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

Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 1 SC455991 Registered provider: Cambian Signpost Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a large national provider of children’s social care services. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for no more than four children and young people at any one time. The children may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties or learning disabilities. The manager was registered on 3 September 2018.

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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: 14 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: SC455991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2019 Full Good 04/06/2018 Interim Not judged 21/11/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/09/2017 Full Inadequate Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The registered manager and her well-trained staff team have established a safe and supportive home for young people. The staff’s child-focused, empathetic approach ensures that young people who have experienced significant trauma, receive consistent, nurturing care. As a result, the young people benefit from exceptionally good relationships with the staff and feel happy and settled in the home. Both young people have made very good progress in all areas of their lives. They have engaged well in education and enjoy a wide range of activities with the staff. Prior to admission, some were seriously at risk of harm in the community. They have now learned how to manage their personal safety. As a result, they can visit family members in their home area and are trusted to use their own smartphone safely. The young people are consulted daily about every aspect of their lives. They are encouraged to use art and craftwork to express their views and contribute to their care

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

planning. Their artwork decorates the house and adds a homely feel to the communal areas. The young people are healthy and active and are encouraged to eat a nutritious diet. They have access to additional specialist support from qualified psychologists to help to meet their emotional needs. The manager and staff seek help and advice from outside agencies and medical professionals to help the young people with specific difficulties. The registered manager and staff maintain exceptionally good relationships with parents and make them feel welcome in the home. Working in partnership with family members helps to ensure a unified, consistent approach to the young people’s care. When a young person left recently under difficult circumstances, the registered manager travelled to a distant part of the country to visit her in her new placement. Feedback from this young person’s family demonstrates that her parents were exceptionally

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

pleased with her care and progress. Both young people have developed useful skills which will help them when they eventually reach independence. This includes managing their daily routines, baking and keeping their rooms clean.

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

The home has detailed, regularly updated risk assessments to help to protect the young people from a wide range of known risks. The strategies for managing behaviour are based upon developing and maintaining high-quality relationships between the staff and the young people. This builds trust and helps the young people to discuss their problems. Detailed behaviour management plans define the boundaries and inform staff about when and how to intervene to de-escalate difficult situations. As a result, there are very few restraints. The single recorded restraint was of short duration, and it did not involve Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 4 a hold but an appropriate, low-level technique to prevent a young person from hurting themselves. The young people are safe in this home. They do not go missing and there have been very few behavioural incidents. Young people who were at risk of sexual and criminal

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

exploitation before they came to live in the home are now safe from exploitative adults. There has been a small number of referrals to the designated officer. These were investigated, but none required any further action. The registered manager has good systems in place to monitor health and safety and fire safety. The company has a safe system for managing staff recruitment. This helps to reduce the risk to young people from the appointment of unsuitable staff.

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

Since the previous inspection, there has been one incident of bullying in the home. The manager and staff intervened swiftly and effectively to stop this behaviour. They implemented a detailed action plan which protected all the young people. Restorative measures helped the young people to understand what had gone wrong and to rebuild constructive relationships.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has a very competent manager who is ambitious for the young people. Since her registration in September 2018, she has worked tirelessly to establish a warm, nurturing, family-style home in which the young people and the staff feel valued and supported. The manager has almost completed her level 5 award in leadership and management. She has completed an advanced practitioner award in working with young people at risk of sexual exploitation. The manager’s enthusiasm for continuing professional development gives her invaluable insights into the young people’s needs and informs every aspect of her leadership. She shares relevant research articles and course materials with the staff to help to disseminate knowledge and enhance their knowledge and skills. The manager is well organised and efficient. She has good systems in place to monitor the home and the young people’s progress. The staff feel well supported and receive

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

regular clinical supervision from the home’s in-house psychologists. This helps to ensure that the staff feel confident and respond appropriately to the young people’s needs. The manager and staff also foster good relationships with other agencies. They are not afraid to challenge when they consider that the young people are not receiving the services to which they are entitled. The staff team is relatively new. Staff have undertaken relevant specialist training to increase their understanding of the young people’s lives. Not all have yet achieved their level 3 qualification, but they are well within the timescale for completion. At the previous inspection, the registered manager and staff had already achieved a high Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 5 standard of accommodation for young people. The home continues to provide a spacious, well-decorated and comfortable environment. Since the last inspection, further

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

improvements have been made to the garden, with the addition of a vegetable patch and habitats for wildlife. Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 6

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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: SC455991 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Signpost 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Victoria Elworthy

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Inspector

Heather Chaplin, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC455991 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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