Children's Home run by London Borough of Hounslow in Hounslow

Unique reference number SC032600 Inspection date 11/04/2013 Inspector Muhammed Harunur Rashid Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/12/2012 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Brief description of the service

This short-breaks service provides care for up to five children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and a sensory impairment. The home is owned by the local authority. The service operates every day, except Wednesdays.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

The children and young people using this short breaks service have a wide and diverse range of complex needs, including communication difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and sensory impairments. The service provides a well-balanced, integrated, short-duration care experience, through which children and young people's personal, social and behavioural abilities are positively developed over time. Children and young people confirm that they live in a safe environment and staff are always concerned for their welfare. Children, young people and their parents have positive views about the quality of care in the home and their relationships with staff. Parents say that their children make good progress in many areas, such as developing various personal and social skills. Staff are able to communicate effectively with disabled children and young people who have communication difficulties. The staff team is stable and well qualified. They are well

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Overall effectiveness

supported by the qualified and experienced managers. The service is well resourced to meet disabled children and young people's complex individual needs.

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Overall effectiveness

To further improve the service must ensure that, where practicable, children are consulted over staff recruitment and their key working session minutes are recorded.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that children are involved in the recruitment of staff in the home (NMS 16.8)  ensure that there is a system in place to monitor the quality and adequacy of record keeping in relation to children and young people's key working session minutes. ( NMS 22.1)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people benefit from individualised care, enabling them to feel secure and achieve the best possible outcomes. This is consistent with their care plans. Individual targets are set out in care plans and these are well worked towards and reached.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people enjoy a positive experience while away from their home. They benefit from having contact with peers in a social setting. Through mixing with adults other than family members children and young people develop a better understanding of interacting with others and how to develop social relationships.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people who are unable to communicate verbally make good progress. They are able to communicate with peers and staff through various communication methods; for example, through using, Makaton.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people benefit from a broad selection of games and relaxation activities that are personalised to meet their individual needs. Disabled children have various opportunities to take part in a wide range of activities which combine their sensory and physical needs with fun and relaxation. They enjoy using a sunken trampoline, a wheelchair swing and a round-a-bout. A sensory garden area provides more of a sensory focus and benefits from a water features, wind chimes and sensory planting. They also have opportunities to visit the seaside, wild life parks, museums and various other places they are interested in.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people are encouraged and supported to make decisions about their lives in day-to-day matters, and to influence the way the home is run. For example, children and young people are consulted about their leisure activities, outings and menu planning.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Children and young people’s health care needs are well identified and met in accordance with their health care plans. Children and young people benefit from a healthy and varied diet. They are encouraged to live a healthy lifestyle with plenty of activities which involve physical exercise.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Most of the children and young people attend special schools during their stays at the short-break service. Young people benefit from effective help in learning important skills; for example, developing self-care skills and learning how to shop for and prepare and cook a meal.

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Quality of care

Children and young people who come to use this short-break service are fully supported during the admission process and when leaving the home. Introductions to the short-break service are carried out over a period of time suited to the child or young person. This process starts with a visit with parents or school staff and gradually building up to overnight stays. Staff carefully consider the group dynamics when undertaking the booking process to ensure children and young people get along well together.

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Quality of care

Children and young people receive individualised care from a caring and experienced staff team. Comprehensively devised short-break care plans meet their diverse and complex needs. Individual needs, including cultural and religious backgrounds, are carefully considered as part of their care plan. Care planning takes into account how families care for their children and their routine at home. This ensures that children and young people benefit from continuity of care during their short breaks.

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Quality of care

The home recognises the importance of involving children and young people in its day-to-day running and in decision making processes. Staff use various communication methods to seek the views of children and young people who have communication difficulties. Interactions between staff, children and young people are genuinely warm and relationships are valued. Staff encourage children, young people and their families to complete user satisfaction questionnaires which are used to improve the service they offer. A parent says that since her son come to this short- break service she has seen changes on him. She said, ‘he is a lot calmer and has learnt to do a lot of things himself. He is enjoys coming to this service.’

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Quality of care

Parents retain overall responsibility for the children’s health care as part of the shared care arrangements. Staff work well in partnership with families to ensure that children and young people receive good continuous health care. There are good, well-kept records of young people’s health needs and required support. This helps staff work effectively with parents and health workers to ensure young people’s health is promoted and protected. Staff have a good knowledge of children and young people’s disabilities and understand the difficulties they have with eating; they work closely with health professionals who provide advice and support.

