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

Unique reference number SC062128 Inspector Angus Mackay Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person London Borough of Hounslow Registered person address Civic Centre Lampton Road HOUNSLOW TW3 4DN Responsible individual Jacqui McShannon Registered manager Susan Janet Standfield Date of last inspection 06/01/2015 2 of 8 Inspection date 18/03/2015

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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 sustained effectiveness .

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This inspection

The Registered Manager has successfully actioned the two requirements and three recommendations raised at the last inspection. In addition, the home has undergone a significant refurbishment, which has left it looking bright and indistinguishable from other houses in the street. The manager’s development plan identifies a process of continuous improvement designed to evidence and improve outcomes for young people. Most of the issues picked up during this inspection had been identified by the manager and the independent visitor and work has commenced to rectify omissions or improve working practice. Where this work has not been identified or completed, requirements or recommendations are made. The manager has extensive experience and is suitably qualified. She has a good inspection history and has always worked positively with the regulatory body and with key partners. She has created a warm and welcoming children’s home with a stable and

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This inspection

The manager has reviewed the Statement of Purpose including appropriate details on managing emergency admissions. Through her direct links to senior managers the independent visitor provides a helpful support in gaining any missing information on young people, such as review documentation or assessments. The local authority, the independent visitor and the home are working effectively to ensure that young people’s needs are known and can be effectively met. The Registered Manager has commenced a further review of the Statement of Purpose but there were a number of omissions, which had not been identified. These were discussed during the inspection and the manager incorporated them into her redraft. The young people’s guide is comprehensive and written in easy to read language, in a style which makes it interesting and engaging for young people.

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This inspection

The Registered Manager revised the record of restraint, ensuring that it includes debriefing discussions following any incident. However, the record is not contained 3 of 8 in either, a bound and numbered log book, or safely encrypted computer record. There have been no restraints since the last inspection due to the effective management of incidents in the home. Staff are trained in dealing with difficult behaviour and are confident in these situations. One senior member of staff said: ‘It all comes down to the quality of our relationships with the young people. We are able to defuse situations and manage them without the use of restraint.’ The incorrectly formatted record has low impact due to the lack of restraints since the last inspection but is required to ensure that any future incidents are correctly and suitably recorded.

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This inspection

The home has monthly monitoring visits from an independent visitor and supplies the reports to Ofsted. Previously these reports were not sufficiently detailed and were not submitted in a timely manner. Recent reports have been modified to contain a detailed and helpful commentary on the conduct of the home and are supplied in the month following the visit. The manager makes good use of these rigorous reports ensuring that actions are completed prior to the next inspection. The visitor often attends more than once a month to ensure that she dedicates time to the young people. This allows them a significant voice on their own care. The resulting reports contain detailed feedback from young people and are an effective additional safeguard for them.

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This inspection

The manager maintains a basic development plan for the home and monitors progress through her own internal monitoring. The report contains significant detail but lacks sufficient evaluation of information and does not reflect the manager’s sound understanding of the patterns of behaviour and interventions made by staff.

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This inspection

Young people and staff understand the rewards and sanctions within the home. During interviews, young people were able to describe the rewards system more clearly than the written guidance does. The independent visitor has suggested that young people are involved in any redrafting. Young people understand the complaints procedure and other means of influencing the practice in the home. They explained in detail how they can influence decisions in the home, including through their weekly house meetings. One young person said: ‘We do have successful outcomes from requests at the meetings. If we are sensible and our requests are reasonable they say yes. The rules are alright.’

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This inspection

The manager has completed an audit of all staff files following gaps in information being identified by the independent visitor. Files selected at random during the inspection were up to date and held all relevant information. The local authority have a policy of renewing disclosure and barring service checks, every three years, and where these were overdue applications have now been made. Formal staff development is regular and effective with all staff receiving monthly supervision, extensive training opportunities and annual appraisals. The training programme provides staff with excellent ongoing education including a range of child protection and safeguarding courses. Recently, a number of staff have successfully completed training in specialised safeguarding issues pertinent to the young people and risks in 4 of 8 the broader community. These courses have included: prevention of radicalisation; sexual exploitation; female genital mutilation and gang influences. Young people say

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This inspection

that staff use their training and experience to aid in keeping them safe. One young person outlined a discussion staff had with them about a high profile enquiry and issues relevant to them in the home. The home follow locally agreed reporting procedures when any incident, disclosure or allegation occurs. One social worker commented that the home had followed up and acted promptly in line with local procedures in responding to a recent allegation. Staff application of training and local guidelines ensures that young people are appropriately supported and safeguarded in the home.

