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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 1 SC457089 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a large organisation. It provides care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager holds the required qualification and registered with Ofsted in April 2022.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2024

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2024 Full Good 17/01/2023 Full Good 14/03/2022 Full Good 10/10/2019 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, one child was living at the home. This child moved from another home operated by the same provider. The staff team who had previously worked with the child moved across with them, which has provided some consistency of care. However, the planning around the child’s admission was not well organised. There is no record of the registered manager’s decision-making and consideration as to whether the home can meet the child’s needs. The admission assessment completed by a senior member of staff had no oversight from the registered manager and failed to consider all known information about the child’s risks, likes and dislikes. This means that staff do not have all the information they require to understand the child’s previous lived experiences or how to meet their needs. When children have moved on from the home they have been supported well by staff. Plans for moving have been detailed, with an

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improvement to be good

emphasis on encouraging children’s engagement in the process.

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improvement to be good

The child’s plans fail to reflect the journey the child is on in the home. There have been limited updates since they moved in and they do not reflect the child’s education arrangements, why they moved into the home or their wishes and feelings. The poor quality of these plans means it is difficult to measure what progress they are making.

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improvement to be good

The child’s health plans have not been updated. A senior member of staff said that they were concerned about the impact that medication was having on the child’s behaviour and that there had been discussions with health professionals about changes to their medication routine. However, there were no records of these discussions and there have been no updates to the child’s healthcare plan. This disorganised approach to care fails to ensure that the child’s health and well-being is being prioritised and promoted.

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improvement to be good

The child’s educational needs are being met well. Their attendance at school is good and they are making progress. School staff say that they have regular communication with the staff at the home, and that there are handovers from them each day to assist the school in being able to meet the child’s needs.

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improvement to be good

Staff encourage the child to participate in a range of activities. These include swimming, football and bike riding. These experiences provide the child with opportunities for fun and enjoyment and help them to build their self-esteem and learn new skills.

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improvement to be good

The child enjoys living at the home and says they feel happy. Their bedroom has been decorated to reflect their interests and they enjoy spending time in the garden, where there is a large paddling pool. The home is comfortable and welcoming. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 4

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improvement to be good

The child says that they feel safe and well supported by staff.

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improvement to be good

On occasions, staff have needed to use physical interventions. Recording of the interventions is poor. It is not always clear from records if the interventions used are proportionate, who was involved in them and the time that they took place. In addition, the rationale for interventions is not always clear, children’s views are not always captured and debriefs with staff are not always completed. The manager has failed to identify and address these shortfalls, which means this poor practice remains unaddressed.

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improvement to be good

The risk management plan for the child is poor. It does not accurately identify all known risks or contain clear strategies for managing them. This has failed to ensure consistency in how staff respond to risks with them using different strategies to support the child. This has failed to ensure the child’s safety and reduce risk effectively.

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improvement to be good

Behaviour management techniques are inconsistent. The child has received one consequence for negative behaviour but other incidents have received no consequences and no follow-up work has taken place with the child to explore them. In addition, one- to-one sessions with the child do not consistently take place following incidents. This fails to ensure that the correct support is in place for the child to help them understand their behaviours and identify strategies of support.

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improvement to be good

Door alarms are used for the child’s door at night. The child’s risk assessment fails to reflect the need for this and the statement of purpose is not clear on how and when the use of alarms should be reviewed. The registered manager said that they were being used to alert staff that the child had moved out of their room, so that staff could offer support. However, the child’s risk assessment does not identify what this support is or why it is necessary.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Management oversight of the home is inadequate. Monitoring systems are used but they have been ineffective, as the manager has failed to identify shortfalls and take effective action to address unsafe practice. This has not ensured that the child is provided with consistent and quality care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When concerns have been raised by children about staff practice, these have been reported to the local authority designated officer (LADO), the child’s placing authority and Ofsted. However, there is no evidence from the registered manager that he followed the guidance from the LADO and a child’s social worker following practice concerns being raised. In addition, there is no recorded rationale for why a member of staff could work with one child and not others, following concerns being raised. This fails to demonstrate Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 5 that the manager works effectively to respond to safeguarding concerns, potentially leaving children at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

