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

Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 1 SC464958 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 private company. The home provides care for six children aged 11 to 17 with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2014 and holds a level 4 qualification in leadership and management.

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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 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: 13 December 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: SC464958 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/12/2022 Full Good 06/05/2021 Full Good 19/06/2019 Full Good 09/10/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive care from adults who are nurturing and understand their needs. When asked about the care provided, a professional described the staff as consistent, caring and brilliant.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise that education is important. Children are attending school full time and making good progress. Education staff say that communication with the home is good.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities at the home and in the local community. For example, one child attends a cheerleading group and is looking forward to participating in competitions. Another child enjoys regular horse-riding lessons. Children have been on holidays with staff. One child enjoyed a trip to the seaside, and another child enjoyed a holiday abroad. These experiences enhance children’s lives and create special memories for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported by staff to learn independence skills through an individualised and structured programme. Staff complete learning sessions to help children to develop budgeting skills, learn how to cook and safely self-administer medication. This builds children’s self-confidence and gives them a sense of achievement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s care needs and experiences are well understood by managers and staff. However, children’s written care plans do not record how children’s cultural needs should be met by staff or the experiences children have had before moving into the home. This could lead to inconsistencies in care received and does not ensure staff have all required information.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides a warm and welcoming environment. The children have personalised their bedrooms and pets. This promotes a sense of belonging in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff understand children’s individual risks, and there are suitable risk management plans in place. When appropriate, staff discuss risk-taking with children to develop an understanding of how children feel about their presenting behaviours. These discussions are also used as an opportunity to educate children and encourage alternative behaviour.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Since the last inspection, there have been no physical interventions. Staff frequently recognise children’s achievements and promote opportunities for the children to receive additional pocket money. In addition, children receive regular praise. During Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 4 the inspection, one child enjoyed receiving a beauty gift from the home’s treat box. Staff rarely use consequences.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

When children disclose historical information, the managers take a proactive response, ensuring that children’s welfare and safety are at the centre of investigations. The manager liaises appropriately with the police, social workers and the local authority designated officer to ensure that information is shared. However, the manager does not always provide an outcome. This makes it difficult to understand if the child was satisfied with the process.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Medication is safely stored and administered. Staff consult with health professionals when changes are required or additional support is needed, for example when changing the medication for a child. This ensures the health needs of children are met.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff carry out regular health and safety checks to ensure that the home is physically safe. The home has a location risk assessment; however, it does not consider the adjacent school. This is a missed opportunity to reduce risk and to fully review the home’s location.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has been in position since 2014. She is supported by experienced and passionate deputy managers. All managers have good knowledge of children’s starting points and what they have accomplished since living at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers and staff have good working relationships with professionals. However, the managers have failed to effectively challenge the local authority when there have been delays in meeting children’s actions set in their health plans. In addition, the manager did not escalate to the local authority when they had not received a child’s up-to-date deprivation order. The managers acknowledged this shortfall during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Since the last inspection, staff have completed additional training to ensure that they have the skills to meet the children’s needs. To complement this, regular consultations with the company’s clinician are used to further improve staff practice. This means that staff understand children’s behaviours and develop successful strategies to help children reach their goals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and are positive about the quality of the leadership in the home. During the inspection, staff explained that they feel supported and that there is good teamworking. Team meetings are held regularly and support the staff to work consistently. The managers use team meetings as an opportunity to praise staff through recognitions like ‘Staff Member of the month’ and to reflect on the needs of the children. Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 5 The statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect that there are animals present in the home. This does not ensure that placing authorities, Ofsted or children have up-to-date information. Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 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, The 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

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 (c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the registered manager escalates effectively when the placing authority is not meeting the children’s set targets of providing the required information. 11 November

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

help each child to understand how the child’s views, wishes and feelings have been taken into account and give the child reasons for decisions in relation to the child. (Regulation 7 (1)(c) (2)(a)(iii)

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the provider ensuring that children understand the steps taken to investigate and respond to allegations. 11 November Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose is developed and reviewed and indicates how the home provides individualised care to meet the quality standards for the children in their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5’)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. Information should be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child and take into account any relevant plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 62, paragraph 14.4’)  The registered person 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 them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations,

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph)

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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: SC464958 8

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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

Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC464958 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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