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

Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 1 SC457180 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 run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to three children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or learning difficulties.

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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 inadequate

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good

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

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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: SC457180 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/03/2023 Full Good 15/03/2022 Full Good 10/04/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/01/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There were two children living in the home at the time of the inspection. Two children had recently left the home. One child had moved to a foster family, and the other child moved to semi-independence. Both children experienced positive endings to their time living at the home. The child who moved to semi-independence had a leaving party and was provided with a memory book. This child would occasionally return to the house for a visit and recently enjoyed Sunday dinner with the children and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and children are positive. They are built on the commitment and dedication of staff to establish trusting relationships with children. There is mutual respect and clear communication between children and staff. Staff clearly care about the children’s well-being. This approach helps children feel safe to form bonds with the adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s academic progress is important to staff. Staff help children to understand the benefits of accessing secondary and further education, and they provide incentives to encourage children to engage in education. Children who are not in school have weekly home learning timetables. Staff understand that children are at different stages of their learning development and work in partnership with the provider’s education coordinator to ensure that children receive support.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff help children remain connected to people who are important to them. They make a conscious effort to develop positive relationships with children’s family members, partners and friends. One family member of one of the children who recently moved on said, ‘I think it is an excellent home. I would sometimes be invited for Sunday dinner.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff prepare children for adult life well. Children are supported to learn to take more responsibility for themselves, suitable to their age and understanding. They are encouraged to engage in activities such as cooking, planning meals and shopping. By routinely participating in these activities, children learn skills that support a successful transition to independent living.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s wishes and feelings are taken seriously by staff. Children attend monthly meetings where they can express their views on the quality of care provided, the activities they want to participate in and their meal choices. Any requests are routinely responded to by staff, and children are made aware when these have been met. Children feel listened to and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a consistent commitment to delivering equality and diversity in day-to-day life in the home. Staff ensure that children receive individualised care designed to meet their needs, which takes into consideration their backgrounds, interests and views. Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 4 Children know how to make a complaint. When children make complaints, these are acknowledged by leaders and managers, and they are taken seriously. Leaders and managers investigate complaints robustly, and the outcome is shared with children. Consequently, children learn that their opinions and feelings are important.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff take the health needs of children seriously and quickly access support from healthcare professionals. In line with each child's individual health plan, staff support them to understand about sexual health and how to keep safe.

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

Safeguarding practice is robust. Risk management plans are thorough and provide staff with detailed strategies to prevent incidents occurring. Staff know children well and speak confidently about children’s associated risks and how these can be managed.

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

Children rarely go missing from home. When children do go missing, the response from staff is well coordinated. They follow a missing-from-home protocol that sets out the process clearly for staff. Staff know children’s associates and use this knowledge to establish their whereabouts to facilitate children’s swift return home. Return home interviews are routinely completed to help staff understand the possible reason for the child going missing so that preventative measures can be implemented. This means the risk of children being exposed to harm is reduced.

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

Staff respond quickly to incidents where children may be at risk of child sexual exploitation. They work collaboratively with partners to reduce this risk and support children to understand how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. One child assessed as being at risk was supported to complete detailed work, including online safety, accessing inappropriate websites and grooming. This effective action has significantly reduced the child’s risk rating for child sexual exploitation.

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

Leaders, managers and staff have formed effective links with safeguarding agencies such as the drug and alcohol and youth engagement service. They regularly communicate with agencies to inform their practice around keeping children safe.

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

Investigations into allegations against staff are well managed. Leaders and managers ensure that they are handled in accordance with statutory guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager post is currently vacant. The former registered manager stopped managing the home in December 2022. Since then, the provider has failed to demonstrate that urgent action has been taken to recruit a registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A new manager has started in post in October 2023. The manager is supported by a deputy manager, and both know the children well and are passionate about achieving positive outcomes for them. Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 5 Children are cared for by a fully competent staff team that has the skills and experience to successfully meet their needs. The staff team is well settled, providing children with consistency and structure.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders, managers and staff work closely with partners, such as the children’s social workers, to ensure that outcomes for children are positive. For example, a child who has lived at the home for a significant period and recently moved to foster care continues to be taken by the children’s home staff to spend time with their family as the child’s foster carer does not drive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff are positive about the support and guidance they receive. Leaders and managers ensure that staff receive supervision regularly in line with regulations. Furthermore, team meetings take place monthly, giving staff an opportunity to meet as a team to discuss and review the children, the running of the home, staff development and ways that the home can improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided. The manager monitors the operation of the home and considers the children’s views about how they are being cared for. When improvements are identified, these are actioned to ensure that the home is meeting the children’s needs and their welfare is being prioritised.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff have completed mandatory training. Leaders and managers access specialised training in response to children’s specific care needs. They proactively source training from partner agencies that staff can apply to their roles. This means children receive care from staff who can confidently meet their needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The statement of purpose has not been updated to notify Ofsted of changes to staffing arrangements in the home in line with legislation. This impacts on the regulator’s ability to complete their monitoring role. Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 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

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate,

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b)) 23 January 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)) 23 January 2024

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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: SC457180 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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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC457180 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 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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