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

Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 1 SC423741 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private company. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for three children or young people on a short-, medium- and long-term basis. The home provides care and accommodation for children and young people who require high levels of support in a structured environment. The registered manager has been in post since May 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/05/2017 Full Good 01/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 04/10/2016 Full Good 03/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 3

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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, the 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 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 child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1)(2)(a)(i)) 24/05/2018

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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; and understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i)(v)) 24/05/2018

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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; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for 24/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 4 each child; and 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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)(d) and (f)) The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if— there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person

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Requirement Due date

working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c)) 24/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction; and ensure that each permanent appointment of an employee is subject to the satisfactory completion of a period of probation. The registered person must ensure that all employees— undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (1)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)) This specifically relates to new starters receiving supervision within timescales. 24/05/2018

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improvement to be good

There has been a recent period of change in this home. Some of the children have experienced unplanned moves and new children are now placed. There have been changes to the staff team. This has left some shifts without enough staff to manage the children’s behaviour and some shifts with a shortage of experienced staff.

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improvement to be good

Some of the children are not making progress in their education because their attendance is very poor. Other children are making good progress in education. The staff continue to try a range of strategies to help all the children attend school.

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improvement to be good

Consultation with the children about changes to their care is not consistent. As a result, when changes happen, such as when certain food items are locked away, the children do not understand the reason for this. Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 5 The staff try hard to encourage the children to join local clubs. The staff are not always successful and some of the children spend most of their time with the staff. Consequently, those children rarely socialise with others of their own age. Other children actively participate in local clubs, such as the football team. This improves their social skills and helps them to make friends.

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improvement to be good

The children have begun to understand the importance of physical health. They feel a sense of achievement from participating in physical activities, such as swimming, going to the gym and playing football.

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improvement to be good

The psychologist offers bespoke therapy to the children. This improves the children’s emotional well-being. The staff work closely with the psychologist to implement strategies to help the children to regulate their emotions.

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improvement to be good

Life-skills work with the children is individualised and centres on their specific needs.

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improvement to be good

Recent issues with staffing have left some shifts without adequate numbers of staff. On some occasions, new members of staff have been working alone with the children. These members of staff have been at the centre of managing some challenging incidents of behaviour. This potentially places the children and staff at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Some behaviour management strategies that are being used in practice are not documented in children’s personal plans. For example, when the children are being supervised with spending money. Consequently, the staff are not always working consistently and the children are receiving mixed messages.

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improvement to be good

Not all of the staff are familiar with the children’s individual risk assessments. This potentially leaves the children and the staff at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Plans are in place to support better communication between staff and young people and to ensure that all staff have the required knowledge of safeguarding practice. This is new and the effectiveness of this cannot be evaluated.

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improvement to be good

The children are rewarded by staff for their positive behaviour. The children enjoy treats for their efforts. The staff team has a nurturing approach. Members of staff try to de- escalate incidents of challenging behaviour without the use of physical intervention.

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improvement to be good

When the children go missing from the home, the staff are quick to go out and look for them. The staff are familiar with missing from home procedures.

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improvement to be good

The staff team has knowledge of wider risks to the children, such as child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 6

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager’s attention has been taken away from management duties during this unsettled period. The manager has spent time covering staff shifts and her management oversight and monitoring in some areas has declined.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The induction of new staff is weak. The management monitoring of the new staff’s ability to support the children’s complex needs is poor. As a result, new staff are not supported well in the early stages of their work and some new staff start to lose confidence to undertake their role effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

New staff do not receive supervision in line with the company’s policy. This is not enabling the manager to identify and support practice issues. The staff that have completed their probationary period receive regular supervision. This helps the staff to reflect on their practice and the staff feel well supported by the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Allegations against the staff are not always reported to the regulatory body. This hinders the regulatory body’s oversight of safeguarding practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has good relationships with other professionals. She works closely with the psychologist, social workers and teachers. This ensures that information is shared effectively between all professionals who support the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager advocates for the children. She challenges other professionals when appropriate to make sure that the children receive the support that they need.

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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: SC423741 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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: Susan Fitzsimmons

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Inspector

Jamie Richardson: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC423741 8 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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