Children's home run by London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in Hammersmith and Fulham

Inspection report children's home: SC443337 1 SC443337 Registered provider: London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children's home

This local authority home provides full-time care or short breaks for up to 7 children with physical and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children's home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2012 and the manager registered with Ofsted in January 2024.

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Information about this children's home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC443337 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/01/2024 Full Good 07/02/2023 Full Good 08/03/2022 Full Good 17/09/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children's home: SC443337 3

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improvement to be good

Weaknesses in leadership and management are compromising children’s safety and this has led to a judgement of requires improvement to be good.

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improvement to be good

Children are enabled to build positive relationships with staff. Staff show care, compassion and warmth towards children. This helps children to settle into the home and talk to staff about their worries. Parents are happy with the care provided and report effective communication with staff.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to maintain positive relationships with their family. They work closely with children and their families to ensure that the time they spend together is enjoyable. This helps children to maintain important family relationships.

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improvement to be good

Children enjoy a range of activities both in the home and in the community. These include visiting farms, cycling, swimming and visiting local parks. Children benefit from having good routines and structure to their day and new experiences in the community.

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improvement to be good

Staff help children to understand their care and set personalised targets to help them develop their independent skills. Staff skilfully use pictures, gestures and verbal prompts to support communication. As a result, one child has developed their toileting skills and no longer needs to use pads.

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improvement to be good

All children who live at the home have a personalised bedroom that reflects their personality. Some decoration has been undertaken in parts of the home, and there is a plan to complete the outstanding work to ensure that children live in a warm and homely environment.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that staff take adequate precautions against fire risks. For example, staff do not complete regular fire alarm tests and fire drills in line with the home’s policy to ensure that the home environment is safe for the children. In addition, some of the significant shortfalls identified in the most recent fire risk assessment in June 2024 were completed during this inspection.

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improvement to be good

Generally, staff manage incidents well and are able to deescalate challenging situations. However, there have been two incidents when staff used physical intervention when there was no risk of injury, or serious damage to property and therefore was not necessary. In addition, leaders and managers do not routinely review and evaluate restraint incidents in order to identify any themes, patterns and/or shortfalls in staff practice. Inspection report children's home: SC443337 4 Children’s risk assessments are updated following incidents. They are informed by children’s professional networks to ensure that staff take the appropriate action when required. However, one risk assessment does not give strategies to staff on when to undertake bedroom searches. In addition, bedroom search records do not show management oversight and actions taken following searches.

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improvement to be good

Staff have a good understanding of whistle blowing policies and procedures. They have completed training on safeguarding. Allegations or suspicion of harm are dealt with immediately and shared with the relevant agencies. This increases children’s safety in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are given individualised support in line with their needs and wishes. Staff use appropriate methods of communication, such as visual aids and social stories, to help children to share their views and feelings. This empowers children to raise any concerns or worries they may have and gives them confidence that their opinions matter.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not have effective monitoring systems in place to review the quality of care provided to children. Leaders and managers have not ensured that fire alarm systems are routinely tested. In addition, the annual inspection of the portable fire extinguishers expired on 19 September 2024 and had not yet been addressed at the time of this inspection. The lack of management oversight compromises children’s care, safety and the development of the service.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff training is not sufficient. Staff undertake a range of online and face-to-face mandatory training courses. However, not all staff have completed specific training, such as autism spectrum disorder awareness, food safety, deprivation of liberty order awareness and picture exchange communication systems. This training would help them to better understand the needs of the children they care for.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The workforce development plan is not effective. It does not set out the arrangements for staff induction, probation, training, supervision and process of managing and improving poor practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff benefit from having regular individual supervision as well as fortnightly reflective supervision with a therapeutic practitioner. Supervision is reflective, staff receive support and guidance to consider the needs and progress of children. Similarly, team meeting records demonstrate that staff are reflecting on their practice and the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers work proactively with other agencies and families. Feedback from professionals and parents about leaders and staff is positive. Strong joint working with a team of relevant professionals ensures that children receive well-coordinated care and support. Inspection report children's home: SC443337 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, 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 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 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

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)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they monitor and review the quality of care provided to children and take effective action to address shortfalls in practice. Leaders and managers must ensure that all staff undertake training that helps them to meet the needs of the children in their care. 29 November 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. 29 November 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC443337 6 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;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child's welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home's child protection policies;

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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)(a)(i)(v)(vi)(vii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the home’s environment is safe for children by ensuring that staff take adequate precautions against fire such as regular fire alarm tests and fire drills in line with the home’s policy and procedure.

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child is only permitted for the purpose of preventing—

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Requirement Due date

injury to any person (including the child);

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Requirement Due date

serious damage to the property of any person (including the child); or

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Requirement Due date

Restraint in relation to a child must be necessary and proportionate. (Regulation 20(1)(a)(b)(2))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that staff understand restraint procedures and when it may be permitted. Leaders and managers must ensure that restraint incidents are appropriately monitored and take effective actions to address any shortfalls in staff practice. 29 November 2024 Inspection report children's home: SC443337 7

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that any searches of children’s bedrooms are carried out sensitively and that staff are clear about when they should carry out searches. If bedroom searches are undertaken, they must be appropriately recorded, including the reasons for the search, and management oversight and actions taken following searches. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 16, paragraph 3.20)  The registered person should ensure that they continue to repair all areas of the home's interior. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that the home's workforce plan clearly sets out the procedures for staff induction, probation, time scales for supervision and the process for managing and improving poor performance. It should include any new training and qualifications completed by staff, including the registered manager, as well

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Recommendations

as identifying any gaps in training and professional development. ('Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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Information about this inspection

Inspector has 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 children's home: SC443337 8

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Children's home details

Registered provider address: 3rd Floor, 145 King Street, London, W6 9XY

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Inspector

Dorothy Thompstone, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children's home: SC443337 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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