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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 1 SC456539 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 registered to care for one child with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties (social and emotional difficulties). It is operated by a large organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered in August 2019.

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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 3 February 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 for children’s home: SC456539 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/05/2019 Full Good 03/07/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/05/2018 Full Inadequate 12/07/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child currently living at the home is benefiting from good levels of care and support. This has enabled the child to make significant progress from her initial starting point. Staff make sure that the child is fully involved and consulted in relation to her care. Prior to moving into the home, the manager ensured that the child had opportunity to visit and provided her with information about the home. This enabled her to have an understanding about her new home and to meet staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide warm, nurturing, and supportive care. This has enabled the child to develop excellent relationships with the staff team and to feel secure and comfortable at the home. Staff have positive aspirations for the child and advocate on her behalf to ensure that she receives the best possible support from all agencies involved in her care. The placing social worker said,

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

‘Since living at the home, the child has made really good progress. She has excellent relationships with the staff, and they provide her with the stability, care and support she needs. The manager and staff make sure I receive up-to-date information on her progress. And during my visits, I can see that she has a good rapport with staff and is settled. The nurturing approach is supporting her very well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted and supported well. As a result of staff from the home working in partnership with education staff, the child has increased her attendance and now attends school on a full-time basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work closely with health care professionals to enable the child to have access to the individual support required. This includes therapeutic support which helps children with overcoming past difficulties and enables staff to provide ongoing strategies to continue this support. Professionals spoken with at the time of the inspection say this has had a positive impact on the child.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand how important it is for children to maintain quality time with family and friends if it is in their best interest. This has been a positive experience for the child, and arrangements are in place for her to see family members on a regular basis.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Activities and individual interests are encouraged. The child has taken part in kickboxing and is also attending ballet lessons. She also enjoys art, and some of her work is displayed within the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm, welcoming and comfortable environment, and feels very much like a family home. Health and safety checks are completed to further add to the safety of the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 4

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

Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the child’s individual vulnerabilities and needs, and this enables them to put effective risk management strategies in place to manage individual risks. The child is currently on a deprivation of liberty order, which staff demonstrate a good understanding of. This is due to be reviewed shortly, with the possibility of it being removed. In preparation for this, it has been agreed to enable the child to have time limited-periods of free time. These are working well and there has only been one incident of the child going missing from care.

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

The child feels settled and regards the home as her home. She said,

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

‘We are all like a small family. Sometimes we don’t always agree, but I am very happy here. I feel safe and know the staff care about me and want the best for me. I know the plan is for me to stay here, which is what I want.’

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

Clear, consistent and fair boundaries are implemented to support and manage behaviours. Staff focus on positive encouragement and rewards to provide support to the child, which helps her learn and flourish better than negative sanctions. The use of sanctions for negative behaviours are minimal and are, in the main, recorded clearly. However, one record of a sanction was unclear and did not explain clearly what sanction was implemented and whether it was effective.

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

The manager reports significant events to placing authorities and to the regulator in accordance with statutory regulations. However, one incident where there was police involvement was not reported, which did not enable the regulator to have full oversite of the incident. That said, the manager ensured that the child was effectively safeguarded.

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

The home follows safer recruitment and selection procedures in order to make sure that people employed are suitable to work with children. Visitors to the home are also checked and these measures further safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is experienced, holds appropriate qualifications and her practice is child centred. An experienced and motivated deputy manager provides support to the manager. Staff say the manager provides strong, effective and inspirational leadership and management. They feel the level of support and guidance provided enhances their practice, which in turn contributes to improved outcomes for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from formal supervision monthly, which enables them to review and reflect on their practice. In addition, staff say the manager and deputy manager provide informal supervision and support as required. Team meetings are held each month, and these provide a detailed overview of the ongoing support for the child and discussion in relation to practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 5 Staff undertake appropriate training to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge to inform their practice. The manager regularly reviews training records to make sure that all staff training has been undertaken as required by legislation and in accordance with the organisation’s training policy.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monthly visits take place from an independent person. Reports are consistently positive and provide evidence of the support provided. When recommendations have been given, the manager ensures that the appropriate action is taken to address them in a timely manner. The manager completes a review of the quality of care every six months, which enables her to reflect on outcomes for the child and review the ongoing support and development of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has taken action to address the previous recommendation in relation to risk management plans addressing how assessed risks will be managed on a day- to-day basis. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 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 registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(b)) 11 April 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that that all incidents of control, discipline and restraint are subject to systems of regular scrutiny and that their use is fair. In particular, the registered person should ensure that records maintained clearly reflect what happened and why a sanction was implemented and whether it was effective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.36)

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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 for children’s home: SC456539 7

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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

Sarah Oldham, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456539 8 regulates and inspects 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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