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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 1 SC458028 Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A large national organisation runs this home. It provides care for up to three children aged between eight and 18 who may experience social and emotional difficulties. At the time of this inspection, three children were living at the home. Two of the children were spoken with during the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager is in the process of registering with Ofsted.

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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

Date of last inspection: 16 October 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/10/2024 Full Outstanding 04/07/2023 Full Good 24/01/2023 Full Good 19/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The premises provide a comfortable and welcoming environment that closely resembles a family home. The home is thoughtfully furnished with an abundant selection of games and books, creating a space that encourages play, learning and relaxation. Each child’s bedroom features personalised touches that reflect their individual interests and identities. These elements contribute to children feeling settled, secure and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good progress, particularly in education and independence. Staff work effectively to help children nearing adulthood move on. Staff also advocate strongly to ensure that any move is done at the child’s pace and that they are emotionally, as well as practically, ready.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from a wide variety of activities, supported by staff who understand their particular interests and needs. Those children who need meaningful engagement to help them to focus and be calm are kept constructively occupied. This leads to a noticeable avoidance of behavioural incidents.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff make effective use of regular reflective sessions with the in-house clinician, using clinical insight to tailor their support. This promotes the children’s emotional well-being and behavioural development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move in, staff respond with sensitivity, helping to make them feel welcome and supported. Leaders and managers from across the organisation ensure there is management oversight, even when the home’s manager cannot be present. This provides additional support to the staff team, ensuring continuity of care and a stable environment during this important transition period.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children move out of the home, there is generally good preparation. For children who have moved out since the last inspection, there was insufficient time for preparation. On one occasion, despite the unexpected nature of this move, staff consistently prioritised children’s safety and maintained positive relationships throughout. Transitions have been successful and led to positive outcomes for children. These reflect the team’s commitment to supporting children through complex situations with care and persistence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

On one occasion, a child moved in without a fire drill being practised. This reduced the opportunity for staff to be reassured that all children understand what to do in the event of a fire.

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

Staff understand children’s risks and vulnerabilities. The good-quality risk assessments are regularly updated and reviewed following incidents. Incidents are low level and Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 4 successfully deescalated by staff using agreed strategies. There have been no occasions when staff have needed to hold children to keep them or others safe. This demonstrates the staff’s skills and the positive relationships between the adults and children.

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

A recommendation made at the last inspection has been addressed. Following improvements, children’s behavioural incidents link to proportionate and time-limited consequences.

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

Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of the impact of disrupted family relationships. They recognise the absence of family connections for some children. The staff make consistent efforts to maintain and strengthen other professional relationships that are important to children. This approach reflects an awareness of the emotional significance of stable, trusting connections.

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

Children benefit from regular key-work sessions. Staff take every opportunity to have focused conversations with the children. These conversations relate to children’s vulnerabilities, and the objectives in their plans. The consistent approach from staff helps children start to understand their behaviours and take steps to make changes that help them to be safer and more settled.

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

Staff generally take effective action to locate and safely return children when they go missing from the home. Clear plans are in place and consistently followed. These demonstrate a proactive and coordinated approach to safeguarding. However, one child moved in without a photo picture to create a protocol for the child. This means staff did not have everything they need in this situation and could hamper attempts to locate the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a change of manager since the last inspection. The gradual introduction of the new manager has successfully minimised any uncertainty and instability that could have been triggered. Staff and professionals have said how well the handover was managed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager recognises the importance of consistency for the children. Any changes she wants to implement are being completed in a considered and sensitive way. She has a programme of improvements for the upcoming period and has consulted with staff and children in drawing up her plans.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Education and social care professionals praise the level of communication from managers. They highlight strong collaborative practice. Well-attended meetings also reflect consistent joint working to explore and understand children’s risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The relationships that have been forged between leaders and managers, staff and families are a strength of the home. This is in addition to the trusted relationships between staff and children. One parent said that he was frequently involved in parenting Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 5 decisions about his child, which helped to support the goal of a successful move home to family.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff complete appropriate training and benefit from regular supervision sessions to support their professional development. Staff training equips them well for their roles. Well-organised staff meetings consistently provide valuable opportunities for discussion and reflection on the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s written records are regularly maintained. However, one child’s statutory documentation had not been provided to staff by the placing authority. Leaders and managers have escalated this without success. The escalation process would benefit from strengthening to make it more effective.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Overall, the new manager has made a positive start and the staff are supportive. Her focus on the well-being of the children continues a culture that was already child focused and nurturing. There is a strong sense of team identity, and staff speak positively about their colleagues and the supportive culture at the home. One member of staff summed this up by saying, ‘People are what makes it a home.’ The children do well within this culture and make steady progress, and make a successful return to families where this is safe to pursue. Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that where the placing authority or another relevant person does not provide the input and services needed to meet a child’s needs during their time in the home or in preparation for leaving the home, the home must challenge them effectively to meet the child’s needs (see regulations 5(c)). This includes non-provision of statutory documentation. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 12, paragraph 2.8)  The registered person should ensure that children feel safe and be safe. Staff should support children to be aware of and manage their own safety both inside and outside the home to the extent that any good parent would. Staff should help children to understand how to protect themselves, feel protected and be protected from significant harm. This includes ensuring that children know what to do in the event of a fire through participation in fire drills. Records of these drills should make it clear

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Recommendations

who has and who has not participated (both staff and children) to ensure everyone knows what to do in the event of a fire. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.9)  The registered person should specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from the home without permission, and how staff should support the child on return to the home. The home’s procedures must take into account the views and requirements of appropriate local services (such as a current image of the child) and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing person’s incidents in the area where the home is located. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraphs 9.28 and 9.29)

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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: SC458028 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Cambian Childcare Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 4th Floor, Parkview, 82 Oxford Road, Uxbridge UB8 1UX

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Inspector

Rachel Ruth, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC458028 8 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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