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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 1 SC451174 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 is one of several homes operated by a large private provider. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties and/or have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home. One child spoke to the inspector about their experiences living in the home.

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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: 30 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: SC451174 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/11/2022 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good 20/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/06/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are happy living in the home. They are helped to make good progress in all areas of their lives. Children are supported to develop positive, trusting relationships with staff who care about them. One child told the inspector that they are happy living in the home and that staff have their best interests at heart. Children are helped to understand the expectations in the home and how to treat others with respect. This helps children to live together positively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, two children have moved into the home and two children have moved on from the home. Children have been helped to move into and out of the home in planned ways.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are listened to. Staff consider their views in a sensitive manner and advocate on their behalf. Regular key-work sessions take place with children, which ensures that they feel included in their care. These cover a range of issues, such as safety inside and outside of the home, healthy living and relationships. This helps children to understand issues that are affecting them and to make safer choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health needs are prioritised. They are registered quickly with local services and attend routine health appointments, when in the past they sometimes did not. For example, one child had not visited the dentist for a long length of time before living in the home. The staff helped and encouraged the child to attend, ensuring that their health needs were being met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children and staff have access to the organisation’s therapist. Both children have chosen not to engage with the therapist. However, staff spend time speaking with her about the children and get advice on how best to care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before living at this home, both children struggled to maintain a school placement. They now receive in-person tuition for two hours a day, which is progress from their starting points. However, plans for when they are not in education are unclear. This does not support the children in preparation for their return to a full-time learning environment.

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

Children feel safe in the home. Staff are responsive to children’s needs and work proactively to ensure that they are kept safe from harm. Staff communicate effectively and use comprehensive records to share information so that the children’s needs are known.

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

Staff understand the safeguarding procedures well and know what to do if a child goes missing from the home. Staff and the manager are empathetic and help Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 4 children to understand the reasons why they go missing, and their interventions have helped to reduce these incidents.

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

Before the manager joined the home, shortfalls in shift planning led to an incident for a child who previously lived in the home being arrested at school after being missing from the home. The child’s behaviours at school escalated as there was no driver on shift to collect them in a timely manner when they became unsettled. This was not only distressing for the child but had the potential for them to be criminalised. The manager has been proactive in ensuring that there are opportunities for refection and learning following incidents and is keen to ensure that staff are in tune with children’s needs.

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

Expectations when children smoke or vape are unclear. Staff encourage children not to smoke or vape and ensure that they have access to smoking cessation services. However, when children move into the home, they are given information about where they can smoke in the garden. This does not promote a healthy lifestyle and gives mixed messages to children as it does not discourage them from smoking or vaping. The manager took swift action to address this during the inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is working towards the relevant qualification. He is supported by a dedicated deputy manager. They both have high expectations of staff, which motivates them to deliver good-quality care to children. The manager and deputy lead by example. Staff say that they are both good role models to them and the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision sessions and performance reviews throughout the year. These are of good quality and the children’s views are reflected in staff supervision sessions. The manager shows an interest in staff development goals and clearly records these in supervision records. However, the clinical supervision details for the home’s therapist are not included in the home’s workforce development plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are held regularly and are a place for staff to reflect on the children’s progress and their experiences of caring for the children. Children’s needs are considered at each meeting and decisions are made about how to improve the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Quality assurance and monitoring processes are effective and allow the manager to review the quality of the care provided to children. This is complemented by the responsible individual carrying out monthly audits of practice, which helps the manager to identify areas of strength and development.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Feedback from family members and professionals about the care provided to the children and communication they receive from the team is positive. The children’s placing authority social workers are clear that the children have made progress from their starting points. One social worker said that she believes the staff go the extra mile with the care they provide to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 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, 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

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

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

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

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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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 29 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 6 exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that children’s daily routines encourage and promote their engagement in education.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met. Smoking cessation should be consistently promoted and the home should be an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, Schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) and clearly reflects the clinical supervision details of health professionals commissioned to work with children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should plan staffing levels to ensure that they meet children’s needs and can respond flexibly to unexpected events or opportunities.

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Recommendations

Staffing structures should promote continuity of care from the child’s perspective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.15)

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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: SC451174 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

Colin Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 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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