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

Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 1 SC456532 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This is one of several children’s homes operated by a private company. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to two children or young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. If required, children and young people can access the organisation’s school and therapy department. The manager has been registered with Ofsted since October 2012.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/07/2018 Full Outstanding 29/08/2017 Full Good 01/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Seven children have lived at the home since the last inspection. For most children, this has been a very positive experience that has supported good progress, relative to their individual starting point and time in placement. Children benefit from living in a nurturing home. They are cared for by an established team of staff who prioritise and work hard to meet each child’s individual care needs. Positive relationships are formed. Children develop quickly a sense of belonging and stability that brings some order to their often-chaotic lives. This has contributed to most children achieving positive outcomes, for example successfully moving to independent living or returning home to live with their family. Careful consideration is given when thinking about admissions. Children are introduced into the home in a way that makes them feel welcome and wanted. Every effort is made to understand and accommodate each child’s unique and

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

diverse needs. For example, staff have translated basic information, such as the children’s guide, into alternative languages for children whose first language is not English. Children have a strong voice in this home. There are lots of opportunities for children to influence the running of the home and their individual plans. Children are supported to attend important meetings and influence decisions affecting their lives. Barriers to participation and communication are overcome, for example having an interpreter present to assist children, parents and professionals during important meetings. Staff make every effort to source the right education placement and support children to reinvest in their learning. While this is being done, children are offered bespoke learning packages that are delivered in the home. Transitions into school are sensitively supported. Staff recognise the barriers that need to be overcome for

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

children who have a history of poor academic engagement. They work closely with education providers in this respect. However, not all children engage and, for a small minority, education attendance and progress have not been good. Staff go to great lengths to support children to keep in touch with their family and other important people. They work closely with family members and social workers to ensure that cohesive and progressive plans are in place. This collaborative approach helps children to strengthen their relationships with key people in their lives. This has included supporting family members from abroad and has enabled two children to go to live in Poland.

p.3

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

The manager and staff are fully committed to promoting children’s safety. They are trained in safeguarding and understand and take seriously their safeguarding responsibilities. Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 4 Care practice is underpinned by clear policies and procedures. These are fully understood by the manager and staff who know what action they should take in the event of a safeguarding concern or allegation being made. Staff have a good understanding of each child’s behaviours, risks and vulnerabilities. They give the management of these a high priority, and are effective in the implementation of individual risk management strategies. This means that behaviour, such as going missing from home, is managed effectively and in the best interest of the child. Staff act as good role models and encourage children to understand and take responsibility for their own behaviour and safety. They recognise the need for

p.3

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

children to take age-appropriate risks and provide advice, support and guidance to enable children to do this. When incidents occur, staff make good use of individual sessions to help children reflect and make better choices about being respectful of others and keeping themselves safe. Children’s behaviour can be challenging. However, restraint is rarely necessary. This is because staff effectively use positive relationships, negotiation and compromise to avoid situations reaching crisis point. On the two occasions restraint has been used, it has been done caringly and as a last resort.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is led by an experienced, skilled and competent registered manager. She divides her management time between this and another home that she is registered for. This arrangement works because she is supported by a very capable and established staff team. Staff describe the manager as supportive and always available. Staff receive regular supervision and have their performance reviewed annually. However, it is not common practice to gather the views of children or third-party stakeholders as part of the appraisal process. This is a missed opportunity when assessing staff performance. Staff have good access to a range of mandatory and needs-led training. They are supported to acquire a qualification relevant to their roles, with all but one of the team being qualified. Consequently, staff have the right knowledge, skills and expertise to meet the needs of the children in their care. The manager understands what the home does well. She makes good use of a

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

range of internal and external monitoring systems to ensure that children are safe, well cared for, and their needs are consistently met. Shortfalls are appropriately addressed to ensure that high standards of care are maintained. This includes taking suitable action to address the three recommendations from the previous inspection. The manager has developed effective links with partner agencies such as the police, safeguarding professionals and placing authorities. However, at times the manager has not been sufficiently challenging when the placing authority has not provided key statutory information to assist with care planning. Positively, the staff have Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 5 responded to meeting children’s immediate needs, but are unclear as to what plan they are working towards in relation to the two children currently living at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 6

p.4

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.6

Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff— if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (c)) Specifically, challenge and, where necessary, escalate concerns when the child’s placing authority fails to provide the home with statutory records, including a sufficiently detailed placing authority care and placement plan, minutes from the review of these plans and the statutory provision under which the child is accommodated. 25/03/2020

p.6

Recommendations

 All staff must have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and children in the home’s care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

p.6

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: SC456532 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Paul Scott, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC456532 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.

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