Children's home run by Cambian Asperger Syndrome Services Limited in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 1 SC482294 Registered provider: Cambian Asperger Syndrome Services 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

The home is currently registered to care for 42 children with learning disabilities. Children are accommodated across eight houses on the site. The home is privately owned by a large organisation, which specialises in providing education and care. All the children access the school, which is located on the site. Care is provided to children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The post of registered manager has been vacant since 24 April 2019.

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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: 20 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/02/2019 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good 07/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 04/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 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— that staff— assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that arrangements are in place to promptly reduce the risk of harm for all identified risks. 27/09/2019

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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—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and 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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b)(2)(c)) 27/09/2019

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience warmth and responsiveness from staff who increasingly understand their complex needs. With guidance and insight from the multi-disciplinary therapy team, staff help children to develop their independence skills, social skills and manage their Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 4 emotions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Within a comfortable living environment, staff tailor their sensitive and nurturing care to each child’s specific needs. They know the children very well. Children develop trust in the staff and respond to their help and support. Children learn to overcome their social and communication difficulties. They have a wide range of opportunities to try new activities, pursue their personal interests, make friends and have fun.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs, physical and emotional, are a high priority for staff. With additional staff training and the support of the multi-disciplinary therapy team, which includes a psychiatrist and psychologist, staff are more confident in helping children with complex emotional and mental health needs. Children benefit from direct help from the therapy team and the therapeutic approach provided by the staff. A parent and a social worker commented positively on the progress a child is making in a short time, due to staff support in relation to autism and mental health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children to put forward their views. Through key-work sessions and house meetings, children confidently put forward their opinions on matters affecting their day-to-day experience of living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive appropriate assistance to develop their independence skills to prepare them for their futures as adults.

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

Staff understand the risks associated with children’s behaviour and they implement supportive and protective measures. Risk assessments provide staff with clear guidance to keep children safe. However, not all identified risks are linked to a specific risk assessment, and in one case a risk assessment was not in place at the earliest opportunity. Staff help children to understand how to keep themselves safe.

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

Children benefit from close collaboration between care staff, the multi-disciplinary therapy team and education staff. Detailed, relevant and individual plans comprehensively identify children’s needs and inform staff of effective support strategies. These structured and personalised plans are contributing to a reduction in challenging behaviour. Children are learning to manage their difficult emotions and anxieties.

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

Through warm and trusting relationships, staff encourage positive behaviour. Behaviour is closely monitored and incidents thoroughly reviewed, with a consistent focus on ensuring safe practice in the use of physical help for children. Strategies are frequently scrutinised by the behaviour management lead, with a focus on implementing individual plans to avoid the use of physical support.

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

Leaders, managers and the staff team have established a strong safeguarding culture. Staff are vigilant and diligent in reporting any concerns about the welfare of the children to the team of designated safeguarding officers. Appropriate and effective action is taken to protect children, including referrals to external safeguarding agencies. Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Management of the home has recently changed. Leaders in the organisation have taken the decision to employ two managers to manage the home. One new manager has been in the role since May 2019, with another due to commence shortly. Both will be applying to Ofsted for registration. Leaders and managers are in the process of changing the culture so that staff and children clearly recognise the distinction between the school and the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff know the children very well. They know the progress they are making and the difficulties they are experiencing. Leaders and managers closely monitor children’s care and respond effectively when alternative strategies are required to support children. They have recognised that, with an increase in the complexity of children’s mental health difficulties, the specialist team promoting children’s mental health requires further strengthening. Currently, trained and experienced specialist mental health practitioners are being recruited to increase the level of expertise to meet children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers now have a sharp focus on providing staff with mental health training and support from specialists to help children with complex emotional difficulties. However, sufficient, relevant training was not in place prior to the admission of some children with significant mental health difficulties. The admission process for these children has been reviewed, with an increased emphasis on ensuring that all parties involved in a child’s care collaborate, liaise and share all relevant information to ensure that the child experiences well-planned, individualised care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Recruiting suitable staff remains an ongoing issue, and leaders and managers continue with recruitment campaigns to fill vacancies. The impact on children of staff shortages is marginal as the situation is being managed through overtime, with minimum use of agency staff.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 6 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: SC482294 7

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Children’s home details

Provision sub-type: Residential special school

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Asperger Syndrome Services Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Waterfront Building, Chancellor’s Road, Hammersmith Embankment, London W6 9RU

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Inspectors

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Liz Driver, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC482294 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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