When there have been incidents in the community and with neighbours, the registered manager has not always taken appropriate follow-up action. For example, when there was an incident involving a neighbour, the manager made no attempts to communicate with the neighbour to try and resolve the issues and support improved relationships. This leaves the child vulnerable and at risk of hostility within their local community.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager does not always take appropriate action when significant incidents take place in the home. There has been a lack of professional curiosity in relation to some incidents and how staff have responded to them. This means that staff are not receiving the appropriate support and has affected the child’s experiences in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff feel supported by managers and they are provided with regular supervision. However, records fail to demonstrate meaningful support when staff members raise concerns and there has been a lack of action taken by the manager to address these.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is no workforce development plan in place. As a result, future plans for staff’s learning and development are unclear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The manager was not aware of all of the child’s diagnosed needs. Although staff have completed some training, they have not been provided with training to meet all the presenting needs of the child. This includes training in relation to attention deficit disorder. This approach to training fails to provide assurances that the manager understands the skills that staff require to care effectively for the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Feedback from external professionals is positive. They say that they are kept up to date through phone calls and that they receive regular updates and prompt responses to any of their communication.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has not ensured that the relevant case documents are on file and kept up to date for the child. For example, the child’s placement plan contains some incorrect information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff do not always work in line with the home’s statement of purpose. The care planning and admissions process was not followed for the latest child admitted. In addition, the statement of purpose has not been kept up to date to ensure that it reflects the current staff team. Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children and understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the statement of purpose is clear and that staff implement it in their practice. In addition, ensure that the statement of purpose includes how door alarms are reviewed and care planning arrangements for when children are admitted to the home. 9 September 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 9 September 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 7 and provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking into account the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1) (a)(b) (2)(b)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that children have up-to-date and clear plans which support and inform effective care.

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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.

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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

meet each child’s behavioural and emotional needs, as set out in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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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. (Regulation 11 (1) (b)(i)(ii)(iv)(v)(x))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that staff carry out reflective work with the children and that staff are provided with the necessary support following incidents. 26 August 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— 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 8 that staff—

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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;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; and

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(vi))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children’s risks are accurately reflected in their written documentation, that risk assessments clearly advise staff about how to respond to risk and that procedures are followed in relation to the management of disclosures.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

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

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 have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of 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— 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 9 feedback on the experiences of children, including complaints received;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(g)(ii)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should implement monitoring systems that are effective and bring improvement and ensure that staff receive training which is specific to the needs of the children.

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was raised at the last inspection and is restated.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home; and

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(b)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, that managers demonstrate child-centred planning when children enter the home. 26 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children. (Regulation 24 (1)(a))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that monitoring systems are only used as set out in a child’s agreed risk assessment. 26 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 10 The registered manager must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure;

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm its accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation (35) (3)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that records of physical interventions contain all necessary information and enable incidents to be understood to aid future learning. In addition, the manager must ensure that debriefs are completed with the child and these are recorded appropriately and that they monitor incidents of physical intervention effectively and act on any identified learning. 26 August 2024

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (“case records”) for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; and

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that children’s plans are up to date and all the relevant information and plans from the local authority are available. 26 August 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 11

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Recommendation

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce- related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should: o detail the necessary management and staffing structure, (including any staff commissioned to provide health and education), the experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose o detail the processes and agreed timescales for staff to achieve induction, probation and any core training (such as safeguarding, health and safety and mandatory qualifications) o detail the process for managing and improving poor performance o detail the process and timescales for supervision of practice (see regulation 33 (4) (b)) and keep appropriate records for staff in the home.

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Recommendation

The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home, and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC457089 12

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Kate Savage, Social Care Inspector Sophie Hills, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC457089 13 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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