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Quality of care

Staff encourage and support children and young people to attend schools during their short-breaks at the home. The home liaises closely with their schools regarding their care and strives to support them to achieve and reach their potential. The facilities at the home are conducive for study. Children and young people are provided with computers and various learning aids for promoting education. A range of purposeful and enjoyable activities are provided in the service. For example, interactive activities in the sensory room, relaxing in the sensory garden and doing painting, drawing, crafts and building toys. These encourage children's engagement and the development of their communication and social skills as well as supporting their physical and emotional well-being.

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Quality of care

There is an appropriate complaints policy and procedure in place, which children, young people and their families have access to. However, the home has not received any complaints since the last inspection.

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Quality of care

The home is appropriately located, designed and maintained. Excellent facilities are provided to meet the physical needs of disabled children and young people. Staff are provided with training to competently use all of the mechanical equipment, such as the hoists. Disabled children have easy access to the premises.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Children and young people stay at a home where staff provide a nurturing, stable and safe environment. Children and young people spoken to said they live in a safe environment. There are no issues of bullying at the home. The short-break service has clear systems in place that safeguard the children and young people from abuse. Training is available for staff on safeguarding children and young people and this training is focused on safeguarding children with disabilities. Staff protect young people through their knowledge and understanding of safeguarding and anti-bullying issues and by following the robust procedures. There is a system in place to notify appropriate authorities, including Ofsted, of the occurrence of significant events.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Each child and young person has an individual risk assessment in relation to their behavioural needs and behaviour management plans form part of their short-break care plan. Behaviour strategies are developed with input from a multi-disciplinary team. Evidence shows that staff have not applied any physical interventions since the last inspection. However, they are provided with challenging behaviour training.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The high levels of security and supervision are in place help eliminate the risk of children and young people going missing. However, an appropriate policy is in place for dealing with unauthorised absence from care.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff are vetted before starting to work with children and young people in the home. They are recruited in accordance with the recruitment policy and procedure of the local authority so as to protect vulnerable children and young people. The home has recruited a new assistant manager since the last inspection. However, children are yet to get involved in the recruitment of staff in the home.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Staff have completed health and safety training. They take necessary action to keep children and young people and themselves safe from the risk of fire and hazards. Staff carry out regular fire alarm testing and fire drills. A risk assessment of the premises is completed. All safety checks to maintain a safe environment are regularly undertaken.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home has a well written Statement of Purpose that reflects its practice and function. Children, young people, parents, staff and the placing authority are clear about the aims and objectives of the home. Children and young people are provided with a user-friendly children’s guide. The commitment to promoting equality and diversity is explicit in this information. Staff provide a service tailored to meet the specific individual needs of children and young people that takes into account all aspects of diversity. Staff are well equipped to meet children and young people’s holistic needs. Staff encourage and support children and young people to make personal choices and to access community resources.

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Leadership and management

The service is well managed by joint Registered Managers who share responsibilities between themselves and are ably supported by two assistant managers. The management team is well qualified and experienced in various child care settings. Training opportunities for updating the professional development of staff are good. Staff receive high quality training to enhance their individual skills to meet disabled children’s complex care needs. All care staff have completed their National Vocational Qualification at level 3.

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Leadership and management

The home is well resourced and has a comprehensive business plan that ensures the continual improvement of the service. Effective registered provider monitoring visits are carried out on a monthly basis. Registered Managers assesses the quality of care through effectively monitoring the matters they required to. However, there is a need of monitoring the quality and adequacy of record keeping in relation to children’s key working session minutes.

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Leadership and management

Daily handovers and shift plans enable the staff to plan shifts effectively. Regular staff meetings take place which promotes good communication between the staff team. All staff receive regular supervision and appraisals.

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Leadership and management

Children and young people benefit from being looked after by a caring and experienced staff team. The staffing levels at the home are high and this meets the high dependency needs of children and young people. Registered Managers review staffing levels in accordance with children and young people’s overall needs.

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Leadership and management

The service has acted upon a previous requirement and recommendations. The restraint log book has been amended and includes whether or not a child or young person has sustained an injury or whether they had been given opportunity to raise any concerns. A pictorial version of children’s guide has been developed. Reports compiled under regulation 34 are sent to Ofsted as required and a comprehensive business plan has been devised and identifies any planned changes in the operation of or resources to the home.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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