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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 1 SC457181 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 home provides care for one child who can no longer live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 20 October 2021.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/05/2021 Full Good 04/09/2019 Full Good 26/02/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness 16/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 3

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improvement to be good

One child lives in this home. She did not wish to speak with the inspector on this occasion. However, the inspector was able to consider the child’s views, wishes and feelings, as they were documented in her records.

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improvement to be good

Children have good transitions in and out of this home. Transition plans show how the move will be completed. However, not all risks in the local community have been covered in the location area report. Therefore, these risks have not been considered when new children come to live in the home.

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improvement to be good

The child has made some progress while living in this home, especially in education. The child had excellent attendance at school and completed eight exams before she left school. She has viewed five colleges and has been accepted for one. However, this is dependent on the education and healthcare plan (EHCP) being updated. The child’s school has been requesting an updated EHCP since March 2022 and several colleges also said that they could not accept her until this was completed. The manager has raised this with the local authority, but has not robustly challenged them to ensure this was done. This is now being completed, but has meant there has been a significant delay that has left the child and staff not knowing whether she would be able to go to college in September 2022. In addition to this, the child’s personal education plan states that staff should encourage the child with her reading. The home’s education plan for the child does not identify her reading level

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improvement to be good

and staff did not know what her reading age was. This does not show that staff can support the child well.

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improvement to be good

Similarly, the home does not have an up-to-date care plan, from the local authority, for the child. The current care plan has the last placement details within it. Therefore, there is no clear information about what is expected from the staff at this home, or what the child’s current needs are. Likewise, this has not been escalated with the local authority.

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improvement to be good

Staff make sure that the child attends all health appointments. As a result, the child is in good health; for example, the child has received treatment from an orthodontist. However, there is little information around work completed with children who express suicidal ideation and/or who have been in the company of friends who have taken drugs or drank alcohol. This does not show that children are educated in the risks associated with these matters. Also, on one occasion, staff did not sign for administering a child’s medication. Therefore, the medication count was wrong and then overwritten and changed. A senior manager said that the company’s process was not followed in this instance.

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improvement to be good

Children receive instant recognition for good behaviour or for achieving beyond expectations. For example, the child received additional monies for sitting her exams Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 4 and has had numerous beauty treatments to celebrate her successes. The home uses an incentive chart to help children improve their independence skills. However, when children have not achieved these, for a significant time, they have not been evaluated or changed.

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improvement to be good

Children have every opportunity to take part in fun and meaningful activities and to see their friends. Staff support children to build and sustain positive friendships. Friends are invited to come to the home and go out on activities with the children.

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improvement to be good

Staff demonstrated that they understood their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. However, there is little information, within children’s risk assessments, on the action staff should take if an incident was to occur. For example, when children have been picked up, in a car, by unknown adults, the risk assessment does not give staff clear guidance about how to manage this risk. This reduces the manager’s ability to oversee that those safeguarding procedures are being followed.

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improvement to be good

Children have been reported missing from this home. Missing-from-home procedures are in place, which staff understand and follow. Staff work in partnership with other agencies responsible for safeguarding, including the police. Independent return interviews are provided to help gain a greater understanding of the reasons why children go missing. A police officer said, ‘Staff are brilliant and they work closely with us to ensure children are safe.’

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improvement to be good

Restraint is rarely used in the home and only as a last resort. The children and staff can discuss these incidents and can reflect on what they could have done differently.

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improvement to be good

The manager reports all safeguarding concerns to the appropriate safeguarding professionals, including the regulator. However, some safeguarding notifications have been sent late and the information provided has not been clear. In addition to this, several notifications say that a child’s safety plan has been updated. There was no safety plan on the child’s file. Also, the manager has not updated the regulator on outcomes of strategy meetings. This reduces the regulator’s oversight of the home.

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improvement to be good

The company follows the safer recruitment guidance. All checks are completed and verified to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children.

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good

The registered manager is on maternity leave. A new deputy manager started working at the home in June 2022. The responsible individual is currently making plans for the management arrangements of the home. There is a stable staff team.

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good

There has been one new member of staff since the last inspection. New staff complete a thorough induction, which includes completing all mandatory training, Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 5 plus additional training specific to the children’s individual needs. Most of the staff have a recognised childcare qualification. This means that children are cared for by a qualified, experienced and well-trained staff team.

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good

The manager provides each member of staff with good support, guidance, and encouragement. Staff have regular opportunities, through practice-related supervision and team meetings, to reflect on the children’s progress, to improve the support they give to children, to develop their knowledge and skills, and reflect on the emotional impact of the work.

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good

Overall, children’s records reflect their plans and show the progress they are making. However, when staff make mistakes within the records, they overwrite the records. This does not ensure that records are legible.

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good

The manager has developed effective relationships with social workers, educational professionals and health professionals. Feedback from stakeholders, at this inspection, was extremely positive. A social worker said, ‘Staff are great and do their upmost to keep the child safe.’ A family member said, ‘Staff do everything they can. They keep us updated and it is a good home.’

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good

Internal monitoring requires improving. Senior managers audit the home’s records and compile a report. This report has identified some of the shortfalls raised within this report. However, in the manager’s absence, there is no identified person to make sure that these shortfalls are addressed. This does not ensure that there is good oversight of the home.

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good

Likewise, the external monitoring is ineffective because the independent visitor has not highlighted these issues to the acting manager. As a result, the manager has not been able to address and take quick action to remedy these issues. Further to this, the independent visitor said that there had been no restraints in April 2022. There was one incident. This does not ensure that essential documentation is examined and evaluated. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)) 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the child’s health and well-being needs and the options that are available in relation to the child’s health and well-being, in a way that is appropriate to the child’s age and understanding; and 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 7 understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well- being. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iv))

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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

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. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that staff have clear information on the actions to take, if an incident was to occur. Further to this, that staff have a clear safety plan to follow. 30 September

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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

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that the home’s location risk assessment identifies all risks in the local and surrounding area. Further to this, that these risks are considered within the home’s impact risk assessment. 30 September

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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 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

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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(f)) 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 8 Specifically, the leadership and management team must have good oversight of the home.

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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 (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, that there is an up-to-date children’s local authority care plan and education healthcare plan. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

A notification made under this regulation—

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Requirement Due date

the other persons, bodies or organisations (if any) who or which have been notified; and any actions taken by the registered person as a result of the matter;

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Requirement Due date

must be made or confirmed in writing. (Regulation 40 (5)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that notifications are sent timely and that they have clear information regarding the action taken. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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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

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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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 30 September Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 9 and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the company’s procedure is followed when medication errors occur. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)  The registered person should ensure that incentive charts for positive behaviour and/or for independence tasks are changed when they are not achieving the desired outcome. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph 8.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge to understand each child’s education targets and academic level. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful and clear recordings. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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: SC457181 10

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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 EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Pam Nuckley, Social Care Regulatory Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457181 11 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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