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

Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 1 SC455991 Registered provider: Cambian Signpost Limited 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 operated by a large national provider.  The home provides care and accommodation for up to four children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning disabilities.  The home is no longer registered to care for children with sensory difficulties.  The home currently has no children in residence.  The registered manager resigned from her post with effect from 1 May 2018.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 21 November 2017

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, the home was ‘not judged’. This is because there are no children or young people living there at the moment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible person has plans to admit children within the next few weeks. This will depend on completion of the remaining works to the home’s environment.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the full inspection on 21 to 22 November 2017, eight requirements and two recommendations were made. There has been significant progress on three requirements: the quality of the environment; staff training; and the appointment of a manager. There is further work to be done before the home is ready to admit children. Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 2 It has not been possible to assess progress against the other five requirements, or the recommendations, because there are no children in the home. Therefore, all the requirements and recommendations have been repeated.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has partially met the requirement made under the quality and purpose of care standard. The acting manager and the maintenance team have been working hard to improve the quality of the children’s environment. The house has been decluttered and partially refurnished and a number of clinical features have been removed.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

There is still much work to do. The office is clinical in appearance, but the acting manager has reviewed the use of office space and staff sleeping arrangements in the home. The aim is to enhance the relationships between children and staff by breaking down barriers and allowing the office to be primarily a shared space.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The long corridor on the first floor is very bare in appearance and would benefit from some creative touches.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s bedrooms are nearly complete. They are spacious, light and nicely furnished. Attractive contemporary carpets and curtains have been fitted. The previous inspection found that there was insufficient storage space for the children’s clothes. This has now been remedied. Children have high-quality substantial wooden furniture which is attractive and sturdy. This ensures that they have plenty of space to store their clothes and other belongings.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some of the stone slabs on the patio have broken edges, which could be hazardous. A heavy metal rail adjacent to the steps onto the lawn is institutional in appearance.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The responsible individual has partially met the previous requirement to appoint a manager for the service. There is now an acting manager in post, who is preparing to submit her application to Ofsted.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The acting manager has already made an impact on the home. She has appointed a number of staff, including an experienced and skilled deputy manager.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Four team leaders have also been appointed, all with substantial backgrounds in residential care. The acting manager has two staff appointments still to make. She has well-formulated plans to provide tailored training for all staff, to help them meet the children’s needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The acting manager and the responsible individual agreed to review the statement of purpose. The wording of this document does not currently fully reflect the home’s conditions of registration.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 3 21/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/09/2017 Full Inadequate 13/12/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Declined in 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

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality and purpose of care standard children must receive care from staff who ensure that the premises used to the home are designed and furnished so as to meet the needs of each child.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, continue with the planned programme of improvements so that the home is well maintained and provides young people with a homely and welcoming environment.

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on mutual respect and trust, an understanding about acceptable behaviour and positive responses to other children and adults.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding; 31/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 4 help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding, personal, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them;

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Requirement Due date

that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 11(1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(ii)–(vi)(ix)(xi)(xiii)(b))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff are familiar with and act in accordance with the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure staff sign their awareness and understanding of these policies. 31/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 5 (Regulation 12(2)(a)(iv)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard

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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 promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(a)(c)(f)(h)) 31/07/2018

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if:

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, appoint a manager to manage the home until the registered manager returns from planned leave. 31/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff 31/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 6 The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that all staff receive training in understanding matters relating to child sexual exploitation, supporting young people who self-harm, bullying, and to continue to provide staff with sufficient training in British Sign Language in order to communicate effectively with children.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other serious incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority provides an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  Ensure that all staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4).

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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. Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 7 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.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Signpost Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront Building, Chancellor’s Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Heather Chaplin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 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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