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This inspection

Young people’s files are all up to date and include previously identified medical plans and immunisation records. The rigorous scrutiny of files by the independent visitor and the manager’s own monitoring ensures that gaps or weaknesses in recording are identified. The manager has identified a need to improve the recording of progress young people make in the home. During the inspection, the staff team were receiving training on a model designed to aid their recording of progress young people make. The home does produce monthly reports on young people, including a record of attendance at school and compliance with house rules. In addition, all young people have risk assessments and behaviour support plans. However, the manager recognises that staff do not use these effectively to evidence progress for young people from their starting points. The manager has identified this as a key priority for the home in her development plan to ensure that staff interventions

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This inspection

remain focused on current issues for young people.

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This inspection

Young people enjoy living in the home, one said: ‘It is really quite homely here. Staff are really good and you can have a laugh with them. They know when to be serious though. My key worker really sticks by me when things go wrong. He will stay in his own time; he goes out of his way to help me.’

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This inspection

The home is pleasantly decorated and internal and external finishes are of a high standard. Young people love their rooms and say they have them as they want them.

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This inspection

Previous residents are welcomed back and one called in during the inspection. He had travelled from the other side of London to visit. He said of the home: ‘Being here fixed up my life. It really helped me, my life was going down and I was in trouble but the home really turned things around for me.’ Young people commented positively on their safety in the home and the good relationships they have with each other and with staff. One young person said: ‘It is a safe place. They talk to us about staying safe in the community. I do not go missing, there is no need to, I can arrange time out with staff.’

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This inspection

Most young people make good progress in the home and staff provide excellent support to any young people who struggle to progress. One social worker commented on this saying: ‘They know the young person well, even though ... does 5 of 8 not fully engage with what they offer.’ Most young people have excellent attendance at school or college and are making significant progress there. One young person said: ‘I get good support from staff with my school attendance. At my last place my attendance was terrible, it has improved massively. I now I go in every day and am doing exams and expect I will do pretty well.’ One social worker said, ‘Communication and partnership working is very positive. The young person has made progress with her apprenticeship and is supported well, by staff. The young person is more confident since being there.’

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This inspection

The manager has completed a review of the appropriateness and suitability of the location of the home. She sought information from a suitable range of local bodies and significant partner agencies. The manager has commenced a further review of this to be completed in the coming year. The review includes more information on local resources and facilities, which reinforce the appropriateness of the home’s location.

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This inspection

The manager has built up good relationships with partner organisations and contributes fully to working parties and relevant committees within the local authority. One team manager stated that the partnership working with other professionals is very good, such as the looked after children psychologist and the local youth centre.

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This inspection

The home maintains a safe environment through regular checking of health and safety issues; excellent maintenance work provides a well looked after environment for young people. However, the fire risk assessment does not clearly address the overnight locking of external doors. 6 of 8

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Information about this children’s home

The children's home is registered to care for up to six young people aged between 12 and 17 years for assessments. The home is owned and operated by a local authority.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/01/2015 Full good 13/03/2014 Interim good progress 12/08/2013 Full good 20/03/2013 Interim good 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) compile a written statement referred to as the statement of purpose which shall include all of the matters listed in Schedule 1 (Regulation 4 (1) Schedule 1) 30/04/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose of which shall include the information set out in pargraphs (a)to (i) (Regulation 17B (3)(a)-(i)) 30/06/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the requirements of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. ( Regulation 32 (1A)(b)) 30/06/2015 7 of 8

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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 there are clear and effective procedures for monitoring and controlling the activities of the home that include sufficient evaluation and action to enable the home to improve, in particular in the manager's monitoring reports (NMS 21.1)  ensure the home regularly reviews incidents of challenging behaviour and examines trends or issues emerging from this, to enable staff to reflect and learn to inform future practice, in particular to update risk assessments and behaviour support plans. ( NMS 3.21) 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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