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

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482294 1 SC482294

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Cambian Asperger Syndrome Services Limited

Monitoring visit Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care for up to 29 children with learning disabilities. Children are accommodated in nine houses and all the children access the school which is located on the same site. Care is provided to children with a primary diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The home offers a flexible package and provides care on a weekly, termly or annual boarding basis, depending on the child’s needs. There has been no registered manager since October 2020. Ofsted last inspected the home on 10 June 2021.

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This monitoring visit

This children’s home was judged inadequate at the full inspection on 10 June 2021. Following this full inspection, there have been several changes to the senior management team as the provider responded to concerns that were raised. A compliance notice was served after the full inspection. Some improvements have been made. However, not all areas in the compliance notice have been met.

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This monitoring visit

There has been some improvement in the assessment of risk within the home. Risk assessments now identify risks that children face. They also show the strategies staff should use to minimise risk, and the triggers that may increase risk. For one child, who faces several significant risks, the home has identified these risks and strategies to reduce them.

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This monitoring visit

The senior management team spoke in detail about the risks that children face. However, this knowledge and understanding did not transfer to the staff working directly with the children. The responses from staff in relation to safeguarding children are concerning. Staff do not refer to risk assessments as a tool to ensure that children are continually safeguarded. There is no understanding of what constitutes risk for a child, or what signs to look for, or what is needed to Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482294 2 immediately safeguard a child. This means that staff currently do not have the skills to ensure that children are safe.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities regarding keeping children safe, or the reporting system to ensure that concerns are recorded in a timely way. This means that there are avoidable delays in responding to, and reporting on, identified risks.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have not carried out key-work sessions with children in relation to keeping them safe online. Children remain at risk from others using the internet due to lack of oversight and education from adults.

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This monitoring visit

Supervision has been given to staff. However, the supervision is ineffective and has no reflective practice or input from staff. This does not allow staff to further develop their knowledge or understanding for the children in their care. As a result, children are cared for by staff who do not have the necessary experience or knowledge to best meet children’s needs.

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This monitoring visit

There is no clear record to identify what training staff have not completed or when training is due to be completed. Monitoring of training remains poor as there is no effective system in place. This means that senior management are unable to identify that staff have or have not completed mandatory safeguarding training. This means they cannot easily identify whether staff have the skills or training to keep children safe.

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This monitoring visit

A review of the quality of care report was submitted to Ofsted before this monitoring visit. This has identified shortfalls and the senior leadership team’s plans to address these shortfalls. Some actions have been put in place, but further monitoring is required to ensure that improvements are made to the home.

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This monitoring visit

The home has ensured that significant incidents have been notified to Ofsted, and relevant professionals have been informed in a timely manner. This has demonstrated an improvement in safeguarding processes.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 07/06/2021 Full Inadequate 03/07/2019 Full Good 20/02/2019 Full Good 04/10/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 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—

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Requirement Due date

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)) 23 August 2021

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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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

manage relationships between children to prevent them from harming each other;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and 23 August 2021 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482294 4 are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (c)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 23 August 2021

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(c)(e)(f)(h)) 23 August 2021

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482294 5

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000.

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

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Inspectors

Matt Nicholls, Social Care Inspector Jill Sephton-Wright, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: SC482294 6 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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