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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 1 SC476262 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 privately owned children’s home provides care for up to five children. The home specialises in providing 12-month therapeutic placements for children who have experienced, or are at significant risk of, child sexual exploitation.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager was appointed in November 2021 and is yet to register with Ofsted.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 20 December 2021

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 05/11/2019 Full Good 08/10/2018 Full Good 12/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 3

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inadequate

Since the last inspection, the experiences and progress of children have deteriorated. As a result of this inspection, a notice to restrict accommodation has been issued and two compliance notices relating to regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, have been raised.

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inadequate

Care planning arrangements for children are inadequate. This is because when the manager receives updated information from the child’s placing authority, the manager and staff have not updated their own internal records to reflect the children’s needs and risks accurately. In addition, children’s care plans contain duplicate information. As a result, staff are not adequately informed on how to support children to have positive experiences and to stay safe.

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inadequate

Children have poor experiences of moving on from the home. Managers’ and staff’s poor practice has resulted in children leaving the home in an unplanned way. In addition, managers and staff do not prepare children for their moves. For example, one child was informed by staff that she was moving to her new home when she was collected from school and en route to her new home. This poor practice means that children who leave this home do not have an opportunity to say goodbye to staff or to their peers and do not receive a positive ending to their time living at the home.

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inadequate

Significant incidents are not always recorded or shared with relevant professionals. As a result, the children’s social workers are unaware of all serious incidents. This poor practice places children at greater risk of harm.

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inadequate

Ineffective partnership working does not help professionals to understand the progress that children are making in the home. Children’s social workers told the inspector that changes to the staffing of the home had caused disruption to the care provided to the children. Children’s professionals also told the inspector that they do not receive regular information on the children’s progress. This poor practice prevents professionals working collaboratively to ensure that children are helped to progress and to keep safe.

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inadequate

Staff have been successful in ensuring that children attend education. One headteacher said that the staff support children with their attendance and homework. As a result, children’s attendance in school has improved.

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

Risk management in the home is inadequate. This is because children’s risk assessments lack clarity and do not provide staff with sufficient guidance to keep Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 4 children safe. In addition, all children have been assessed at a low risk level for risks posed to them, when the children’s placing authority has notified the provider that these risks are high. This means that staff are not given sufficient information to protect children’s welfare.

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

Staff do not always implement the guidance in children’s risk assessments. For instance, children’s risk assessments advise that they should be supervised at all times with one-to-one staffing, yet children receive unsupervised time in the community. In addition, risk assessments specify that children are not allowed to use sharp objects unsupervised by staff, yet children have unsupervised access to razor blades used for shaving. Staff’s failure to implement the strategies to keep children safe places children at risk of harm.

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

Managers and staff fail to recognise potential safeguarding concerns and take action to protect children. This has resulted in one child being able to leave their bedroom without activating the bedroom door alarms. This was because the second bathroom door was left unlocked by staff. This may have resulted in a safeguarding incident. Managers have reported this to the local authority designated officer and an investigation is still ongoing. However, the managers have not yet identified any initial learning from this incident to reduce the risk of what happened reoccurring.

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

Staff lack professional curiosity and do not report to managers when there are concerns about a child’s safety. Staff have not acted when there are concerns about a child’s social media use and contact with unknown males. This poor safeguarding practice places children at greater risk of being groomed and exploited.

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

Staff have failed to identify early changes in children’s behaviours to reduce or minimise the risk when children cause harm to themselves and others. As a result, incidents of children self-harming have increased.

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

Recruitment and vetting of staff are poor. This is because the managers’ internal monitoring has failed to capture the shortfalls in recruitment. In addition, managers lack professional curiosity when interviewing new staff and do not explore their ability to safeguard children sufficiently. In addition, managers do not fully explore concerns shared by staff member’s previous employers relating to staff member’s suitability to work with vulnerable children. This means that there is potential for unsuitable staff to be employed to work with vulnerable children.

