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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 1 SC457137 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 is owned by a national provider and provides care for one child with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2023.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

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

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 29 November 2022

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/11/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good 05/03/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 26/04/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of this inspection, there was no child living at the home. This inspection has been informed by the experience and outcomes of the two children who have left the home since the previous inspection. A child moved out of the home very recently, having lived at the home for only one month. The manager gave immediate notice to the child’s placing authority following some violent incidents. The staff were unable to safely manage the child’s behaviour and meet her very complex mental health needs, which, at the time of the child’s admission, were not known to the manager. The other child was settled at the home for two years and made progress. She found a sense of belonging and the staff succeeded in building loving and trusting relationships with her. The child moved so that she could live near her family, in line with her plan. Moves into and out of the home are carefully and sensitively managed. Children

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

benefit from planned introductions to their new home. For example, children visit, meet the staff and experience overnight stays before moving to the home. When children are moving out of the home, they are supported by the staff to visit their new home, meet the people who will be caring for them and stay overnight. Staff remain in touch with children when they have left the home, therefore providing children with continuity and stability. The staff understand the importance of education and encourage and support children to attend an education placement that meets their needs. Both children regularly engaged with education, having refused to attend before coming to the home. As a result, both children made progress from their starting points. Health needs are met in the home. The staff ensure that children are encouraged to eat healthily and participate in physical activities so that they positively channel their

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

energy. Specialist health professionals are consulted when necessary to meet a child’s physical health needs, and children benefit from sessions with the company’s therapist to meet identified emotional health needs. A strength of the home is how effectively the staff support children to remain in contact with their families and friends. Staff succeed in repairing family relationships and encourage the children’s family and friends to visit the home and the children’s friends to have sleepovers.

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improvement to be good

The staff struggled to manage the behaviour of the most recently admitted child. The staff were unable to keep the child and themselves safe during violent incidents, and called the police on three occasions to manage the child’s behaviour. During other incidents, the child was able to obtain a knife from a room that was left Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 4 unlocked in error, and obtained medication from the medication cabinet and took an overdose. It was quickly recognised by the manager that the staff did not have the skills and experience to safely manage the child’s very complex needs, which were not known at the point of admission, and immediate notice was given to the placing authority. Incidents of children going missing are safely managed. Staff are vigilant and take a contextual safeguarding approach. They are well informed about where a child may go, what they are doing and who they are with. Return home interviews take place

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improvement to be good

and the staff ensure that they speak with the child to try to find out why they have gone missing. Children are encouraged and supported to learn from their mistakes and are praised for positive behaviour. The child who lived at the home for two years was supported effectively to mature and understand the consequences of their behaviour on others. As a result, she learned to make many friends in the community, make progress and demonstrate positive behaviour. The staff confidently follow the home’s safeguarding policies and procedures. Any safeguarding incidents are promptly referred to the relevant safeguarding professionals to promote the safety of the child. Restraints are minimal and are only used as a last resort to keep a child or others safe. They are undertaken for a minimal duration and staff use the minimal force necessary. A full debrief with the child follows any incident, so that they can

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improvement to be good

understand why a restraint was necessary and discuss any learning from the incident.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post for three months. She is experienced and the staff and other professionals reported positively about her management of the home. Staff said that they feel well led and that the manager provided very good support to them through recent changes in the home. Staff described the last month as a ‘turbulent time in the home’. There is a culture of learning and reflection in the home. The manager and staff have evaluated recent incidents and events to understand whether there is any learning to take away from them or training required so that they can improve practice. Three staff members have recently resigned, after a long period of staff stability in which the child benefited from a stable and consistent staff team. Leaders and managers have decided that a child will not now be admitted until three new members of staff are appointed and are in post. Staff said that they receive regular, reflective supervision. They benefit from a

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers

comprehensive programme of training in mandatory topics such as first aid and safeguarding, and specialist topics such as therapeutic parenting and mental health. The home generally provides a clean, warm and homely environment for children. The downstairs of the home is well decorated and maintained. However, gardens Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 5 appear uncared for and the upstairs landing requires decoration. This necessary work is documented in the home’s comprehensive development plan. A placing social worker reported that communication from the manager is very good and that she was impressed with the commitment and care offered to her child during the short time that the child was living at the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 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 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

This particularly refers to staff ensuring that, at all times, items assessed as presenting a risk to a child, such as knives and medication, are kept safely locked away. 28 July 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home provides a nurturing, homely and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children living there. The home should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: SC457137 7

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Nicola McClements

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Inspector

Tina Maddison, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457137 8 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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