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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 1 SC456474 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 is a privately run children’s home that provides care and accommodation for up to six children who may have complex emotional and social difficulties. The home aims to provide high levels of support in a structured environment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered at the home since May 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

A monitoring visit was last completed at the home in February 2021. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 February 2020

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/09/2019 Full Good 15/03/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by a stable and committed staff team that provides a good standard of care. Children have trusted and secure relationships with the adults who care for them which helps them to feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff have created an atmosphere that enables the children to feel at home. The children speak positively about the help and care they receive. One child said, ‘The home is very relaxed, and you are able to chill here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for the children and prioritise their educational needs which is helping the children to develop their aspirations. This has resulted in children accessing post-16 education and training tailored to their individual needs. The manager also has links with local schools which enables children to enrol soon after they arrive at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children are in good health and have access to local health services. The established relationship that staff have with the local substance misuse service ensures that this type of help is readily available to children should they need it. Staff have regular conversations with the children about their individual health needs, which helps to reduce the impact on some of the children’s reluctance to attend health appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The relationships that staff have developed with the children’s parents have helped to maintain regular family time. Parents value the commitment and proactive approach from staff. One parent said, ‘All the staff I have met have been fantastic with me and all of my children, they show us respect.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regular conversations between staff and the children enhance their relationships and strengthens children’s emotional well-being. A new key-working system helps the staff to plan how they are going to help the children each month. This is strengthened through consultation with the provider’s clinical team providing staff with a more structured focus. This practice has yet to be embedded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help the children to learn independence skills such budgeting, cooking, and completing application forms. These learning opportunities are further enhanced by children having access to a flat within the home that allows them to practise living more independently. Staff continue to ensure that the child that lives in the flat is still involved and feels part of the group.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children take part in a variety of activities which are helping to improve their self-esteem and strengthen their relationships with staff. This includes going to the cinema, go-karting and playing football. Staff also ensure there are plenty of games and resources in the house so they can have an equal amount of fun at home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 4 The large house provides ample space for the children to live and relax. The communal areas are well decorated making it feel homely. There is a second lounge providing children with additional space to play games, relax, or watch movies together. However, certain areas of the home which include the walkways and corridors, look tired and require further decoration to make it feel homely throughout. This detracts from the efforts and progress that are being made in the other parts of the home.

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

Staff work cohesively with other agencies to safeguard children. The children’s risk assessments are regularly reviewed and have the oversight of the manager to ensure that they align to the associated concerns for each child. The strategies identified help to reduce the risk of harm to children more effectively.

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

When restraint has been used it has been proportionate to support children to keep safe and protect staff from harm. The relationships that staff have developed with the children and the open culture of conversation has reduced the need for restraint.

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

Children are helped to think about how their behaviour impacts upon others in the home. Staff support them to reflect about their own experiences so they can develop a sense of empathy toward one another. This has helped resolve a period of conflict when relationships had become unsettled.

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

The staff revise their risk-management strategies when there are escalating concerns for the children’s safety. For one child, a break from the home was agreed to help them recognise the dangers associated with their recent missing-from-care incidents. Also, partnership working with other safeguarding agencies, including the police, provides children with a coordinated response when missing-from-care incidents do occur.

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

The manager seeks out detailed information about children who come to live at the home and evaluates their suitability to live with the others already in residence. This reduces the risk of placement disruption because of the children’s incompatible needs.

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

Children are supported to take age-appropriate risks. The team increases the protective measures should a child need additional help to reduce the risk of them being in unsafe situations.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly motivated and provides exceptional leadership to the team. She is committed to ensuring that children have the best opportunities and experiences while living at this home. Because of the manager’s drive and the quality of her leadership, the same desire to make a difference to the children’s lives is shared among the staff. A social worker said, ‘I’m very impressed with the team and Symone is fantastic.’ Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 5 Comprehensive plans are individualised in line with children’s identified needs. The team’s contribution to meetings about children and multi-agency planning helps to ensure that other key agencies have a better understanding about the needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The guidance and direction of the manager is highly valued by staff. They receive regular supervision that is reflective about the needs of the children. The manager also ensures that staff are continually challenged to develop their own knowledge and skills. This supportive culture positively influences the children’s own attitude towards their learning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive consultation from the in-house clinical team. This has identified the need for staff to demonstrate empathy when helping the children to cope with difficult emotions. As a result, children feel more regulated because of how staff talk to them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and staff are strong advocates for the children. They are quick to escalate their concerns when the decisions and actions of others are not in their best interest. This ensures that children have the help they are entitled to in a timely way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager has highly effective monitoring systems and is aware of the team’s strengths and areas of development. The manager is striving for continuous development to ensure that children receive the highest quality care and support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Team meetings provide staff with the opportunity to have reflective and child- focused conversations. However, staff attendance is low. This limits their ability to evaluate the effectiveness of their collective practice as a team and the impact they have on the children’s lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have a plan in place so that all areas of the home look homely. In particular, the corridors, walkways, children’s bedroom doors and frames, and en-suite bathrooms should be maintained to a high standard, in keeping with the rest of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9).

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff attend team meetings each month to support the team’s ability to reflect on their effectiveness and plan how to help the children living at the home to make progress. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.4).

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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: SC456474 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Susan Fitzsimmons

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Inspector

Aaron Mcloughlin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456474 8 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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