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

The home’s location risk assessment does not consider information shared by external professionals. This includes information relating to hotspots of antisocial behaviour and places known by police where children have been exploited. The managers have not reassured themselves of the risks of children sharing the location of the home to perpetrators who may arrive at the home. This does not help staff to keep children safe from exploitation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been a high turnover of staff and a high number of staff absences since the last inspection. Four staff members have left and a further two staff members Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 5 are due to leave. At the time of the inspection, one staff member told the inspector that they are in the process of resigning from their position because of the staff shortages. As a result, there is an insufficient number of staff to care for the number of children the home is registered for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Children have not received care from a consistent staff team. This has had a detrimental impact on the quality of care that children receive at this home. One child told the inspector that they are sad that staff have been leaving, as they have not had the opportunity to build relationships with staff. Another child said that they would like staff who can care for them and who know what they are doing. This does not help children to feel valued and respected.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The provider’s internal business continuity plan is poor. This is because it has failed to identify the possible impact of staff shortages on the quality of care provided to children and the day-to-day running of the home. As a result, there is ineffective contingency planning in place to ensure that there are safe care arrangements for children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not have the required skills and training to meet the needs of the children and to protect them from harm. For example, staff and managers do not receive refresher training in supporting children who self-harm, safeguarding of children, harmful sexualised behaviour and child sexual and criminal exploitation. Most staff training has expired. Consequently, staff are not provided with the skills to care for and safeguard children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff receive ineffective supervision sessions that do not encourage reflection, development and learning. Staff and managers are not provided with support and guidance to ensure that they can carry out their role effectively. Staff performance is not adequately reviewed and poor practice is not challenged effectively. As a result, staff are not supported to improve the quality of care they deliver to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ monitoring and oversight of the home are poor. The chaotic staffing arrangements at the home mean that the home’s manager has been covering shifts. This has taken his time away from his daily management duties and had a negative impact on the effectiveness of his management oversight of the home. As a result, all previous requirements have not been met and a further six requirements have been raised at this inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers’ internal monitoring systems have failed to identify and address shortfalls in the quality of care that children receive. Since the last inspection, the responsible individual has not carried out any internal monthly audits and the home’s manager’s weekly risk report has highlighted low risk for shortfalls he has identified in the home. This means that managers do not know the areas of development that the home needs to focus on and are unable to capture any lessons learned to inform future practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s manager and responsible individual have failed to demonstrate that they have the capacity to carry out their roles effectively. This is because they do not Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 6 have the required skills to lead and manage the home. For example, the continuous professional development of the responsible individual and manager is not kept up to date, some training has now expired and they are yet to attend the organisation’s internal management training. As a result, those overseeing and managing the home lack the knowledge and skills that can help them to drive improvement in the quality of care provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The independent person’s monitoring does not provide an accurate assessment of the quality of care provided to children. The independent person does not routinely contact professionals for feedback and has not captured the shortfalls identified at this inspection. This does not help the manager and responsible individual to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the home and to make improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 7

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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

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the managers’ and staff’s understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and ability to keep children safe. 15 May 2022

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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 requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 9 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 8 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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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.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 12 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the assessment of children’s risk and the guidance given to staff.

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Requirement Due date

*The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children to aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)(f)(h)) 15 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 9 This is repeat requirement. This specifically relates to leaders and managers ensuring that children are cared for by a suitable number of staff who have the skills, knowledge, experience and ability to meet their needs.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, managers should develop effective monitoring and reviewing systems to understand and improve the quality of care that children receive.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home;

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the child requests a review of the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(a)(b)(ii)(iii)(e)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This is repeat requirement. This specifically relates to the manager escalating with the local authority the need for children to have a clear care plan.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, ensure that matching risk assessments are undertaken before children’s placements are agreed. 9 June 2022

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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; 9 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 10 are kept up to date; and

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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 is a repeat requirement. This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that necessary improvements are made to the quality of children’s records.

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Requirement Due date

have the capacity, experience and skills to supervise the management of the home, or the homes, in respect of which the responsible individual is nominated. (Regulation 26 (7)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the responsible individual ensuring that their continuous professional development is kept up to date and ensuring that they maintain effective management oversight of the home. 9 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

having regard to the size of the home, its statement of purpose, and the number and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children—

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Requirement Due date

the person has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills to manage the home effectively and lead the care of children. (Regulation 28 (1)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that their continuous professional development is kept up to date and ensuring that they maintain effective management oversight of the home. 9 June 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)) 9 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 11 This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that all staff have undergone comprehensive safer recruitment checks and that a suitability assessment is completed as part of the interviewing process.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that all staff supervisions, including the manager’s, are carried out in accordance with the provider’s internal supervision policy. 9 June 2022

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (“the independent person’s report”) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the placing authorities of children. (Regulation 44 (2)(a) (4)(a)(b) (5) (7)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that there is an independent visitor in place who has the appropriate skills and training to carry out independent visits to the home. 9 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 12 The registered person must review the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the premises used for the purposes of the children’s home at least once in each calendar year taking into account the requirement in regulation 12(2)(c) (the protection of children standard).

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Requirement Due date

When conducting the review, the registered person must consult, and take into account the views of, each relevant person. (Regulation 46 (1) (2))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the manager must ensure that the location risk assessment accurately reflects all risks known in the local area, following consultation with external professionals. 9 June 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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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: SC476262 13

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Sam Dulay-Kainth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC476262 14 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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