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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 1 SC388991 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited Full inspection 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 two children who experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, no children were living at the home. One young person was living at the home and was spoken to during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

A manager has been in post since March 2025 and has applied to register with Ofsted. They were not present during the inspection.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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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 for children’s home: SC388991 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/07/2024 Full Good 22/08/2023 Full Good 10/01/2023 Full Good 14/09/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 3

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improvement to be good

The young person currently living in the home has lived there for over five years. Staff have encouraged the young person to remain at the home after they turned 18 so that they can complete their education and prepare for a safe return to their family home.

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improvement to be good

The risk assessment and review of the young person’s transition is poor. There are no clear arrangements for keeping in touch with the young person during visits, including overnight stays. Concerns about this transition have not been explored or escalated with the placing authority. It is also unclear whether the young person’s pathway plan has been reviewed.

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improvement to be good

The home environment is much improved. The kitchen has undergone a complete refurbishment. The young person has contributed to the home’s decor and furnishings. Managers and staff ensure that the home is well maintained. The young person now lives in a cosy and comfortable environment.

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improvement to be good

Staff use various forms of consultation with the young person. They use a digital app to help the young person express their views, wishes and feelings. However, some staff do not understand how to use it, and it is often ineffective. The young person’s views, wishes and feelings about their transition are unclear. Staff are unaware of how this may be affecting their anxiety about their future care.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff are not proactive. Advice and guidance from health professionals are not always promptly shared with staff. This could potentially affect the young person’s health and well-being. As a result, there has been a delay in the follow up of health appointments, particularly those in relation to the young person’s ongoing health condition. Furthermore, managers and staff have not followed up on referrals for specialist support. This includes advocacy and support for gambling.

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improvement to be good

The young person receives care from adults who reflect their ethnicity and culture. This helps the young person to connect with their heritage and cultural background. This also supports relationships between the young person and their family and staff.

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improvement to be good

The young person has developed some independence. They can carry out several household tasks, such as cooking and laundry. Staff understand that the young person experiences anxiety when they spend time in the community. They have supported them in using public transport. However, when the young person lost their way, staff failed to provide them with adequate support. The staff did not provide any reflection or support to help the young person understand how to prevent this situation from occurring again in the future. As a result, the young person continues to lack confidence in this area. Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 4 The young person’s education has been sporadic. This is likely due to the emotional impact on the young person of their upcoming transition. However, staff have encouraged them to retake their GCSEs. This will contribute well to their next steps when they leave the home.

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improvement to be good

The home has restrictions in place for Wi-Fi and internet use. However, measures to monitor and support the young person’s safe use of the internet are unclear. The young person does not receive consistent support around online safety. Any support is not creative, and its effectiveness is unclear.

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improvement to be good

The young person’s risk assessment contains inaccurate information. Risks have decreased since the young person has lived in the home, but some risks remain. The language used to describe risk is not reflective of the young person’s behaviour. This is oppressive. The measures intended to mitigate risk are inaccurate and are not implemented at the home; for example, the young person does not only use devices in communal areas.

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improvement to be good

Medication audits are inconsistent in quality. Staff do not always check that the young person has their medical equipment. This could compromise their health and well-being.

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improvement to be good

The appropriate authorities are still investigating an allegation. This occurred before the last inspection and relates to a child who no longer lives at the home. No complaints or allegations have occurred since the last inspection.

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improvement to be good

Children have rarely been missing from the home this inspection year. On the one occasion when a child was reported missing, staff managed this well. They followed the home’s missing-from-care protocol, and the child returned home the same day. There have been no incidents of children going missing since.

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improvement to be good

Managers generally consider external risks well. Staff take prompt action in an emergency. This was evident during a recent incident when a fire occurred in a property local to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The home has experienced some challenges since the last inspection. The previous manager has left, and a new permanent manager is in post. This has caused some instability in the staff team. As a result, the home is experiencing a period of transition. The responsible individual has taken action to change the culture in the home. Staff are now more efficient and responsive to the young person’s needs. For example, they follow the correct protocols to keep the young person safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff receive training pertinent to children’s needs and risks. However, managers do not support staff in attaining the relevant qualification within the appropriate time frame. Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 5 Three staff members have worked at the home for almost two years. Managers have only recently taken action to enrol them. As a result, not all staff have the skills they need to care for the young person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is disparity in the quality of staff supervision. Supervision with staff is thorough and reflective. However, managers' supervision is inconsistent and inaccurately recorded. The agreed actions lack clarity and do not correspond with the discussions that took place. This has led to delays in the young person’s care plan progressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Managers have tools in place to monitor the quality of children’s care. However, the new manager does not always identify the areas for improvement. Information can also be difficult to locate. Managers are taking action to improve how they store and access information. The responsible individual carries out regular audits that identify strengths and shortfalls. They contribute to the home’s quality improvement plan, and there is an action plan in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

External professionals said that they have seen improvements in communication. The home receives support from the company’s clinical team. However, staff do not implement their advice and support consistently. Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 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 health and well-being standard is that—

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Requirement Due date

the health and well-being needs of children are met;

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Requirement Due date

children receive advice, services and support in relation to their health and well-being;

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Requirement Due date

children are helped to lead healthy lifestyles.

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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

achieve the health and well-being outcomes that are recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

take part in activities, and attend any appointments, for the purpose of meeting the child’s health and well-being needs;

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Requirement Due date

understand and develop skills to promote the child’s well-being; (Regulation 10 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that professional advice and guidance about the young person’s health needs are shared promptly with staff. In addition, the registered person must ensure that follow-up actions are completed, such as appointment scheduling and referral outcomes in relation to the young person’s health and emotional well-being. 26 August 2025

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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 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 7 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;

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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

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)(ii)(v)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the young person’s risk assessment reflects their needs and risks. This includes reviewing the measures in place to ensure that they are appropriate and proportionate to the risks and assessing the young person’s time spent with people who are important to them.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that staff use supportive and creative ways to teach the young person how to stay safe online. Staff should do so routinely and consistently.

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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 (2)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must enable staff to complete their required qualification in a timely manner. Managers should have a system in place to monitor whether staff are enrolled and must take necessary and timely action when they are not. 26 August 2025

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children— 26 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 8 receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii)(iii)(d))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must escalate a review of the young person’s pathway plan. They must also ensure that regular reviews take place of the young person’s transition to live with their family. This includes a thorough and stringent risk assessment that considers the young person’s needs and vulnerabilities. Managers must promptly escalate any concerns they have about the progress of the young person’s pathway plan with the young person’s placing authority.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development;

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Requirement Due date

receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that managers receive reflective and meaningful supervision. 26 August 2025

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of obtaining the young person’s wishes and feelings. This includes understanding the methods of consultation used in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 22, paragraph 4.11) Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 9

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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: SC388991 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 5th Floor, Metropolitan House, 3 Darkes Lane, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire EN6 1AG

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Inspectors

Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Jenny Smith, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC388991 11 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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