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

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 1 SC457621

p.1

Cambian Childcare Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned by a private provider. It is registered to care for four young people who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

p.1

This monitoring visit

This home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 9 and 10 April 2019. A restriction notice was issued so that no more young people could be admitted. Two requirements, relating to management arrangements and staff recruitment, were also made. This monitoring visit was undertaken to assess the progress made in addressing the requirements and to monitor the restriction notice. The requirement made at the last inspection about management is not met. The home has been without a registered manager for 21 weeks. The new acting manager proposes to apply to Ofsted to be registered. She has already demonstrated the capacity to manage the home well. However, in such a short space of time, she has not been able to sufficiently improve the home. The last inspection identified that staff were not able to keep young people safe. The potential for young people to be harmed was high. This visit confirmed that,

p.1

This monitoring visit

although steps have been taken to improve the home, there are still concerns about young people’s safety and welfare, and about the ability of staff to protect them. For example, a young person was recently taken out late at night and dropped off at an unknown property. The staff member’s approach was careless. They did not check which address the young person had gone into. The young person was then missing all night. It later transpired that the young person was at serious risk of harm during that period. The acting manager and the responsible individual were not aware that the young person had been at risk because staff had not passed this important safeguarding information to them. Therefore, no action had been taken. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 2 Staff are not experienced enough, they make mistakes, and don’t always follow the home’s procedures or their manager’s instructions. They remain unable to

p.1

This monitoring visit

consistently enforce clear boundaries for young people. Young people’s education has been affected by the inconsistent approach from staff. Young people are not prepared for changes to their routine. They do not know what to expect because this is not discussed with them beforehand. One young person expected to get a ‘fast-food’ breakfast on her way to her education and reported that other staff had allowed her to do so in recent days. When told that this routine would change with immediate effect, the young person became irritated. She has since decided not to continue with her education placement at all. Another young person is currently in the middle of her GCSEs. She asked staff to take her out late at night, and then went missing. The young person went on to sit an exam the following day but would have been extremely tired. Poor decision- making by staff contributes to the fact that young people are not making enough

p.2

This monitoring visit

progress in their education. Many staff are new to the home. Some have not had a proper induction. Some staff have little or no experience of working with children, or in a children’s home. Not all staff are prepared to enforce boundaries. Some staff report that they are concerned about the professionalism of some of their colleagues towards young people. For example, some staff are said to swear in front of young people, and professional and personal boundaries are at times becoming blurred. This is having a negative impact on young people. New team leaders have been recruited from other homes within the organisation and this has helped. However, adjustments continue to be needed to make sure that the staff leading shifts are capable. The team is not yet stable or providing consistent care to young people. There are some concerns about the location of the home. Young people regularly engage in drug use, yet the home is very near to areas where young people know

p.2

This monitoring visit

that they can easily access drugs. After the last full inspection, Ofsted wrote to the young people to explain the previous inadequate judgement. Young people have not been given this letter to read. This is disappointing. It is the young people’s home and they deserve to know what is happening, especially when Ofsted has written to them directly. The home’s documentation pertaining to young people is not clear. Some information record sheets, which document safeguarding events, are not available. Key-working sessions and contact plans were also not available in young people’s files. One staff member reported that handovers can be poor and that they were not fully informed about recent safeguarding matters. Weaknesses in staff handover systems mean that there is the potential for very important safeguarding information to be overlooked. The previous requirement about the suitability of staff has been repeated and was

p.2

This monitoring visit

not fully assessed. However, one staff personnel file does now contain evidence that some improvements have been made. Procedures have been updated so that a Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 3 Disclosure and Barring Service check is received before staff are allowed to work in the home. Because widespread shortfalls remain, Ofsted’s decision is that the restriction notice should stay in place. To bring in additional young people at this time would be detrimental to the existing young people’s wellbeing and welfare. Young people need a period of stability where they can experience more settled care.

p.2

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/04/2019 Full Inadequate 15/05/2018 Full Outstanding 17/05/2017 Full Good 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 4

p.3

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.

p.4

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— helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose; ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate; ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child; ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child; ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child; 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

p.4

Requirement Due date

of the quality of care provided in the home; demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on— research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 08/07/2019 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 5 The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.4

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(c)) 08/07/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person may permit an individual to start work at the home despite the fact that the requirement in paragraph (3)(d) has not been met if—

p.5

Requirement Due date

the registered person has taken all reasonable steps to obtain full information about each of the matters in Schedule 2 in respect of the individual, but the enquiries in relation to any of the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2 are incomplete;

p.5

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2;

p.5

Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the circumstances are exceptional; and

p.5

Requirement Due date

the registered person ensures that the individual is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties, pending receipt of any outstanding information on the matters in paragraphs 3 to 6 of Schedule 2, which is then considered satisfactory by the registered person.

p.5

Requirement Due date

The registered person must take reasonable steps to ensure that any individual who is working at the home and who does not fall within paragraph (2)(a) and (b) is appropriately supervised while carrying out the individual’s duties. (Regulation 32 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(8)) 08/07/2019

p.5

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.5

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.5

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)) Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 6

p.5

Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

p.6

Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Caroline Brailsford, social care inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: SC457621 8 to 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8