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

Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 1 SC066183 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

The home provides care for up to three children who have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager post is vacant but a manager has been appointed and she is in the process of applying to be registered 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: SC066183 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/05/2021 Full Good 20/01/2020 Full Good 06/02/2019 Full Outstanding 13/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 3

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improvement to be good

There were no children living at the home at the time of this inspection. Managers and leaders made a decision not to admit children into the home until they have fully refurbished the home, upskilled staff and recruited senior staff.

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improvement to be good

Seven children have moved on from the home since the last inspection. Some of the children had lived at the home for a number of years, enjoyed positive experiences and had planned moves on from the home. However, other children did not experience planned or positive moves from the home. Contributing factors included escalating risk-taking behaviours that staff could not manage effectively.

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improvement to be good

When considering if new children could move in, managers did not always scrutinise information provided by local authorities well enough and assess whether staff had the skills and experience to support the children well. This had a detrimental impact on some children’s progress and experiences while living at the home.

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improvement to be good

The overall progress of children is mixed. Some children made significant progress considering their starting points. For example, some children were able to gain qualifications, develop good independence skills and build positive relationships with family and be reunited with them.

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improvement to be good

However, some children made limited progress because their time at the home broke down quickly. In addition, staff did not consistently provide all children with good routines and boundaries, which contributed to some children disengaging from education. Managers and staff did not adequately support these children to understand and overcome any barriers that they might face with their learning.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers provide different opportunities for children to express their wishes and feelings through one-to-one conversations and key-work sessions. Consequently, the children are involved in making decisions about their day-to-day life and things that matter to them.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoyed different activities, including going on holiday, attending swimming and boxing lessons, having meals out, going shopping and having house pets. The children have been able to make some good memories which they will treasure.

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improvement to be good

At times, there have not been enough experienced and suitably skilled staff to manage children’s behaviours of concern. On one such occasion, children caused significant damage to the property and injured staff. As a result, the police were Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 4 called and children were vulnerable to criminalisation. This was not a positive outcome for these children.

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improvement to be good

The quality of children’s risk assessments is generally good. However, staff do not consistently follow all the guidance set out in these documents. For example, staff do not consistently supervise children as outlined in their risk assessments. On one occasion, two children were able to go missing from the home and so were vulnerable to harm. On another occasion, a child brought alcohol into the home and consumed this without staff knowing, which raised questions about the level of staff supervision.

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improvement to be good

Staff and managers, in liaison with the clinical team, have reflected on these incidents and have taken learning in how they can support the children better. Staff have undertaken further training in safeguarding and understanding children’s presenting risks and how to support them effectively.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is robust and helps to ensure that suitable people are employed to care for children.

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good

Managers do not monitor and review the quality of care children receive effectively or consistently well. This limits the development of the home and has led to a decline in previously good standards of care.

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good

High staff turnover means that children have not been consistently cared for by experienced and skilled staff who they have established relationships with. This has also meant that the manager has had to cover some shifts to ensure that there are adequate staff to care for the children. This has had a negative impact on their ability to undertake management tasks.

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good

Staff and the manager do not keep children’s records up to date. For example, staff did not have up-to-date local authority care plans, review documentation and education plans for most children. This limits the ability of staff and managers to review and keep track of children’s progress.

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good

Generally, staff feel well supported by managers. They receive good-quality supervision which promotes their professional development and gives them opportunities to learn from their practice.

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good

Leaders have acknowledged shortfalls identified at this inspection. They have devised an action plan to address concerns and have temporarily closed the home to concentrate on improvement work. Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 5

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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

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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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)(vi)(viii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that managers understand children’s academic progress, and for children who are temporarily out of education, ensure that they engage in constructive activities during the school day. 15 May 2023

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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; 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 6 understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person. (Regulation12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v))

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, 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 improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(h)) 15 May 2023

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)) 15 May 2023

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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;

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Requirement Due date

are kept up to date. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)) 15 May 2023 Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 7

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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: SC066183 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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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

Rumbi Mangoma, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC066183 9 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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