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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 1 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 by a private company. The home provides residential care for up to five children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has a new manager who is suitably experienced and has applied to register with Ofsted.

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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: 1156103 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Full Good 31/07/2019 Full Good 11/07/2018 Full Good 16/01/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home. Two children have recently moved out of the home due to insufficient staffing, and there is a plan for the remaining child to move out. The provider has taken the decision to stop operating this children’s home until they can recruit adequate staffing. Although children were positive about their new placements, their stability has been disrupted as they have moved earlier than anticipated. The manager is working with the local authority to ensure that the remaining child’s wishes are taken into account when identifying a new home.

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improvement to be good

The record keeping in the home requires improvement. The children’s records do not consistently reflect the work that has been completed by staff, and the minutes of children’s meetings are not always recorded. As a result, children’s experiences and their involvement in care planning is not always clear. Additionally, children’s files do not contain all the up-to-date information to support staff to meet children’s needs. For example, one child’s case file does not have an up-to-date care plan or education plan.

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improvement to be good

The progress children make within education is variable. For some children, school attendance has increased, and progress is being made towards meeting their expected targets. However, one child is no longer accessing education, and there are limited plans to support the child while an alternative provision is found. During the inspection, the child shared that she found this frustrating as she is eager to learn. As a result, children’s educational needs are not consistently met.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy various activities, including trips to theme parks, meals with staff and attending local clubs. The manager encourages staff to capture these memories taking photos and making collages with children to create keepsakes.

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improvement to be good

Children are registered with local health services and attend routine appointments. The new manager has introduced incentives to encourage healthy lifestyles. For example, children are provided with a step counter and then rewarded with gift vouchers for achieving their targets. Consequently, children are developing an understanding of how to lead healthy lifestyles.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to spend time with people who are important to them. The manager advocates for children and supports increased time spent with loved ones. In addition, staff support children to spend time with friends when it is appropriate to do so. This ensures that children maintain important relationships. Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 4

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improvement to be good

Children’s written risk assessments are of poor quality and do not include actions for staff to follow to reduce the risk of harm. One child’s impact risk assessment failed to consider the restrictions contained in a deprivation of liberty order that the child was subject to. As a result, staff are not being provided with the relevant information to ensure that risk is understood and adequately managed. This practice has the potential to compromise children’s safety.

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improvement to be good

Staff complete one-to-one sessions to help children understand risky behaviours and discuss alternative behaviours. In addition, the manager arranges for children to have educational sessions with external agencies. However, this is not consistent practice. There are times when staff lack professional curiosity and fail to ensure that children are offered the required support. For example, one child has still not received had direct work relating to safe phone use following an incident that took place two months ago. This does not ensure that the children have the opportunity to learn, and it fails to provide assurances that staff understand their role in supporting children.

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improvement to be good

Incidents of missing from home are rare, despite children having a history of doing so frequently in previous placements. When children go missing, this is for a short period and staff respond appropriately by encouraging children’s safe return, contacting family members and other agencies. However, interviews when children return home are of poor quality and fail to identify why children went missing, which would inform learning. This has not been addressed by the manager. This is a missed opportunity to understand children’s behaviour and prevent risk-taking behaviours.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there have been no physical interventions. Consequences and rewards are used effectively and monitored by the manager. The new manager has introduced a reward system whereby children have the opportunity to create their own ‘treat bags’ which are then used by staff to celebrate children’s positive behaviour.

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improvement to be good

The children have door monitors that are activated at night. In addition, the home’s grounds are monitored by CCTV. There is a surveillance policy in place; however, the manager has not ensured that this is adhered to. For example, there is no assessment of children’s needs to reflect the requirement of these monitoring systems. Therefore, the home is operating outside of its policy, and surveillance may be in use unnecessarily.

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improvement to be good

Medication arrangements are not consistent. There have been occasions when staff have not ensured that children have received their medication in line with the prescription, and the reasons for this are not clearly recorded. This practice compromises the children’s health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

Children live in an environment that is safely maintained. Health and safety checks are regular, and the manager ensures that required remedial work takes place. The Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 5 home has a location risk assessment; however, this fails to identify current and emerging risks and does not consider up-to-date local crime data. This is a missed opportunity to reduce risk and fully consider the homes’ location.

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good

Since the last inspection, there has been a change in manager. The new manager started working at the home in May 2022 and has submitted her application to register with Ofsted. She has worked for the company previously, and during the inspection, she shared a commitment to address the identified shortfalls.

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good

The retention of staff has been problematic which meant that children had to move from their home. Since the last inspection in March 2022, seven staff members have left. In response, the manager and responsible individual have completed exit interviews with staff to understand their reasons for leaving and implement any required learning.

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good

Staff have completed mandatory training, including first aid, physical restraint and safeguarding training. However, not all staff have completed specific learning to meet the individual needs of the children. For example, not all staff have completed training related to internet safety, substance misuse and county lines. This fails to ensure that staff have the appropriate opportunities to develop their knowledge and to provide safe and effective care.

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good

Staff are not provided with supervision in line with the home’s policy. For example, some staff have not had supervision for four months. In addition, not all staff have received an annual appraisal. This means that the staff are not consistently being provided with opportunities to reflect and improve practice.

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good

Safer recruitment checks are in place. However, the manager had failed to identify inaccuracies within one staff member’s employment history. While this has had no impact on the care provided to children, it has the potential to do so.

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good

The manager’s quality of care review fails to consider the views of all children living in the home. This is a missed opportunity to learn from their feedback. The manager has identified that processes for gaining feedback in the home are ineffective and that this is an area for development.

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good

The managers’ internal monitoring systems have not been effective in identifying and responding to the weaknesses of the home. For example, the managers have failed to identify and respond to shortfalls in record-keeping and medication errors. This impacts on the oversight of the care provided to children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically related to the registered provider ensuring that education plans for children not accessing education are clear and meet the children’s needs. In addition, when plans are made about children’s education, that records of decision-making are clear. 2 December 2022

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Requirement Due date

The positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand, in a way that is appropriate according to the child’s age and understanding, personal, 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 7 sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful. (Regulation 11 (1)(b)(c) (2)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that direct work is completed to increase children’s understanding of risk and develop skills in managing their own behaviour.

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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

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that children’s assessments contain clear strategies and guidance to respond to risks for children. 2 December 2022

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvement in the quality and care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered manager ensuring that all staff complete child-specific training. 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 8 In addition, the manager should ensure that monitoring systems are developed to improve the quality of care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that —

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that medication is administered as prescribed. 02 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that door alarms and CCTV are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment. In addition, the home should ensure that they are only using surveillance in line with their own policy. 2 December 2022

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered provider ensuring that all staff working in the home receive practice-related supervision and appraisals, in line with the home’s policies. 2 December 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. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the need for the home to have children’s up-to-date care plans. 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 9 The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that there are systems in place to gain children’s feedback and that this has an impact on the quality of care. 2 December 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of objective and clear recording. In addition, information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the review of the location includes the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1) Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 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 for children’s home: 1156103 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspector

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1156103 12 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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