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

Unique reference number SC032502 Inspector Anthony Kyem Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person The London Borough of Hillingdon Registered person address Childcare and Early Years Service 4E/02 Civic Centre, High Street Uxbridge Middlesex UB8 1UW Responsible individual Merlin Joseph Registered manager Marjorie Lois Reid Date of last inspection 26/03/2014 2 of 10 Inspection date 11/12/2014

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care outstanding Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management good

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Overall effectiveness

The home mainly provides care, accommodation and support to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. A culturally diverse staff team is employed to meet the diverse needs of individual young people. Young people make considerable progress in relation to their individual starting points across all aspects of their welfare, physical, emotional, social and behavioural development. The progress young people make is underpinned by effective, high quality support from staff, who have sufficient qualifications, training and relevant experience.

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Overall effectiveness

Care planning and practice is highly personalised to meet the needs of individual young people. Young people views about their care and their relationships with staff, are consistently positive. Young people report, 'I like it. The placements really good. Everything's good. Schools good, if I need help staff are there to support me.'

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Overall effectiveness

Young people benefit from very well planned, highly individualised care, that promotes their needs effectively. The progress young people make and the outcomes they achieve, are exceptionally positive. Young people enjoy exceptionally good relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. Young people's needs and views are central to all aspects of how the home operates and develops its practice. Young people are routinely involved in key decisions so they can influence all aspects of their care and support. 3 of 10 Young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. Leaders and managers make good use of the home's monitoring activities to promote and improve the quality of young people's care. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of the home's strengths and they tackle identified weaknesses to secure, the home's improvement.

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Overall effectiveness

There are no breaches in regulations or failures to meet the national minimum standards that impact negatively on the welfare or safety of young people. Young people are kept safe and have a strong sense of personal safety.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of this inspection, there are a small number of recommendations made. These relate to improved arrangements for the safety of the external premises, ensuring domestic staff have sufficient knowledge of child protection procedures and young people have access to working personal computers. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This is a children's home which is run by a local authority. It provides care for up to 13 children who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/03/2014 Interim good progress 24/04/2013 Full good 02/01/2013 Interim good progress 26/06/2012 Full good

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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 young people's safety and welfare is promoted in the home. This relates to domestic staff being trained in child protection and whistle blowing procedures (NMS 4.1)  ensure young people have access to a range of educational resources to support their learning and have opportunities beyond the school day to engage in activities which promote their learning. This relates specifically to providing young people with access to working personal computers (NMS 8.2)  ensure the home's location and design promotes young people's health, safety and well being. This relates specifically to making the weathered trampoline safe and fit for purpose or removing it. (NMS 10.2) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The progress young people make and the outcomes they achieve are exceptionally positive. Young people make good progress to develop a positive self-view and emotional resilience. They benefit from a highly supportive, caring and nurturing environment. Young people benefit specialist support to enable them to overcome their traumatic experiences and staff help them to rebuild their lives and plan for the future.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people report, 'The staff help me a lot. In my country I did not clean my clothes, my mother did this for me. Here they teach me a lot, how to use the bus, wash my clothes and things like that. It's very good, they do so much for me...I like it here. I have no problem with them.'

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Staff utilise the services of trained counsellors and translators to support and communicate with young people. This enables staff to develop a positive understanding of young people's needs, backgrounds and histories. Young people benefit effective care, support and protection to promote their attachments, safety and sense of belonging.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

An ex resident reports, 'Thank you for what you have done for me. Words cannot describe what I feel for you guys. I won't forget anyone and you never forget me…One day I’ll be back, don’t worry. I love staff and young people.'

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are registered with doctors, dentists and opticians and they have prompt access to these services, when they need them. Young people benefit from specialist care and support to promote their physical, emotional and psychological well- being. Young people lead and maintain a healthy lifestyle and they are taught about key health issues so they take responsibility for their own health. Young people's medication is stored and administered safely, by trained and competent staff.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make a positive contribution to the home and the wider community. They benefit from positive activities to promote their confidence, interests, social skills and hobbies. However, young people miss using the home's personal computers and find the lack of availability frustrating. Young people attend a wide range of community based activities, such as mosques, churches and local support groups. Consequently, they have access to and attend places of particular interest to them.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The home promotes contact for young people so they can maintain their close relationships with the people who are most important to them. Staff understand what decisions about contact are delegated to them and where safeguarding restrictions apply, to promote the safety of young people. 6 of 10 Young people are allowed to take appropriate risks to promote their growth and natural development, they engage in training and education to improve their outcomes and life chances. Young people develop practical skills to promote their readiness for independence; learning English as a second language helps them to make positive progress across all aspects of their lives.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff and they sustain their positive attachments. Staff promote the diverse needs of young people. Young people make friendships and are accepting and understanding of the needs of other young people. Young people know how to make a complaint and their rights are championed effectively.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people's needs and views are central to all aspects of how the home operates and develops its practice. Their views, wishes and opinions are actively sought so they can influence all aspects of their care and support. Staff work positively and proactively with young people and other professionals, to promote the continuing development and progress of young people.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from very well planned, highly personalised care, that promotes their needs effectively. Young people's needs arising from gender, personal identity, disability, race, religion, culture, sexuality and ethnicity, are all positively identified and met in both care planning and daily living. Consequently, the full spectrum of young people's diverse needs are met, comprehensively.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people benefit from a healthy environment that promotes their physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Young people have access to specialist support and services, such as counsellors and interpreters. Staff promote young people's education to promote positive educational outcomes for them and have consistently high aspirations for young people.

