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

Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 1 SC388991 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides care for up to two young people who have social and/or emotional difficulties. The home is privately owned. The manager has completed the level 5 diploma in leadership and management. The registered manager has been registered with Ofsted since 2017.

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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: 16 October 2018

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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: SC388991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2018 Full Good 30/01/2018 Full Good 22/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive good-quality care from a well-qualified, consistent and dedicated staff team. This helps children to feel valued and enables them to make progress with their independence skills and confidence. Internal care plans are written to a very good standard and include all the information needed by staff to care for children. Children who have recently moved into the home shared with the inspector that they feel welcome and like the staff. However, the children’s guide is not user friendly and contains unnecessary information that could overwhelm children. Staff have frequent and meaningful conversations with children about issues such as self-harm, internet safety and how to manage anger and their worries. The discussions are centred on the needs of children and are also used as opportunities to gather their wishes and feelings. Staff ensure that behaviour management plans are very detailed and include clear

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

actions for staff to help support children. However, during this inspection the inspector found a list of ‘rules’ that children sign when they move into the home which were not child centred. For example, children do not receive a takeaway if they do not attend a house meeting, or money for clothes will be delayed due to non-attendance at school. The majority of these rules are not followed by staff and, therefore, have had little impact on children. However, these require review. The home is clean and tidy. Children have personalised their bedrooms with staff support. However, some areas of the home do not feel as homely as they could. For example, staff unlock and lock the office when using it and children are not allowed into the office. While children can access all other areas of the home freely, rooms downstairs have locks on each door. While the inspector was assured that rooms downstairs are not locked, this does not provide a homely environment.

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

Staff have a thorough understanding of safeguarding processes. Managers make sure that staff receive a range of training about how to safeguard children, including training about safer caring, child criminal exploitation and online safety. There have been no complaints since the last inspection. There has been one allegation made since the last inspection against a staff member which was unsubstantiated. Procedures were followed in line with statutory guidance and the concerns were responded to swiftly. The registered manager has kept in-depth records of the incident and the outcome. There have only been two incidents of restraint since the last inspection. This is because restraint is used as a last resort. Staff use calming techniques and distraction to reduce confrontation. Incidents of restraint are recorded thoroughly. The registered manager has reflected on the incidents with staff to support them

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

and consider areas of improvement. Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 4

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about the support and knowledge of the registered manager. He is very passionate about his role and is highly experienced. Staff shared with the inspector that they enjoy working at this home and stay because they see themselves as an ‘extended family’. The registered manager ensures that staff receive regular professional supervision. Staff can share their wishes and feelings in an open environment focused on learning. The registered manager encourages staff to reflect on their practice to enable their development. Staff receive annual personal development plans and the registered manager is very focused on developing staff skills and experience. Safer recruitment processes are robust and include all necessary checks and identification documents. The registered manager ensures that references are verified and the reasons for staff leaving previous employment are properly checked.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This means that children receive care from well-vetted adults. The registered manager has effective monitoring and review systems and prioritises the welfare of children. He has completed an evaluative review of the quality of care provided in the home that includes children’s wishes and feelings. The registered manager holds team meetings monthly. These consider the individual needs of children and provide opportunities for staff learning and discussion. For example, staff discuss topics such as domestic abuse and the effects on children. Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 5

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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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on— mutual respect and trust; an understanding about acceptable behaviour; positive responses to other children and adults. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure— that staff— meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c)(2)(a)(i)) This is with specific reference to house rules which are in need of review. 30/04/2020

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, 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)  The children’s guide should help children to understand:  what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’);  the Statement of Purpose of the home (the care they can expect to receive while living there);  how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure;  how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and  how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.

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Recommendations

Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 6 (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22) In particular, that the children’s guide should be written in a child-friendly format.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC388991 7

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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 Road, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Anna Gravelle, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC388991 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 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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