family relationships. Some young people have begun making positive friendships, which are helping them to develop a strong sense of belonging and to shape their future plans.

p.3

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is well managed, and there are effective day-to-day monitoring arrangements. However, the quality of care review does not address some of the challenges that the staff have faced during the past six months. This means that opportunities for the manager to robustly reflect on the strengths and areas for growth are missed. While one requirement and one recommendation from the previous inspection remain, there has been improvement in these areas. The quality of care and the support that the young people receive remain of a good standard and therefore the home is judged as sustained effectiveness.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/05/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 15/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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. Inspection report children’s home: SC471164 4

p.3

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm and that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1)(2)(b)(d))

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that suitable safeguards are in place to prevent children climbing onto the roof. 19/03/2018

p.4

Recommendations

 Ensure that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny to ensure that their use is fair and the principles as set out in 9.35 are respected. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36) In particular, ensure that records evidence that the children are consistently provided with the opportunity to discuss their feelings following the application of any sanction. Furthermore, ensure that there is a suitable review of each restraint by someone who was not involved in or witness to the incident.

p.4

Recommendations

 Undertake a review under Regulation 45 that focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the experiences of children living there and the impact that the care is having on outcomes and improvements for the children. The review should be underpinned by the quality standards as described in regulations 5 to 14. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) In particular, ensure that the system reviews all significant challenges and the actions taken by staff to improve the safety of the building and promote positive relationships between the children.

p.4

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: SC471164 5 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.

p.4

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’.

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

p.5

Children’s home details

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

p.5

Inspector

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC471164 6 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.5

Inspector

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 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.6

Inspector

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

p.6

Inspector

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

p.6