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

Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 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

This home is run by a large private organisation. It is registered to provide care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties and/or learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, one child was living at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in June 2024.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/05/2021 Full Good 09/07/2019 Full Good 30/05/2018 Full Good 21/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home was closed for two years. One child moved into the home with the best possible planning in May 2024. They were welcomed sensitively. The plan was for the child to visit the home before moving in, but on the day of the visit the child chose to move in straight away as they felt this would reduce their anxieties. The child has quickly settled in with the support and encouragement of staff and is making progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and the staff know the child well and actively promote their welfare. Staff have built warm and trusting relationships with the child and, as a result, the child has been able to develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are being met. Staff have supported the child to overcome their anxieties around attending medical appointments and the child is now up to date with all their health assessments. The company’s mental health practitioner is starting to develop a relationship with the child, so the child also receives support to meet their emotional health needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager has high expectations of the child engaging in education. The child has gaps in their school attendance from before they moved into the home. The manager worked with other professionals to ensure that a suitable school was identified to meet the child’s needs. Staff supported the child to work through their anxieties, with a clear plan before the summer. A teacher said, ‘The interaction from staff was key in ensuring that we had the right plan to help the child attend school.’ The child is now attending full time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s relationships with family and friends are promoted. The child is supported to have regular family time with their parents and younger sisters, both in the home and the local community. The child is also encouraged and supported to have time with friends out in the community. One social worker said, ‘Family time for the child has been fantastic. The staff go above and beyond in their support with family time and travel arrangements to ensure that the child gets to see their family and friends.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities and their interests are supported. The child recently went on a holiday to a horse-riding camp, and they now attend weekly horse-riding lessons. This helps to develop the child’s self-esteem and confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff celebrate the child’s achievements. Through incentives, the child has shown that they can be trusted and have the skills to look after a pet cat. The child is taking this responsibility seriously and ensuring that the cat’s needs are met. The child also uses their incentive money to pay towards the vet fees when the cat needs treatment. This is developing the child’s caring nature and life skills. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 4

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

The manager and staff know the child well and can identify and understand their risks and vulnerabilities. Risk management plans are in place and are up to date, and the child has had input into the plans by identifying how staff can support them.

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

Staff take time to listen to the child and their wishes and feelings are sought regularly and acted on. The child knows how to make a complaint and can name a trusted adult if they have any concerns or worries. There have been no complaints.

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

Positive behaviour from the child is promoted by staff. They have a good understanding of the child’s behaviour and are consistent in their approach to providing care. The child responds to the calm, caring and nurturing support offered by staff, and physical intervention has not been needed.

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

When incidents have happened, these have been managed appropriately. Staff take time to discuss the issue with the child and give them guidance and strategies to help prevent similar issues reoccurring in the future.

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

The child does not go missing from home. However, there is a detailed and clear plan that provides staff with explicit steps to follow if the child does go missing from home. The child is encouraged to take age-appropriate risks by spending time in the community with friends and walking to and from school. Staff ensure that the child regularly phones them, so they can be sure the child is safe.

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

Staff ensure that the child benefits from a clean, tidy and welcoming living environment. All health and safety checks have been carried out. A hazard was identified in the back garden during the inspection and the manager immediately rectified this. This ensures that the home is safe for the child.

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

Recruitment practice is safe. The manager ensures that all necessary checks are completed before staff start work at the home. This helps to ensure that adults working with the child are safe to do so.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home reopened with a new registered manager and a new staff team. The manager has high expectations and aspirations for the child. She is child-focused, dedicated and committed, and has a good understanding of the child’s needs and the progress that they are making. She is dual registered and so has management responsibility for another of the company’s homes which is close by. The manager is supported in her role by a deputy manager who helps her with the day-to-day running of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has systems in place to ensure that she has clear management oversight. She has recently carried out a detailed quality of care review and this included feedback Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 5 from the child, professionals and parents. However, she did not give staff an opportunity to contribute, which is essential in having a full overview of the care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team in the home who offer stability and consistency for the child. Staff said that they feel supported by the manager. Staff are given opportunities to take on more responsibilities. This helps them to develop their practice and creates an ethos of shared ownership in the development of the quality of care provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is an in-depth training programme available to staff. They complete a range of training, including training to meet the needs of the child. The manager has also involved external agencies in delivering training for the whole staff team on issues such has self-harming behaviour. This ensures that staff have the appropriate skills and knowledge to meet the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision sessions which give them an opportunity to reflect on their practice and receive additional support and guidance to equip them with the skills to meet the child’s needs. New staff have additional supervision sessions as part of their induction. This helps develop their knowledge and an understanding of the responsibilities of their role. However, not all new staff have received regular supervision in line with the home’s policies. As new members of staff work alongside more experienced staff, this has prevented any impact on the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly. This gives the staff an opportunity to come together and share information effectively. This ensures that there is a consistent team approach to meeting the child’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works proactively with other professionals on a day-to-day basis, and she understands the importance of good communication. However, the manager has not challenged other professionals when she identified that the child’s care plan was not up to date. Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that she actively challenges the local authority when a child’s care plan is not up to date. 2 December 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all new staff receive appropriate supervision in the timescales identified in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that they have a system in place which allows them to monitor the matters set out in the regulations at least every six months. This should include seeking feedback from staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 7

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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: 1155775 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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Inspectors

Simon Jones, Social Care Inspector Sally Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1155775 9 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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