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

Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 1 SC444352 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home has a block contract with a local authority.

p.1

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

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

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

While some progress has been made since the previous inspection, other areas remain of concern. The matching of young people placed in this home is poor, which puts them, other young people and staff at risk. This has been raised within previous inspections meaning that the home has declined in effectiveness.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been without a registered manager since 1 March 2017. A new manager was appointed and her application was received in July 2017. Unfortunately, this application could not be progressed in a timely way. While this has now been resolved, the home has not had a registered manager who can be held accountable for the performance of the service. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 2 At the last inspection, four requirements and one recommendation were made. Two requirements and one recommendation have been addressed. The manager now ensures that staff provide young people with individualised care. Young people’s views are sought and included in care planning documents. The manager has also addressed and challenged the lack of independent return home interviews when young people go missing from the home.

p.1

and young people since the most recent full inspection

During this inspection, two requirements have been repeated as they have not been met. While young people report feeling safe, they are not consistently kept safe when living in this home. There have been incidents of bullying and physical aggression between young people. The manager is active in supporting staff to address such concerns when they happen. For example, by talking about bullying with young people through key-work sessions and young people’s meetings. However, poor matching processes when young people move into the home have compromised the safety of the young people. For example, one young person’s risk-taking behaviour increased when another young person moved into the home. The young person went missing from the home and became aggressive towards staff and other residents.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager is aware of this shortfall and has challenged senior managers and the local authority. She has raised concerns about the suitability of some of the placements offered to young people. However, this challenge has not always been successful. As a result, young people remain at risk of harm and they continue to go missing from care. When one young person arrived at the home, staff were not prepared for his arrival and did not know if his bedroom was ready for him to move into. Staff shared this information with the young person, making the experience of moving into the home an uncertain one.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have had further instability due to the high use of agency staff and staff from different homes. During one week, young people were cared for by 22 different staff members, with eight of those being agency staff. This impacts on young people’s daily experiences and their ability to develop meaningful relationships with staff.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some staff lack the skills and qualifications required to care for young people. Only four staff members have the required level 3 qualification; the majority do not. Furthermore, no staff have undertaken training around child sexual exploitation, despite young people living in the home being at high risk of child sexual exploitation. As such, staff are not skilled or equipped to meet the young people’s complex needs.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has a dedicated education support worker. She liaises closely with education providers and is a link between schools and the home. Two young people are in education full time and another young person who does not attend a school has a tutor who visits the home daily. The staff work hard to support young people in their education and encourage them to attend.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager does have good oversight of the home in some areas. She addresses issues raised in independent reviews and is aware of the shortfalls highlighted within the inspection. However, she is restricted in addressing some issues such as staffing and Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 3 feels that she has little control over the young people that move into the home, due to her challenges being unheard.

p.2

and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider plans to close this home imminently.

p.3

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/05/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 01/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 10/05/2016 Full Requires improvement 03/03/2016 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.

p.3

Requirement Due date

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 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; that staff manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other; and 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. (Regulation 12 (1) and (2)(a)(i)(iv) and (b)) 02/04/2018

p.3

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 ensure that staff have the experience, 02/04/2018 Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 4 qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child and ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13 (1) and (2)(c)(e)) The care planning standard is that children receive effectively planned care and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure the effective induction of each child into the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) and (2)(b)(i)) 02/04/2018

p.3

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.

p.4

Information about this inspection

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’. Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.5

Children’s home details

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

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Alison Blyth-Bishop

p.5

Inspector

Lisa O’Donovan, social care inspector Interim inspection report children’s home: SC444352 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 looked after children, 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 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.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: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.6