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

Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 1 SC458027 Registered provider: The Cambian Group

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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 home provides care for two children. It is one of a group of homes run by a large independent provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 2018

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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 outstanding

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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

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2017 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/11/2016 Full Outstanding 09/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children make outstanding progress. They benefit from the time, attention and care given to them by the dedicated staff team. Children who have previously missed or been disengaged from education receive substantial help and make significant progress as a result. For example, one child who previously could not manage school now attends a local primary school full time. Staff read with the children, help them with their homework and encourage them to prepare for exams. This improves the likelihood of success and builds confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The matching is carefully considered by the skilled and experienced registered manager, who is tenacious in her ambition for every child. This sets the scene to ensure that all children make significant progress from their unique starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children’s views, wishes and feelings are central to all decision-making. The embedded child-focused ethos ensures that all the children have their say on matters that affect them and can give their opinions about the running of the home. For example, when children ask for improvements to be made to the interior of the home, the manager makes change happen. Photographs and pictures of the children adorn the living-room walls. Children’s bedrooms are individually personalised. Children know that they are valued because their home environment reflects this.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children feel loved and they flourish. Children play, have fun, laugh, sing and dance. Children’s self-esteem improves because they learn new skills through engaging in activities such as majorettes and swimming. Children have happy and exciting experiences, such as going on holiday and having friends come to visit for tea or to have sleepovers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children have bank accounts and receive a lot of help with budgeting and managing money. Bespoke independence planning ensures that children receive tailored advice and support to help them to prepare for life after care.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager has established excellent local community links with health professionals. Consistent access to general health and advice services ensures that children’s physical health needs are met and their health improves. Children with histories of harming themselves stop these behaviours. The staff are attuned to the needs of the children. To complement the approach used by staff, psychologists visit the home to encourage the team to think more deeply about the children’s emotional well-being. This method ensures that children receive the help and support they need day-to-day, and referrals are made to external mental health services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Communication with placing authorities is excellent. Children who live a long way from Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 4 their placing authorities significantly benefit from the home’s approach to managing and supporting visits with parents and siblings. Staff go above and beyond to accommodate the placine authorities plans. Parents are made to feel welcome when they visit, and are encouraged to bake and play with their children. This approach helps the children to maintain their cultural identities.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been one incident of missing. This represents a significant reduction in the number of missing incidents for the child. It is testament to the skill and commitment of the staff and the manager, who together work persistently with children to reinforce the importance of making good and safe decisions. Children keep in touch with staff when they are out in the community and this ensures that when difficulties do arise children are more likely to seek support from the staff. This reduces the likelihood of children coming to avoidable harm.

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

Clearly written and regularly reviewed risk assessments show that the staff know the children well and have identified practical strategies for managing risk in the home and in the locality. Impact risk assessments show that staff think about the way each child’s behaviour affects the other children. This helps to ensure that relationships are closely monitored and reduces the likelihood of bullying or intimidation.

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

There have been no allegations against staff. There have been no physical interventions. The staff are trained to use physical intervention. When incidents do arise, for example when children are upset and behaviour becomes challenging, the staff use their relationship with and knowledge of the child to help to defuse and de-escalate the situation. In the last six months, incidents have significantly decreased in number.

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

The children have good daily routines. All staff quickly come to know children’s individual characters and traits. Reward charts and incentives are used to good effect to encourage children to work towards achieving agreed goals. The customary use of praise and positive regard helps children to feel valued and loved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed exceptionally well by an experienced registered manager. The feedback from all those spoken to during this inspection was consistently positive with regard to the difference she makes to the lives of children. One professional said, ‘I wish there were more homes like this one.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads by example. She has excellent relationships with the children, who trust her. Since the last inspection, the registered manager has completed the level 5 diploma. To achieve the qualification, she studied the effect of trauma on brain development. The registered manager cascades her learning from research to the staff in regular meetings. This approach upskills the staff, which helps them to put into Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 5 practice messages from research about successful therapeutic parenting. As a result, staff understand the reasons why some behaviour from children who have been traumatised can present challenges for the adults who care for them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has is a small team of staff who work consistently together, prioritising the day-to-day needs of the children. Some staff have achieved the required level 3 diploma and others are completing this. All staff receive regular formal supervision and the dependable registered manager is available to offer practice advice and guidance. This provides continuity for the children. One child said, ‘The manager puts herself last after everyone else.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Effective external quality-assurance processes provide an additional layer of safeguarding. A series of routine monthly quality-assurance checks enables the manager to demonstrate how she oversees and monitors practice when she is not present in the home. The manager is aware of the home’s/team’s strengths and the areas where the team could make minor adjustments to practice. The registered manager is not complacent. She is ready to challenge and advocate for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Discussions that took place during this inspection and the home’s development plan evidence that the registered manager is continually seeking new and creative ways to support children and encourage them to thrive. For example, discussions are currently underway about plans for the home to have a pet. Children live in a home where they experience a positive childhood and a fulfilling lifestyle.

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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: SC458027 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian, Waterfront, Hammersmith Embankment, Chancellors Road, LondonW6 9RU

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Inspector

Rosie Davie: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 7 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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