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

Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 1 SC458027 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 children’s home is privately owned by a national children’s home provider. The home cares for up to two children who may experience emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2013.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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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 outstanding

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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: 25 September 2019

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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: SC458027 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/09/2019 Full Outstanding 14/11/2018 Full Outstanding 29/11/2017 Full Outstanding 28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are safe and happy at this home. Staff plan carefully for children who are moving into the home. As a result, children feel comfortable and settle quickly. Staff help children to prepare for moving on, and involve them in decision-making about these plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff establish positive, trusting relationships with children. Children said that they feel listened to and respected. These relationships mean that children engage in key-work sessions with staff about the issues that are important to them. Staff have helped children to improve their understanding of healthy relationships, managing their feelings and sexual health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are experienced and confident. They are warm and nurturing, and consistent in their expectations of the children. There are examples of staff skilfully empowering children to share their feelings with each other, with positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff implement daily routines that help children to be up and ready for learning each day. Children are accessing part-time education timetables that include online learning and face-to-face tutorials. The manager helps to progress applications to local schools, and challenges delays or decisions that affect children’s access to full- time education. The manager arranges bespoke learning opportunities for children to attend in preparation for them moving to full-time education, or to enhance learning in areas like domestic violence. Children have moved on from the home with qualifications and improved engagement in learning. Staff work well with the virtual school, which praised staff for working ‘quickly and efficiently’ and for ‘far exceeding expectations’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are sensitive to children’s mental and emotional health needs. The staff follow structured settling routines at bedtime that help children to relax. Staff have supported one child to develop a ‘toolkit’ of things that they can do to improve their mood. This helps the child to recognise their own feelings and emotions, and to use techniques to manage their emotions. The manager ensures that children’s mental health needs are recognised, and she helps to progress applications for therapy. One child said that their mental health has improved since being at the home. Self- harming incidents have reduced for another child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well; they recognise their strengths and ensure that children access the activities that they enjoy. Children enjoy football, music and arts and crafts, and are skilled in these areas. Staff arranged a football trial for one child within a week of them joining the home. The staff celebrate large and small achievements with children, and talk about the children with pride. This helps to improve children’s self-esteem and confidence. Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 4 The house is comfortable and homely, and the children have pets that they have chosen themselves. There are photos of children, and the people and animals important to them, displayed in the communal areas of the home. This helps the children to feel that they belong, and that the house is their home. However, the kitchen floor covering is torn. The manager has arranged for a new kitchen to be fitted in December 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have a good knowledge of the relationships that are important to children, and support children to spend time with their family and friends. Children confide in staff about their relationships. This enables staff to provide the emotional and practical support that children need in order to maintain and build on positive relationships, and to challenge unhealthy ones.

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

Staff implement consistent boundaries that promote kindness and respect. As a result, there are few incidents at this home and no incidents of restraint. Children said that they understand the rules, and that they are fair. There is good management oversight of incidents, which helps to identify any lessons that can be learned to improve practice.

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

Staff take appropriate action to keep children safe when incidents occur. They review risk assessments and develop safety plans that provide clear guidance for managing the identified risks.

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

One child administers his own medication creams. A suitable risk assessment is in place to support this decision. However, the risk assessment does not make clear where the child should store his medication.

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

Staff get to know children’s friends and are familiar with the reasons why children may choose not to return home. The manager’s knowledge of the children enables her to work with the placing social worker to develop plans that keep children safe while helping them to build trust. As a result, one child with a history of going missing from care has not left the home without permission.

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

On the few occasions that children have left the home without permission, or not returned on time, staff have responded in line with the agreed protocols. Protocols are individual to each child. They are regularly reviewed and reflect the levels of risk. Staff welcome children back home warmly and the manager ensures that children are given the opportunity to take part in a return home interview with an external professional.

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

The manager has formulated a detailed location risk assessment. This includes information from the local police liaison officer. This helps to inform matching decisions at the point of a child being referred to the home. This risk assessment is reviewed regularly. However, the data about criminal activity in the area has not been updated. Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 5 Staff attend safeguarding training and are familiar with the home’s whistle-blowing policy. The staff’s understanding of safeguarding policies is regularly discussed in team meetings, and with staff in supervision. Safeguarding concerns are regularly notified to the relevant professionals and Ofsted. However, one safeguarding incident was not escalated by staff, in line with the timescales contained in the home’s safeguarding policy. This could have placed children at increased risk of harm.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager leads a culture of nurture and respect for children and staff. She implements her own learning and understanding of therapeutic parenting, and disseminates this to the staff team with an emphasis on relationship-based practice. She has high aspirations for the children and high expectations of the staff. This results in children making progress in all areas of their development. Children said that they could not ask for a better manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has established a stable and committed staff team. This benefits the children, who are able to invest in relationships with the adults who care for them. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is high. Staff said that they feel well supported by the manager, both in their work and with their own emotional well-being. Staff receive regular supervision, and attend training that enables them to meet children’s individual needs. This helps them to feel confident and to be consistent in their responses to incidents.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is a strong advocate across all aspects of the children’s lives. She confidently challenges plans when they are not in the best interests of the child. This resulted in a slower move for one child who needed longer to prepare for semi- independence, and a move closer to home for another child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has established excellent working relationships with other professionals, who feel that communication and involvement in planning are helpful and effective. One professional described the manager as a ‘superstar’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager involves children in planning for their care. She helps children to be involved in decision-making about the home and information sharing. This contributes to children feeling respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly competent in and passionate about her role. She has an excellent understanding of the service and the children’s needs, and uses this knowledge effectively to continually develop the service. Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 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

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(vii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, when children make an allegation of abuse, ensure that this is escalated within the timescales outlined in the home’s safeguarding policy. 6 December 2021

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff are mindful that children holding their own prescribed medication must only use it for themselves, in accordance with the prescription. In particular, the provider should ensure that the risk assessment in place contains clear guidance for staff on where the child should store their medication. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.16)  The registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home once a year. In particular, ensure that the most up-to-date information about the area is used to inform this review. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 7

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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: SC458027 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Paula Edwards, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC458027 9 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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