Children's home run by The Cambian Group in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 1 SC471164 Registered provider: The Cambian Group Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned and run children‟s home registered for up to three children who may have behavioural and/or emotional difficulties. The home is one of a number owned by this nationally operating provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since August 2016. He has a suitable level 4 qualification and is studying for a level 5 qualification.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children‟s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 26 February 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/05/2017 Full Good 31/01/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 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.

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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 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)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that children‟s individual risk management strategies are consistently followed. 08/10/2018

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained–

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual–

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Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a 14/01/2019 Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 4 prolonged period; or

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Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b))

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Recommendations

 The home‟s Statement of Purpose should be child-focused, indicating how the home provides individualised care to meet the Quality Standards for the children in its care. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose is accurate and contains all of the required information.  The use of external agency staff can be a positive choice to complement the skills and experiences of the permanent workforce. Any external agency staff should meet the requirements in regulation 32(4) regarding mandatory qualifications and the registered person should consider their skills, qualifications and any induction necessary before they commence work at the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.16)  Review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home‟s location and strategies for managing these. Providers should refer to the non-statutory advice about the location assessment process. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including

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Recommendations

the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children‟s transitions into the home are well planned. The manager ensures that staff have the skills and experience to meet the children‟s needs and that the children are likely to mix well. Consequently, the children make good progress, and when they do move on it is in a planned way.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children experience a calm and nurturing environment in which they flourish. Dinnertimes are a peaceful, group experience when the children and staff talk about their day and future plans. The children are involved in the preparation of meals and the clearing of plates. The children particularly enjoy baking, and some have become skilled bakers and make celebration cakes for staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy normal childhood experiences, such as owning pets and going on holidays. The staff keep the children active through a range of activities and enrichment opportunities such as karate, youth club, museum trips and horse riding.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children quickly feel settled and secure. For example, a child who has only relatively recently moved into the home has identified a range of properties that they would like the home to move to when the home‟s lease runs out. The child has sent the details of these to the chief operating officer of the company. Not only does this demonstrate a sense of ownership of their home and future but also the confidence that staff have given them that their opinions are significant.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff are really important to the children. Many children who move on continue to keep in touch. The children said that they would never change the staff, as they are the best thing about the home. The children name their favourite staff and the different emotional roles that they fulfil. The children identify some staff as mother figures and others as „being lots of fun‟. Professionals recognise the quality of these relationships. One social worker said, „Staff have been at real pains to get to know my child and make them feel at home. Their support really impresses me.‟

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Currently, some children do not have regular full-time education. These children have individual tutoring arrangements that are supplemented by activities and work that they do with staff. The manager has consistently challenged partner agencies and virtual school headteachers to make suitable education arrangements. The manager has emphasised the children‟s right to attend a school that meets their particular needs. As a result, one child starts school next week, and specialist services are being sought for another child.

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

The children feel safe and secure. They have strong relationships with staff. These relationships enable staff to help the children to explore their feelings and risky behaviour, such as offending and substance misuse. Consequently, the vast majority of Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 6 children make great progress in keeping themselves safe. The children enjoy the time that they spend with staff, therefore risks such as going missing from home are also greatly reduced. One social worker said that a child had gone from „red-light risk to almost nothing‟ and, in a very short space of time, has become „a totally different child‟.

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

The manager has led a change in behaviour management to a more therapeutic approach that seeks to understand the individual causes of each child‟s behaviour. This has been successful. Levels of conflict have been reduced and physical intervention has not been used for some months. One social worker said, „I am impressed with how staff managed [the child‟s] aggressive behaviour. They helped him calm and he felt safe and contained.‟

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

The staff skilfully help the children navigate group conflict and establish positive relationships with each other. The staff help the children to develop empathy and the skills with which to repair fractured relationships. As a result, two children who had previously been in a volatile relationship have been helped by staff to gradually move to a friendship. One of these children is now moving on. The children said that they have worked out a plan to keep in touch, as they will miss each other.

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

The staff know how to respond to any safeguarding issues. They have raised wider safeguarding concerns, such as potential radicalisation, when appropriate. There are good relationships with the neighbouring farmer and local police which help to keep the children safe.

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

The manager ensures that there is clear guidance for staff on how to manage children‟s particular risks. However, the guidance is not always followed on each and every occasion. For example, the inspector, on arrival, was not made aware of a child‟s nut allergy or asked if they were carrying food. This was despite the child‟s risk management plan stating that this should occur. It is imperative that staff consistently implement risk management plans to robustly safeguard the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff feel well supported and encouraged by a manager who is committed to their professional development. The manager has high aspirations for the children and leads his team by example, ensuring a consistently child-focused approach. One child, when asked what they would never change about the home, said, „the staff‟.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff work in partnership effectively with other professionals and challenge other agencies to act when they believe that this is appropriate. The staff are compassionate, flexible and creative in their approach. Professionals, families and the children consistently praise the staff and the successes that they have been able to help the children to achieve. One social worker said, „I can‟t praise them enough – they are an A* team.‟

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the staff share information effectively and understand the children‟s needs. The regular team meetings and supervision have clear focus. The Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 7 therapist‟s input into team meetings helps staff to explore the children‟s behaviours and understand what the children may be feeling.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a good-quality induction and training programme for permanent staff. However, there is no record of induction for the agency and bank staff who work at the home. The majority, but not all, of the staff who have worked in residential childcare for more than two years have achieved the required level 3 diploma. Staff are not able to work to the best of their ability when they do not receive good-quality induction and training that equip them for their role effectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has undertaken a review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home. However, there is insufficient information and evaluation of any risks and opportunities with regard to health and education and strategies for managing these. This is particularly relevant as many of the children live some distance from their families.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose is not a clear and accurate reflection of the care and facilities provided by the home. For example, information regarding the responsible individual has not been updated to reflect organisational change, and the type of children‟s needs that the home can meet is not clearly defined. This means that placing authorities may not have full and accurate information available to them when considering whether the home is suitable for a particular child. Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 8

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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: SC471164 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, London W6 9RU

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Inspector

Joanna Heller: social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC471164 10 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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