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

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

A large private provider operates this home. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties or learning disabilities. At the time of the inspection, two children were living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2023.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 24 January 2024

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2024 Full Good 30/11/2022 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good 20/02/2020 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress and enjoy high-quality support from staff. Staff ensure well-planned, highly individualised care that promotes children’s development. Children show improved progress in relation to their individual starting points. A social worker said, ‘The care provision is good. Communication is really positive. We are getting [child’s name] where he needs to be. He has made some positive steps in his education.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a supportive, caring and nurturing environment. This enables children to feel safe and secure. Staff provide continuity of care and provide consistency and stability in children’s lives.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s good health and ensure that they have access to the services that they need to stay healthy. Staff support children to attend their health appointments. They work in partnership with health professionals to meet the specific health needs of children.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff advise children about important health issues and encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. A nurse for the children said, ‘Staff are amazing and have a good understanding of the children. We have good working relationships with staff.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s education. Children who had one-to-one, part-time home tuition are now moving to full-time education. They have clear aspirations towards attending school on a full-time basis. A social worker said, ‘I have everything crossed for September and we are all pulling together.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff encourage children’s independence and teach them practical skills, such as shopping, cooking and traveling independently. This promotes children’s life-skills and development.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to spend time with their families and friends. This ensures that children sustain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff struggle to engage children in regular activities. As a result, children’s participation and social engagement is limited. A social worker said about their child, ‘The care team works closely with him to try and engage him in the local area.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with a warm and comfortable living environment. The manager has purchased soft furnishings for the home including pictures to make the accommodation provided for children more welcoming and homely. Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 4

p.3

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

Staff have a good awareness of the specific needs and vulnerabilities of children and take appropriate action to protect them. Staff use clear risk management plans and safe working practices. This promotes the safety of children.

p.4

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

Staff are trained in child protection and have a good understanding of how to respond to safeguarding concerns including dealing with and managing allegations. Allegations are dealt with quickly and professionally and this ensures that children are protected from harm.

p.4

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

Behaviour management strategies are effective. There have been no restraints or complaints since the last inspection.

p.4

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

Staff actively look for children if they go missing from the home. They work closely with the police to locate children quickly to secure their safe return. The manager escalates concerns and works closely with social workers and the police to prioritise the safety of children. A social worker said, ‘We have seen a reduction in recent incidents of children missing from home.’

p.4

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

The home’s maintenance team is currently assessing a recent water leak that has caused minor damage to a wall and ceiling of the property. Health and safety matters are addressed quickly to ensure a safe environment for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. Leaders and managers show strong and effective leadership in the day-to-day operation of the home. They lead by example and are committed to securing the best outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager ensures that the home is sufficiently staffed to provide consistency and stability for children. The manager supports staff in a range of ways. Staff benefit from child-focused team meetings and receive practice-related supervision. Staff have a programme of training that enables them to have the right skills and knowledge to meet the specific needs of children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Adults employed to care for children are experienced, well trained and suitably qualified. Robust vetting and recruitment procedures are followed to ensure that children are safeguarded and protected from unsuitable people.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager shows good oversight of the care provided for children. They are a visible presence in the children’s lives. The manager, leaders and staff work closely with the children’s placing authorities and other professional agencies. This ensures that children benefit from the best possible help and all-round multi-agency support. Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 5 The manager uses monitoring and quality assurance activities to understand the strengths and weaknesses of the care provided for children. They act on stakeholder feedback and take action to address shortfalls. This promotes improvements in the care provided for children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 6

p.4

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(d))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to repairing walls and ceilings in the property that have suffered from recent water damage. 16 September 2024

p.6

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children benefit from a wide range of activities, including social outings and holidays. Staff should actively encourage children’s interests and hobbies. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 31, paragraph 6.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff consistently pursue full-time educational attendance for children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 28, paragraph 5.14)

p.6

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

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

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

p.7

Inspector

Anthony Kyem, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC451174 8 regulates and inspects 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.

p.7

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8