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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 1 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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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 four children with social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, one child was living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has recently submitted their application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is part of a large private organisation, and the company employs its own clinical team.

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Inspection date: 12 February 2024

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 12 February 2024

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. The inspector has looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

The child living at this home has moved from another home within the organisation. Staff have identified that the child needs to live alone, and to receive one-to-one care. Staff support the child to attend full-time, alternative education by ensuring that they follow a consistent routine.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff encourage the child to enjoy their favourite hobbies, including horse riding, drawing and crafts. Staff have created an art room for the child, where they can produce new pieces of artwork and relax. The child has a hamster and a kitten, which they love spending time with and enjoy caring for.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff make sure that the child maintains links with close family members and friends. They provide practical and emotional help to ensure that links with family and understanding of identity are maintained. The child spoke positively about the care and help they receive from staff and said that they like living at this home.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there have been no allegations made against staff or incidents of physical restraint. The child has not been missing from the home and no complaints have been received.

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Findings from the inspection

Two requirements have been met since the last inspection, relating to the recruitment of a manager and completion of the quality-of-care review. The other requirements and recommendations remain as they are not met. These will be reviewed at the next full inspection. Further shortfalls were found during this inspection, relating to management oversight within the home. A new manager started in October 2023 and has submitted her application to register with Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

Some incidents lack management oversight and review. This includes oversight and review of records relating to self-harm, inappropriate behaviour when using a mobile phone, and errors in administering routine medication. The quality of staff’s recordings is poor. For example, not all records are clear about what happened, what staff did in response and how they supported the child. In addition, some language used is not always sensitive when writing about children’s experiences. The manager has not provided an overview around gaps in staff practice or learning. Records do not include follow-up actions to strengthen staff practice. The child’s missing-from-home plan is poorly written and actions are not robust to help prioritise the child’s safety should they go missing.

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Findings from the inspection

Several staff do not have prior experience of working in residential care. They do not yet have the required qualifications for the role and one staff member remains in their probation period. Despite this, staff are often lone-working without full assessment of their competency to do so. One member of staff has not received the Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 3 mandatory refresher training around restraint, and this has not been fully considered by the manager.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff benefit from frequent supervision. However, records of supervision are not of good quality. They lack detail and wider reflection about practice. Consequently, they are not helping staff to develop their learning and to improve the quality of care provided to children.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, improvements have been made to the home. For example, rubbish has been removed and some urgent repairs have taken place. There is more work to do to fully redecorate the home and improve the garden space. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/08/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/01/2023 Full Good 21/09/2021 Full Good 10/07/2019 Full Good Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour; and

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Requirement Due date

positive responses to other children and adults.

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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

are provided with supervision and support to enable them to understand and manage their own feelings and responses to the behaviour and emotions of children, and to help children to do the same;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure that records of supervision demonstrate how staff are supported to reflect on their practice, to develop their learning and improve the quality of care provided to children. 30 April 2024

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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; 30 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 6 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)(a)(i)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that missing-from-home plans include clear actions for staff to follow that prioritise children’s safety should they go missing including searching for them and that managers have robust oversight of staff who are mostly lone working to ensure staff respond appropriately to significant incidents for children. 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

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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Requirement Due date

feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received; and 30 April 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 7 use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(f)(i)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that important records for children including incidents of self-harm, inappropriate behaviour when using a mobile phone, and errors in administering routine medication include manager oversight and review. That the manager is assured and able to demonstrate that staff have the skills, training and competence to lone work effectively with children.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home, including the outside space, is a homely, nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children living there. The home must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.), while also seeking to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice, as set out in regulations 31-33. They must ensure that recruitment procedures are thorough and should consider requesting references when appointing internal staff to different roles, in order to safeguard children and minimise potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1) Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 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

Anna Gravelle, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: 1236620 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 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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