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

Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 1 SC456532 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is one of a number of children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school and therapy department.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since October 2012.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/08/2017 Full Good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good 30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 3

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21). Specifically, make this document more relevant and child-friendly.

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5). Specifically, ensure that fire doors are not wedged open.

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the locality risk assessment identifies any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The experience of living at this home has had a significant and positive impact on both young people’s lives. This is because the manager and staff provide a high standard of parent-like support that has brought about stability and positive change. This is a view that is shared by the young people, parents and professionals. The independent visitor said, ‘It is like a family home here. Staff talk to the young people like they are their own children and listen to them. They have high expectations and are good at promoting progress using a small step approach. This has helped both of the young people achieve so much.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people develop strong and meaningful attachments with staff who are committed to ensuring that they each receive the best care and support possible. Young people have developed a genuine sense of belonging and they clearly regard this as their home. A young person said, ‘I think this home is outstanding. Everything is good about living here. I get on with all of the staff, especially my key worker who I have known for the longest time. The staff feel like part of my family and they are an important part of my life. The way staff are makes it feel like a home rather than a care home.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

A real strength of this home is the work staff do to help young people to prepare for moving on and adult life. Staff provide young people with a bespoke package of support that has been highly effective in helping the young people to develop basic life skills and increased independence. One young person said, ‘I am ready to move because of the help that staff have given to me. They have been good at teaching me how to manage Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 4 my money and helping me to decide where I want to live. I don’t want to leave but I know that they will still be there for me when I move to my own place.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote and support opportunities for positive contact. They help young people to rebuild relationships and improve the quality of contact with the key people in their lives. Staff work closely with parents and family members and support them effectively to understand their child’s needs. This has been beneficial for one young person who has achieved her goal of returning home to live. The parent said, ‘Staff have been fantastic with [name]. They have kept in touch and made sure that I am involved. I want staff to keep in touch with [name] because they have a very good relationship with her. She really enjoyed her time at the home and has a much more positive attitude about life because of the help she was given.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff recognise the importance of young people having age-appropriate friendships with their peers. They have established good links with the young people’s peer groups and their parents. This has enabled both young people to build positive friendships and enjoy the same social experiences as their peers. One young person spoke excitedly about his imminent holiday abroad with his best friend and their family, saying ‘I am looking forward to going to Majorca in two weeks with my friend [name] and his family. Staff have helped me sort this out including making sure my social worker gives consent. Staff are good at making sure my social worker does things for me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are supported well to engage in education and both have been successful in achieving recognised qualifications. This support has continued for one young person who transitioned to college before securing a full-time job. The young person said that this is his biggest achievement and has changed so much for him with regards to his future.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people feel safe. They demonstrate an age-appropriate awareness of risk and make the right choices about keeping themselves safe.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

There have been no serious incidents, safeguarding concerns, complaints or allegations since the previous inspection. Despite this, staff are not complacent in their safeguarding role and are knowledgeable in this respect. They understand that young people take risks as part of their social development, so staff take a proportionate and parent-like approach when managing risks such as experimenting with alcohol.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff are positive role models for young people who are very respectful of staff and each other. Staff have high expectations of the young people and incidents of negative behaviour are extremely rare. When young people have made the wrong choices, they have been quick to recognise the error of their ways and make every effort to put things right. For example, when one young person broke a bottle in the street, they quickly cleaned it up, wrote a letter of apology and sent flowers to the neighbour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people are protected by a range of health and safety risk assessments, checks Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 5 and procedures, which make this a safe place for them to live. However, this safety is potentially compromised due to the practice of propping fire doors open. The manager had already recognised this as an issue and has taken steps to enquire about magnetic door releases. However, these are not yet in place.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

The location risk assessment is of poor quality. This is a generic document that provides very limited information about the specific risks presented by the home’s location, and strategies for managing these. However, this does not impact directly on the safety of young people, who show a good awareness of risks within the community and make good choices in this respect.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This home is run effectively by a qualified and experienced registered manager who is also responsible for two other homes, one of which she will be giving up shortly. This arrangement works because of her commitment and the good support from a very stable, competent and experienced staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have been successful in their efforts to provide a family-like ethos of care. Young people have responded positively to this and their progress is a real testament to this strong, child-focused approach. A social worker said, ‘I would describe this home as brilliant and would recommend it to anyone needing a good children’s home. Staff understand [name] and what children need generally. They work to the plan and support [name] well. [Name] has a genuine bond with staff who take care of him like he is their own.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff confirm that they feel supported by the manager, who they say is always available to them. They have regular opportunities, through practice-related supervision, handovers and team meetings, to reflect on the young people’s progress, their emerging needs and staff practice. The independent visitor said, ‘Staff are all singing from the same hymn sheet. They talk to each other all of the time and change things to help the young people overcome barriers.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has taken suitable action to address the requirement and the recommendation from the previous inspection. Information from the placing authority is now on file. Also, there is a procedure in place to ensure that the placing authority meets its statutory obligation to provide independent return interviews following any period of absence, of which there has only been one incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children’s guide needs updating. It has not been updated for some time and in its current form it is very long and not particularly child-friendly.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 6 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: SC456532 7

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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, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellor’s Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector(s)

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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