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

Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 1 SC067899 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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 is operated by a limited company and operates under a block contract arrangement with the local authority in which it is situated. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children, aged between 11 and 17 years, who have experienced adverse childhood experiences. The home offers short-, medium-, and long-term placements for children and young people, and assists in their preparation for the next step in their lives, whether it is a return home, a move to another placement or the transition to independence. At the time of the inspection, there were four young people in placement, three of whom spoke with the inspector about their experience of living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The current manager of the home was registered with Ofsted on 31 August 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

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Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/07/2018 Full Good 26/07/2017 Full Good 20/03/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 31/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 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 registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 01/03/2020

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Recommendations

 Children should be given a choice in how their personal space is decorated. (‘ Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have positive relationships with the staff. The staff understand the individual care and support needs of all the young people. This contributes to them feeling happy, safe and secure living at the home. They said that the manager and staff are all approachable and listen to them. One young person said: ‘I really like being here. It’s the best thing that has happened and I only wish I had come here earlier.’ Another said: ‘I am a different person to the one that came here, and that is in a good way.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are fully consulted and involved in their care, which helps them to understand and contribute to their current and future plans. As a result of this, all young people are making progress in all aspects of their lives. Educational attendance and attainment have improved. One young person said: ‘Without the encouragement from staff I would not be doing as well as I am. They have helped me understand the importance of education for my future.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff support young people to lead healthy lifestyles. As a result of this, young people are enjoying healthier diets and are becoming involved in the shopping and preparation of well-balanced, healthy meals. Staff encourage and support young people to attend healthcare appointments, which promotes their physical and emotional health and well-being. Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 4 Young people enjoy and engage in a range of activities, both in the home and in the local community. They shared plans for the coming weekend with the inspector, which included a trip to the cinema. They also spoke about going out for meals and using community leisure facilities. Plans are discussed during young people’s meetings, which also enables them to contribute to day-to-day decision that are made about their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager works in partnership with the placing authority that commissions all the services within the home. She makes sure that full consideration is given to planning admissions to the home. This includes matching the needs of the young people currently living at the home with those of the potential new young person, as well as considering any risks and how these will be managed. Where she identifies that a new placement would have a detrimental effect on the young people currently at the home, she raises this with the senior managers. This means that the safety and welfare of young people are central to the decision-making process.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people moving on from the home are supported to do so in a planned and sensitive manner. This includes situations in which placements have to end due to safeguarding concerns. The manager is open and honest with placing social workers when it is identified that the placement is not appropriate. She works in partnership with other professionals to ensure that a suitable alternative placement is found. This means that young people are prepared for leaving the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help young people to prepare for adulthood and living independently by gaining the skills they need for their future. They make sure that pathway plans are in place and are followed. A young person who recently moved from the home confirmed that the staff did everything they could to prepare her, and expressed how much she had enjoyed living at the home prior to moving on.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are supported to see family and friends, in line with agreements in their placement plans. One parent said the staff are always warm, welcoming and helpful. Another parent said: ‘I am happy because my daughter is happy, and I can see the difference living there has made for her. She is receiving the care and support she needs at this time.’

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

The manager and staff have a good understanding of the risks, challenges and difficulties young people may experience. Staff speak with them on a regular basis about taking appropriate risks and how to stay safe. Comprehensive risk assessments are in place, and are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect current concerns. Staff follow these to help to manage and minimise risk from emerging behaviours which may increase risk.

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

The managers and the staff team have a clear understanding of the risks that young people face when they go missing from the home. Staff make every attempt to contact a young person when they are missing, and follow the agreed protocols and individual Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 5 missing-from-home risk assessments. Records are maintained of incidents of missing, although some handwriting is difficult to read. Since the last inspection, there has been an increase in the number of missing-from-home incidents recorded. However, staff have highlighted to the police and external safeguarding agencies the vulnerability of the young people, requesting that they classify them as missing rather than absent. Young people are offered independent return home interviews. This provides them with the opportunity to share any reasons why they go missing and gives them the additional support thy may require to address the causes of this behaviour.

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

Young people are encouraged to understand and reflect on any antisocial or inappropriate behaviours. The home uses a restorative justice system which young people said is fair and proportionate. Staff spend time speaking with the young people to help them have a greater understanding of the impact of their behaviours on themselves and others. Positive behaviour is recognised and rewarded with praise and encouragement. One young person said: ‘Staff don’t try to make us feel bad for behaviour for days at a time. They are really fair and this helps me far more than if they just went on at me all the time.’

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

The manager understands when a young person’s placement at the home is not working for them, or their behaviours and risks require specialist intervention. She works in partnership with other agencies that are tasked with safeguarding to find alternative support to meet the young person’s needs and to keep them safe.

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

Staff intervene if there is any challenging behaviour or verbal aggression. They are clear with young people that bullying of any kind is not acceptable. One young person said: ‘Staff treat me with respect and this helps me to understand the importance of respect to everyone. We all get along well here and it is the happiest home I have lived in. I am happy to call it my home.’

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

Young people have use of a computer in the home. This has appropriate safety features on it. However, staff understand that young people access the internet on a variety of devices, and therefore educate them on staying safe online.

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

The manager ensures that any significant safeguarding concerns are raised with the appropriate people, including placing social workers and the designated officer. Formal notifications are made to the regulator in a timely manner. This enables the regulator to have oversight of how staff safeguard young people .

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

There is a process in place that is followed when complaints or concerns are raised about the home. However, of the two complaints made, one raised a number of concerns. The manager had responded, but the final outcome had not been recorded clearly. This does not enable independent oversight to demonstrate the action taken.

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

The home is well maintained and maintenance issues are responded to in a timely manner. This ensures that the home is safe for the young people living there. Fire risk assessments are up to date, and young people and staff know what to do in the event of a fire. Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 6 Young people have been fully involved in choosing the decor and furnishings for the home. They are able to personalise their bedrooms and are allocated a budget to do so. However, this is not allocated at the commencement of their placement. Therefore, some young people have bedrooms which, although clean and comfortable, lack personalisation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has experience and appropriate qualifications, and her practice is child centred. An experienced and motivated deputy manager provides support for the manager. Together, they lead a strong and established staff team. All staff members share the manager's, passion, ambition and commitment to improving the young people’s lives and outcomes. This means that young people receive individualised care and support to meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has effective systems for checking the quality of care provided. She shares this with staff. This helps them to understand their role and responsibilities in delivering good and effective care. Extra external monitoring provides further oversight of the home. The manager acts on any recommendations made to improve and sustain the service, and has addressed the requirements and recommendations made at the previous inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

There is a stable, experienced staff team in place. The vast majority of the staff hold the level 3 childcare qualification in residential childcare. Arrangements are in place for new staff to attain this. All staff have completed up to date mandatory training and refreshed this training where necessary. Also, the manager has arranged extra training to further enhance their skills. This includes criminal exploitation and self-harm and ligature training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive monthly supervision and have annual appraisals. The manager and staff receive supervision on a regular basis. Staff said that the level and content of supervision are excellent and enable them to develop their skills. Team meetings further contribute to promoting excellent support. This enables the staff to work together to achieve consistently good outcomes for young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 7 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: SC067899 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Claire Deary: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067899 9 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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