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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 1 SC456795 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. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager resigned in July 2022. Since then, the home has been run by interim managers. The latest interim manager started work at the home on 18 November 2022. This manager is also the manager of another children’s home run by the provider.

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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

Date of last inspection: 2 February 2022

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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: SC456795 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/02/2022 Full Good 03/10/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 27/11/2018 Full Outstanding 15/12/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 3

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improvement to be good

The child’s overall experiences and the quality of care that they receive are not yet consistently good. This is because of weaknesses in meeting the child’s education, social, emotional and health needs and the leadership and management of the home.

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improvement to be good

The child does not live in a pleasant and comfortable environment that enables them to feel at home. The house and garden are not decorated, furnished and maintained to a good standard. The child does not have a wardrobe in their room in which to hang their clothes. Damaged furniture is not repaired or replaced promptly. The child has not had opportunities to choose how the house is decorated or to personalise it.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to engage positively with the child and meet their emotional needs. They are finding it difficult to gain the child’s trust and respect. The manager and staff are looking at ways to have better relationships with the child. Some staff are starting to build a positive relationship with the child through being nurturing and playful. However, this approach is not embedded consistently in the child’s day-to- day care.

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improvement to be good

Staff support the child to take part in education. They understand the barriers to the child’s learning. They worked closely with school to enable the child to return after a period of absence. The school found a positive change in the child’s attitude to learning and willingness to complete work. However, the child is not yet achieving good outcomes in education. The child continues to miss part of the school day by being late. Staff’s attempts to get the child to go to school on time are not effective.

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improvement to be good

Staff struggle to engage the child in informal learning or activities outside the home. Before coming to live at the home, the child enjoyed swimming, fishing and going to the cinema and youth club. However, they are no longer doing these things. The child currently spends their time gaming or watching television. The child does not have opportunities to take part in activities with other children to help them make friends and develop their social skills.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not ensure that the child has a healthy and balanced diet and is physically active. Staff have not been successful in supporting the child to go to the dentist. The child has missed several appointments and staff have not helped the child to understand their reluctance, support them with any worries they may have and prepare them for the next appointment.

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improvement to be good

Staff make sure that the child sees their family regularly. The child enjoys spending time with their family and this is a positive experience. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 4

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improvement to be good

Practice in helping the child to understand and manage their feelings and frustrations needs to improve. The child is struggling to build trusting relationships with staff and achieve a strong sense of safety.

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improvement to be good

However, there are no serious failings that have led the child to be at risk of harm. Staff have a clear understanding of the safeguarding procedures and their responsibilities to protect children from harm. They know what to do if the child is at risk of harm. The understanding and management of risk is effective. Staff understand the child’s plans and the strategies required to manage and reduce identified risks effectively.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not support the child effectively to manage their feelings and to follow socially acceptable behaviour. Staff have not always been able to help the child when they were experiencing difficulties, to prevent a situation from escalating. This has resulted in staff using physical intervention to protect the child from harm. However, the use of physical intervention is proportionate and appropriate. Each incident is reviewed by a manager. However, the manager’s review is not always evaluative or used to inform how best to support the child’s needs in the future.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are aware of the weaknesses in supporting the child to manage emotions and form positive relationships. They are working to make sure that the child gets the right support to meet their needs and emotional well-being. Managers and staff are starting to provide the child with consistent boundaries that help the child feel safe and understand what is expected of them.

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improvement to be good

Managers have not kept a record of what they did following a complaint from a neighbour, how the problem was resolved and what needed to happen to improve things.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers follow safe staff recruitment procedures designed to minimise the risk to children from unsuitable people.

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good

Shortfalls in the leadership and management of this home are compromising the experiences and progress of the child living there. These shortfalls hinder the staff’s ability to care for the child effectively and help the child to reach their full potential.

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good

A new interim manager has taken over the management of the home. They have suitable experience and qualifications. The manager and responsible individual understand the shortfalls and have developed a clear improvement plan. However, there has not been sufficient time for the identified changes to be embedded in day- to-day practice and have a positive impact on the child’s experiences. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 5 The shortfalls found during the inspection in staff’s ability to engage the child and the poor home conditions have been evident for some time, without being addressed. This demonstrates that leaders and managers’ oversight needs to improve. Leaders and managers have been ineffective in identifying problems and acting to make the necessary improvements.

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good

The child is not benefiting from being cared for by a settled and consistent staff team. Staff vacancies and absences have been covered by staff from other homes. Therefore, the child is being cared for by different people who they may be meeting for the first time and may not see again. This lack of continuity for the child is not helping them to build meaningful relationships with the people caring for them.

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good

Staff are frustrated that they are struggling to build positive relationships with the child. They are keen to help the child and have asked for assistance to develop their skills. The manager has arranged for a mental health practitioner to provide a programme of training to help staff develop their understanding and skills in meeting the child’s specific needs.

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good

Staff, including new and inexperienced staff, are not receiving regular practice- related supervision. Consequently, they are not receiving the support they need to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of the child, and to help the child do the same. Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

provide to children personal items that are appropriate for their age and understanding; and

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(vii)(viii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to making improvements to the house and garden to ensure that children live in a clean, comfortable, well-maintained and homely environment. 31 December

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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— 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 7 that staff—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

The enjoyment and achievement standard is that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills.

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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

develop the child’s interests and hobbies;

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Requirement Due date

participate in activities that the child enjoys and which meet and expand the child’s interests and preferences; and

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Requirement Due date

make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to a range of activities that enable the child to pursue the child’s interests and hobbies. (Regulation 9 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(b)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The health and well-being standard is that— 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 8 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;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs; and understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to such dental, medical, nursing, psychiatric and psychological advice, treatment and other services as the child may require. (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to making sure that children have a healthy and nutritious diet, are encouraged to be physically active and are supported to attend the dentist and other health appointments.

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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

that staff— 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 9 meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour; encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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, sexual and social relationships, and how those relationships can be supportive or harmful;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop the understanding and skills to recognise or withdraw from a damaging, exploitative or harmful relationship;

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Requirement Due date

strive to gain each child’s respect and trust;

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Requirement Due date

understand how children’s previous experiences and present emotions can be communicated through behaviour and have the competence and skills to interpret these and develop positive relationships with children;

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Requirement Due date

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children;

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Requirement Due date

understand and communicate to children that bullying is unacceptable; and

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to recognise incidents or indications of bullying and how to deal with them; and Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 10 that each child is encouraged to build and maintain positive relationships with others. (Regulation 11 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(xi)(xii)(xiii)(b))

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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 promotes their welfare.

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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 work as a team where appropriate;

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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

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and

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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)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(i)(ii)(h)) 31 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 11 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)) 31 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39 (3)) 31 December

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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: SC456795 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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

Nick Veysey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC456795 13 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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