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

Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 1 SC456539 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 has not had a registered manager since 25 July 2017.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a large national organisation. The home’s statement of purpose states that this home is part of ‘the complex needs services and is registered to accommodate one young person up to the age of 18 (17 on admission). The young people who are considered for accommodation at this home often have needs ranging from emotional and mental health problems, self-harm, severe anger, aggression problems and attachment issues.’

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/05/2018 Full Inadequate 12/07/2017 Full Good 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 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

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5(c)) 26/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e)) 26/06/2019

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Recommendations

 When there are safeguarding concerns for a child, their placement plan, agreed between the home and placing authority, must include details of the steps the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home operates as a solo home. Two young people have moved into the home and one young person has moved out of the home since the last inspection. These transitions have been well planned.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person in placement is making good progress in this home due to the care and support he receives from staff. A parent reported, ‘It’s the best placement he’s had. It’s where he has improved the most in his behaviour, schooling and in himself. He has improved.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have developed positive relationships with the young person, which they use to influence the young person’s behaviour and actions. The young person living in the placement spoke positively about his relationships with staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the young person well with his education. They provide a routine, which promotes school attendance. Staff were observed during the inspection successfully persuading him to attend school that day. As a result of this approach, the young person is making progress educationally.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young person is encouraged by staff to making healthy choices. Staff attend the gym with him and ensure that he attends health appointments as required. They involve external agencies, such as drug and alcohol services, to ensure that the young person is educated about the risks associated with substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the young person very well. They are proactive in supporting him with his interests and talents, such as drumming. This helps him to increase his self-esteem and develop confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home looks and feels like a family home. However, when young people cause damage to the home, repairs are not always carried out in a timely manner. This does not ensure a welcoming, homely environment for the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote contact between the young person and his family, in line with his care plan. This ensures that he can maintain relationships with family in a safe way.

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

Staff know the young person very well. They understand his known risks and vulnerabilities and take proactive action to try and keep him safe. This is acknowledged by the young person who spoke about what staff do to ensure that he is safe.

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

There has been an increase in the number of times that the young person has gone missing from the home. When the young person goes missing, staff are proactive in Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 5 searching for him and often locate him. They follow his missing from home risk assessment to keep him safe from harm.

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

The manager, however, does not always ensure that concerns about an increase in missing from home episodes are sufficiently escalated with the local authority so that strategy meetings take place. This does not ensure that there is a multi-agency response to keeping the young person safe when he is missing from the home.

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

Self-harm incidents have reduced for the young person. When the young person does self-harm, staff take the appropriate action. There is, however, a lack of clarity in the young person’s risk assessments about when staff should carry out room searches and how these should be recorded.

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

Staff manage the young person’s behaviour well. This is because they have positive relationships with the young person and know the best way to de-escalate his behaviour.

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

Staff are up to date with mandatory safeguarding training and, as a result, understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There has been no registered manager in post in this home for a significant length of time. There has, however, been an experienced manager appointed to the post. There is an acting manager in post currently who knows the young person exceptionally well.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home is staffed by a stable staff team that likes working in the home. Staff members receive regular supervision from the manager, which supports them in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager ensures that team meetings take place regularly. These are detailed and include updates of the young person and his progress. This ensures that the young person receives a consistent approach to his care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff work well with external agencies, such as police community support officers, to support the young person with his progress. Feedback from professionals about how staff communicate with them is positive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff ensure that the young person has plenty of opportunities to express his views about his care. His views are taken into account, and feedback is provided to him in response to any requests that he has made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not always ensure that staff have training specific to young people’s needs. This is particularly in respect of sexualised behaviour and county lines.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Moreover, training has not always been provided within a suitable timeframe or it has been cancelled. This does not ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to meet Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 6 young peoples needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager does not always notify Ofsted of serious significant events. This hinders safeguarding agencies, including Ofsted, from having the necessary oversight of safeguarding incidents in the home.

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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: SC456539 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront, Manbre Wharf, Manbre Road, Hammersmith, Middlesex W6 9RU

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Inspectors

Sarah Billett, social care inspector Sarah Oldham, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456539 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: http://www.gov.uk/ofsted

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