Children's Home run by Westgate Lifestyle Project Limited in Hounslow

Unique reference number SC409851 Inspector Jamie Richardson Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered manager Deloris Ionie Palmer Date of last inspection 24/09/2014 2 of 6 Inspection date 13/02/2015

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Previous inspection good Enforcement action since last inspection none

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This inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has declined in effectiveness .

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This inspection

At the last inspection the overall effectiveness was judged as good. At this inspection the home has declined in effectiveness.

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This inspection

A recommendation was set at previous inspection to ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment which is well maintained. This has not been fully met and has been re issued at this inspection. Work has started with the replacement of the office and hallway floor. A new bathroom downstairs has also been completed but damage to equipment, furniture and fixtures have not been attended to. One young person commented, `It takes so long to fix anything; my door is broken, it’s been ages now.’ There are also holes in the garden fence and a pile of cigarette ends near the door. This does not convey to young people that they are valued. It does not promote their sense of value or belonging or give them positive standards to aspire to.

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This inspection

A number of additional shortfalls are identified. Significant changes in the staff team have occurred since the last inspection. This has left the team short of qualified staff. Out of 8 staff only 3 have attained their childcare diploma. A number of shifts have no qualified staff on duty. This means that, at these times, young people are looked after by staff who do not have the necessary skills to meet their complex and challenging needs.

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This inspection

Significant events and complaints are not consistently recorded. This makes it difficult to see how young people have been safeguarded. The home has not notified Ofsted about a significant event. This limits the Regulator’s ability to fulfil its duties to safeguard children should that be necessary.

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This inspection

The home's Statement of Purpose is not up to date. It has not been reviewed and amended when changes have occurred. This does not give parents and stakeholders 3 of 6 an accurate reflection of the running of the home Monitoring of the home is not robust. The independent visitor does not routinely take into account the views of parents or relatives. This does not help the visitor to form a view about whether children are safeguarded and their welfare promoted. The manager’s monitoring does not fully evaluate the running of the home and fails to identify the shortfalls highlighted in this report. This potentially hinders the manager’s ability to identify safeguarding issues and the strengths and weakness of this service.

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This inspection

Transition plans are in place to support young people who have recently left the home. This has given them focused support in their journey to independence.

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This inspection

Some young people have access to college courses. Their attendance is varied and slow progress is made. Young people who find it hard to access education participate in independence work programmes and contribute to this by setting their own goals. They work on tasks such as cooking, budgeting and attending appointments. This helps to prepare them for their transition to independence. 4 of 6

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Information about this children’s home

This children's home is registered to care for up to four young people. The home is owned and operated by a private provider.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/09/2014 Full good 16/01/2014 Interim inadequate progress 15/07/2013 Full good 13/03/2013 Interim inadequate progress

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure that the children’s home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its Statement of Purpose (Regulation 4 ). This is specifically in relation to staffing and qualifications 13/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

5 (2001) ensure the statement of purpose and children’s guide is (a) kept under review and, where appropriate revise the statement of purpose and the children’s guide (Regulation 5 (a)) 13/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 24 (5)) 13/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, having regard to a) the size of the children’s home, the statement of purpose, and the numbers and needs (including any needs arising from any disability) of the children accommodated there a sufficient number of suitably 13/03/2015 5 of 6 qualified, competent and experienced person working at the children’s home (Regulation 25 (1))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that if, in relation to a children’s home, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the person indicated in the respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30 (1)) 13/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the independent person, when carrying out a visit, shall interview, with their consent and in private, such of the children accommodated there, their parents, relatives and persons working at the children’s home as appears necessary in order to inform an opinion as to whether (i) children accommodated at the children’s home are effectively safeguarded ( Regulation 33 (8)(a)) 13/03/2015

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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 the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Avoidable hazards are removed as is consistent with a domestic setting. Risk reduction does not lead to an institutional feel.(NMS 10.3) Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Recommendations

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What inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspections we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection.

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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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