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

Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 1 SC476303 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 owned and managed by a private provider to care for up to three children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is one child currently living in the home. The inspector spoke to the child during this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in January 2017.

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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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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 28 January 2021 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/04/2019 Full Good 24/07/2018 Full Outstanding 01/08/2017 Full Good 29/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff sensitively consider how best to prepare children to move on from this home safely. Since the last inspection, three children have successfully moved on into their new homes. In relation to the continued support that the children receive following their move, one professional said: ‘Staff share their learning about [name] to help us to understand their needs. I am really impressed with all the support that the staff have offered.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consistently promote healthy choices. They use a vibrant interactive noticeboard to help the child earn about the importance of good health, including mental health. Staff have been effective in supporting the child to attend all routine medical appointments. This has helped the child benefit from improved health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Targets are in place that promote the child’s school attendance. Staff share the child’s interests with educational professionals so that these can be incorporated into the child’s learning to promote engagement at school. When the child chooses not to attend school, staff support them to complete learning at home so that the child makes continued educational progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use the child’s views and wishes to develop and implement individualised incentives so that they are meaningful for the child. Staff praise and celebrate the child’s achievements to help the child to understand the progress that they make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance and significance of family time and maintain a nurturing approach that supports the child’s family ties. This promotes the child’s emotional well-being and maintains their sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is very well presented and homely. When damage is caused to the home, this is addressed promptly. The child said that they are happy with their room, which is well kept and personalised. However, the manager has not provided the child with a way to secure their personal items should they wish to do so. This limits the child’s ability to have privacy.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The competing needs of children are not always fully considered by the manager before children move into the home. This has not negatively affected children but has the potential to do so.

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

The child said that they like all of the staff and that the staff make them feel safe.

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

When safeguarding concerns arise, the manager swiftly shares these with the relevant professionals and puts suitable measures in place to help to reduce the risks. The child’s risk assessments contain their known vulnerabilities and the actions Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 4 that the staff should take to reduce risks. Staff adhere to the strategies that are in place, which helps to keep the child safe.

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

Sanctions are rarely used as the manager prefers to use a system of rewards. When staff do impose sanctions, these are used not only to help the child to see that there are consequences for their actions but also to help them develop understanding that their safety is important.

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

The manager has not notified Ofsted of all serious incidents. This oversight has prevented Ofsted from having a full understanding of these incidents and from being assured that all the necessary actions have been taken to safeguard children.

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

There have been incidents in which the manager has appropriately used the strategy of locking the kitchen door as a safeguarding measure. However, the risk assessment for this intervention is minimal and vague. This strategy is not currently being used. However, a rigorous risk assessment should be in place when this practice is used so that the staff are provided with suitable guidance to help them to understand the specifics of this measure.

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

There was one reference that had not been verified when a member of staff was recruited. The provider responded immediately and verified this reference during the inspection. However, this demonstrates that references for staff who have worked with children previously are not always verified prior to their employment. This practice does not follow safer recruitment guidelines.

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

The manager has devised and implemented a workbook for staff to use creatively to teach the child the skills they will need in adulthood. Topics include learning to manage money, staying safe in risky situations and how to access health and legal services. Children who move out of the home are given a bound book of their work so that this keepsake can be a useful resource later in life.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a range of effective systems to monitor the care that the child receives. The manager uses the auditing tools to identify and address shortfalls. She confidently challenges her staff to make improvements to their practice, when necessary, to raise the standard of care that the child receives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The processes for obtaining significant information during the admission procedure are not always effective. Consequently, the child does not have a current care plan from their placing authority. The manager has devised a care plan for the child. This care plan is kept up to date and contains detailed guidance for the staff to help them to understand how to meet the child’s unique needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has developed a new and highly effective system to share information with her staff. This helps her to be assured that the staff are aware of pertinent information as well as day-to-day information. This helps the staff to deliver consistent care. Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 5 Staff have completed the organisation’s mandatory training. The manager has also sourced external training, which the staff have completed, including a course on how to keep children safe from sexual exploitation. This helps staff to increase their knowledge and understanding of how to protect the child from the risk of being exploited.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have regular in-depth supervision, which is used to reflect on practice. Staff are assigned responsibility for specific areas of the home, such as health and safety checks and ground maintenance, so that maintaining standards is a collective effort.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager assesses the suitability of the location of the home and keeps this under review. This helps to ensure that the staff have the current guidance and information regarding the risks that may be posed to the child in the community. Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that a current care plan is obtained for each child from their placing authority. 16 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (3)(d)) 16 March 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any decisions to limit a child’s access to any area of the home and any modifications to the environment of the home, must only be made where this is intended to safeguard the child’s welfare. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of that individual child’s needs, be properly recorded and be kept under regular review. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10) Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 7  The registered person should ensure that children are provided with appropriate furniture, such as a lockable cabinet or drawers to securely store personal items, including any personal information. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 16, paragraph 3.19)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40 (4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious (40 (4)(e)). (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)

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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: SC476303 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, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC476303 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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