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Quality of care outstanding

Young people have exceptionally good attendance at school or alternative educational provision. The educational achievement of young people is exceptional, taking into account both their attainment and progress in relation to their individual starting points. Young people learn English to promote their skills and self- confidence. Young people value and take full advantage of the positive arrangements made to promote their learning and education.

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Quality of care outstanding

The home is consistently maintained to high quality standards for young people. Young people benefit from warm, comfortable and homely accommodation that takes account of the needs and characteristics of young people. The location of the home ensures young people can access a broad range of community resources, public transport and local amenities. 7 of 10 Staff consistently place the welfare and safety of young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges this presents. Young people do not place themselves at risk of harm or offending. Staff promote young people's safety in the home and the wider community.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Positive behaviour management strategies are consistently applied to support and protect young people. The use of clear risk assessment and proactive safe working promote the welfare and safety of young people. Staff demonstrate a positive understanding of safe working practice. They understand young people's needs and their vulnerabilities and they take appropriate action, to address them. Young people benefit from effective support and protection and are not at risk of harm.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff are clear about their safeguarding roles and responsibilities. They ensure young people are protected from abuse, trafficking and child sexual exploitation. Staff are trained in child protection so they know how to deal with allegations and report suspected abuse. However, domestic staff are not trained in child protection to ensure they are familiar with and know how to follow the home's child protection and whistle blowing procedures. A recommendation is made in respect of this issue.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Visitors to the home are chaperoned and there is suitable monitoring of such people. Staff employed to care for children are selected and vetted carefully, to protect young people from unsuitable people. Young people are kept safe and have a strong sense of personal safety.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There are effective arrangements made to promote young people's safe return, if they are missing or are absent without authority. As a result, young people benefit from effective support and protection. The frequency with which young people go missing is controlled and minimised.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff promote and encourage young people's positive behaviour. They share and implement the home's ethos, approach and philosophy, in caring for young people. Sanctions of young people are kept to an absolute minimum, when used, they are fair, reasonable and proportionate. The use of restraint is also exceptionally rare and, if used at all, is only every used to protect young people from harm. Staff are trained to manage young people's behaviours safely and effectively.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people benefit from a physically safe and appropriately secure environment. Health and safety matters are managed effectively to promote the safety of young people. Staff and young people participate in regular fire drills to ensure they are familiar with and know how to follow the home's emergency evacuation procedures. A trampoline situated in the home's external grounds has become weathered, damaged and worn. Consequently, it may pose a potential risk to young people's 8 of 10 safety. The trampoline is not in use, currently.

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Leadership and management good

The home employs a well-qualified and extremely experienced registered manager, who has been in post for a number of years. There are effective arrangements for senior staff, to deputise in the registered manager's absence to promote the smooth and efficient operations of the service. The manager exercises strong and effective leadership of the home's staff and operation.

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Leadership and management good

There were no requirements from the previous inspection. The home meets the aims and objectives of its Statement of Purpose comprehensively, in providing a high quality service for young people. There have been no complaints or concerns since the last inspection. The home has a proven track record and a positive inspection history.

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Leadership and management good

Although a written business plan is in place, this could not be accessed during this inspection. The plan is used by the manager to promote, the home's continuing development and improvement consequently young people benefit from a home that is managed efficiently and effectively. The plan will be viewed as part of the next inspection.

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Leadership and management good

Leaders and managers are energetic and ambitious about sustaining improvement. They stimulate staff's enthusiasm and they channel their efforts effectively. As a result, staff are passionate about their roles and they enjoy working with young people.

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Leadership and management good

Young people benefit from sufficient numbers of well-qualified, trained and experienced staff, who promote their needs effectively. Staff have access to high quality training to develop their knowledge, skills and professional development. Staff benefit from effective support and regular supervision from the management team.

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Leadership and management good

There are effective arrangements for monitoring the performance of the home and for reviewing the standard and quality of young people's care. Independent monitoring activities are undertaken each month and the registered manager monitors the home's administration to identify patterns and trends. These monitoring systems combined ensure the manager has a good understanding of the home's strengths and weaknesses so they can take appropriate action to secure, the home's improvement.

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Leadership and management good

Leaders and managers can demonstrate the positive difference and value the home has made to the lives of young people. The home can show how young people live 9 of 10 chances and outcomes have improved considerably.

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Leadership and management good

Significant incidents are reported to the appropriate authorities charged with a duty to protect young people to ensure appropriate action is taken, as a result of any incident. This ensures young people are adequately safeguarded. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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