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

Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 1 SC476271 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is run by a private organisation and offers care for up to five children who experience social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is suitably qualified and has been in post since January 2014.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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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 requires improvement to be 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: 22 January 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/01/2020 Full Outstanding 05/03/2019 Full Outstanding 30/01/2018 Full Outstanding 14/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there were five children living in the home. All the children have lived in the home for several years, which has provided them with stability and a sense of belonging. They benefit from a consistent team of staff who know them well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to stay in contact with people who are important to them. As the COVID-19 travel restrictions begin to ease, one child’s plans include a trip abroad to spend time with his family. This promotes children’s identity and enables them to develop relationships with people they care about.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress. Staff speak positively about the progress children make and children understand their successes. Staff help children to build their confidence and independence skills, so they enjoy independent time away from the home. This has a positive impact on their self-esteem and sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff regularly talk to children about their care. Children confidently share their views and are listened to. As a result, children have a say on the activities they would like to attend, how their bedrooms are decorated and where to go on holiday.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend hobbies and clubs that are of interest to them. One child talked positively about the impact the activities and clubs have on them. Staff support children to take part in sponsored walks and bike rides for local charities. Children are proud of these achievements and feel part of the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children celebrate important festivities, including Christmas, Easter and their birthdays. They benefit from going on holidays, where they recently enjoyed gorge walking and time at the beach. Staff take photos to capture memories and attribute to their life story. Photos are displayed around the home, which promotes children’s sense of belonging.

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

Staff build positive relationships with children. They know children well and provide them with good nurturing care. Staff have a good understanding of children and their needs. As a result, children feel safe and identify trusted adults in the home who they can speak with.

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

Children benefit from the homely environment, where they cook together, share meals and care for pets. Staff and children speak to each other with kindness and respect. Adults role model positive behaviours and support children to develop their independence skills at a pace that suits their individual needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 4 Staff provide children with clear routines and boundaries. Children have positive reward charts which support them to understand the impact of their behaviour.

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

On one occasion, a child went missing from school. The child was found quickly, and staff spoke to him about how they can support him. The child felt listened to, supported and there have been no further incidents of him going missing.

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

Children understand their personal journeys. Children spoke to the inspector about how staff have supported them to increase their confidence and improve their education. One child rated his positive experience of living in the home and being cared for by the staff as ‘11 out of 10’.

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good

The home has an experienced registered manager in post. She is knowledgeable, child focused and has positive relationships with children, staff and professionals. Despite these positive aspects, this inspection identified shortfalls in leadership and management which require improvement to be good.

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good

Staff do not to take adequate precautions against the risk of fire. For example, the fire risk assessment review is overdue, and some plug sockets are overloaded. Environmental concerns also include a hole in the fire door. These shortfalls could potentially impact on children’s and staff’s safety.

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good

The manager has failed to identify other shortfalls which may impact on the children’s well-being. Staff are unable to override the bathroom door lock from the outside in the event of an emergency. One child’s medication does not have the required labelling to promote safe medication administration. Therefore, this medication is not administered safely in line with the medication policy.

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good

Alarms on bedroom doors at night are used unnecessarily, which impacts on a homely environment. It is not currently possible to isolate an alarm to an individual bedroom. Managers do not complete a rigorous assessment of children’s needs to support this measure. Children told the inspector that they do not know why they have door alarms and said, ‘They just do that here.’ This impacts negatively on children’s experiences.

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good

The manager’s oversight and monitoring of records are weak. For example, one record of restraint was not reviewed by the manager within the specified time frame. Other omissions include missing dates and signatures. Consequently, it is not clear when the oversight has taken place and whether professionals and children agree with the documentation.

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good

The independent person visits the home on a monthly basis. However, the manager has failed to ensure that this is at a time when it is convenient for children. Children are often at school and therefore are often not spoken with by the visitor. This means that the independent person cannot make an informed assessment about Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 5 whether children are safeguarded effectively and whether their well-being is promoted.

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good

The registered manager and staff do not receive regular practice-based supervision. This means that staff do not have dedicated time to review their well-being, professional development and to reflect on children’s progress and needs. Despite this shortfall, all staff, including the manager, say that they feel supported in their role.

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good

Staff who are recruited to work in the home are subject to all the appropriate checks. This helps to ensure that staff who work at the home are safe to do so. New staff members complete a thorough induction to enable them to understand the home’s ethos and how best to work with children to meet their needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 6

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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

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)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to staff being able to access the bathroom in the event of emergency. 15 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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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 intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

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 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the use of bedroom door alarms and ensuring that these can be independently applied to only those bedrooms where it assessed as necessary. Risk 15 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 7 assessments should clearly identify any change in circumstances.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the clear labelling of children’s medication. 15 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must—

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Requirement Due date

take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home. (Regulation 25 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that: the fire risk assessment is completed within the specified time frame; the environment is safe in relation to electrical sockets and fire doors. 15 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 15 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(b)(i)(ii)(c)) 15 October 2021 Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 8 This specifically relates to ensuring that: staff have a debrief within the required timescales; the record is dated and signed by the registered person when it is reviewed.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that documents contain all relevant information, such times when professionals are contacted when children go missing. Documents which require signatures must be signed and dated accordingly. 15 October 2021

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the independent person visiting the home at a time when children are available to be spoken with if they consent to. 15 October 2021

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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: SC476271 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Cambian Childcare Limited, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Jodie Lewis, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476271 10 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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