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

Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 1 SC464958 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 for six young people. The home provides care for young people aged 11 to 18 who have experienced adverse childhood experiences that have led to associated trauma and complex behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in November 2014. She is appropriately qualified and experienced for the role.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious failures that mean young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded.

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/03/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/12/2017 Full Good 02/02/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/10/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 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, 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 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—

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(v)(vi)(vii)) 10/08/2018

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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 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

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(2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that when incidents happen the managers take action to learn lessons to minimise the risk of them happening again. 10/08/2018

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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 each child’s relevant plans are followed; 10/08/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 4 that, subject to regulation 22 (contact and access to communications), contact between each child and the child’s parents, relatives and friends, is promoted in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14(2)(c)(d)) The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

provides that the failure on the part of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child to the appropriate person is a ground on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33(2)(b)) 10/08/2018

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Recommendations

 Ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s home regulations including quality care standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

Specifically, ensure that sufficient recruitment records for all staff are kept and are easily accessible to the registered manager, including those who have transferred from other homes within the organisation. Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

A serious safeguarding failure contributes to the home being judged inadequate. The registered manager and staff did not report and respond appropriately to a disclosure of alleged historical abuse made by a young person. As a result, a young person’s welfare was not adequately safeguarded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

At the time of the inspection, which was over two months after the disclosure, the registered manager and/or staff had not spoken to the young person to acknowledge the disclosure, offer reassurance and support or explain what the next steps would be. This shows that when young people raise serious concerns they are not listened to or acted upon. The young person told the inspector, ‘I don’t always feel supported, but I am not sure why’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff do not always follow the guidance set out in young people’s contact plans. For example, young people are sometimes not fully supervised when they spend time with their families, despite this being an expectation. Failing to provide care in line with young people’s plans places them at risk of potential harm. In addition, it means that staff do not consistently enable young people to spend safe and positive time with their family.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Despite these failings, young people receive some good care and support from staff. As a result, young people make progress in different aspects of their development. For example, good access to therapeutic support and attending routine health appointments promote young people’s emotional and physical health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff enable young people to value education. As a result, young people’s school attendance improves and they make progress with their learning.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people engage in key-worker sessions and young people’s meetings. This gives them an opportunity to express their wishes and feelings and contribute to the day-to- day running of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Young people benefit from a good variety of activities and work opportunities. For example, they enjoy playing and relaxing in the garden, which is well equipped with swings and a plunge pool. Young people also enjoy having meals out, horse riding and going to the gym and on trips to theme parks, and one young person volunteers at a local animal sanctuary. These positive experiences improve their confidence, social skills and social inclusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The home environment is bright and welcoming. Young people can personalise their bedrooms and have an array of personal items. This gives them a sense of ownership and belonging. Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 6

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

When a young person made a disclosure about alleged abuse, the registered manager and staff failed to act promptly and appropriately. They did not follow the home’s safeguarding policies and agreed protocols. This led to a two-month delay in reporting the disclosure to the relevant agencies. On reviewing the information, the relevant agencies commenced an investigation into the abuse allegation. Failure to follow safeguarding procedures leaves children at risk of potential harm.

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

Staff do not always follow the guidance set out in young people’s risk assessments. For example, a member of staff allowed a vulnerable young person to have money in her hand during a visit with her family. The decision, made by staff, contradicted the guidance contained in the young person’s risk assessment and placed the young person at an increased risk of harm. Furthermore, the inconsistent staff practice sends mixed messages to young people about the expectations of the care given to them by staff. This undermines the process of setting meaningful and consistent routines and boundaries for young people.

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

Recruitment practice is generally safe. However, one personnel file did not contain sufficient employment references. The employee had transferred to work at this home from another home within the organisation. Although the registered manager maintained that this information would be held elsewhere, during the inspection it could not be located. A recommendation is raised to ensure that personnel files contain all the required information and that this information is easily accessible.

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

The inspector noted some good practice. For example, staff help young people to understand how to keep themselves safe. There have been no episodes of young people going missing from the home.

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

Staff manage young people’s challenging behaviour well, which reduces the need to physically intervene to keep young people safe. Good use of rewards and consequences enables young people to begin to learn to take responsibility for their behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A disclosure of abuse went unreported to the relevant agencies for two months. The registered manager and/or senior managers have not carried out sufficient enquiries to understand how this occurred. As a result, they have not taken sufficient action to prevent this from happening again, and this does not adequately protect and promote young people’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager does not effectively review young people’s plans to learn from incidents. For example, she has not reviewed young people’s risk assessments and plans to ensure that contact arrangements are managed safely.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Some aspects of the registered manager’s practice are good. For example, she has advocated well for one young person in respect of their transition plans and future semi- Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 7 independence placement. The registered manager used effective challenge to ensure that the young person will receive the services that she needs when she moves on.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive regular supervision, during which staff review young people’s progress and consider their individual professional development. They benefit from a range of training opportunities to help them to develop the skills and knowledge that they need for their role.

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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 difference 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: SC464958 8

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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, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspector

Rumbi Mangoma, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC464958 9 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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