Children's Home run by Anna House Limited in Havering

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

Children thrive within a home which positively promotes their abilities and enables them to grow as individuals. All children are making continued progress in relation to their starting points. They are calmer, have greater concentration, communication, social and independence skills Care planning embraces the new quality standards. Individualised picture exchange communication systems further extends children’s communication. The introduction of daily structured routines for each child provides a more meaningful leisure experience for them. This involves making learning fun and incorporating children’s individual preferences. Children benefit from good educational outcomes. The close working relationships with schools promotes good continuity of care and learning. Children receive numerous certificates from school in recognition of their progress. The home also hold their own annual achievement ceremony for

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The children's home provision is good because:

children. Children’s intellectual capacity increases due to the home’s practice of daily reading to children. Children are learning the importance of social etiquette and acceptable behaviour. They are responding to clear boundaries and staff demonstrate an awareness of each child’s triggers. Children receive good continuity of care from a stable, culturally diverse, multi lingual staff team. The staffing levels are very high and staff have extensive experience in caring for children in a variety of settings. The strong management structure includes a deputy manager and senior support workers. Leaders and managers have embraced the spirit of the new regulations and the need to be more aspirational for children. The home benefits from the expertise of a highly experienced consultant with substantial regulatory experience. This individual has been instrumental in the home’s renewed commitment to driving

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered provider must 2(g) demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on- (i) research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

{an asterisk is added in the table above where Compliance = 'Y'} * These requirements are subject to statutory requirement notice.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  provide life story work to enable children to understand who they are and where they come from (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 16 paragraph 3.14)  increase staff skills in the management of sexualised behaviour (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 39 paragraph 8.14)  support staff to be ambitious for every child and gain skills and experience that enable them to actively support each child to achieve their potential (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 52 paragraph 10.5)  ensure appraisals take into account were appropriate the views of other professionals (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61 paragraph 13.5)

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Information about this children's home

This privately operated children's home provides respite and long term care for up to six children and young people with physical and learning disabilities. Staff are able to care for children with challenging behaviour, those who require gastronomy or nasal feeding, and children born with specific and rare disorders including HIV. They are also able to care for children with global delay, Down’s syndrome, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Asperger’s syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, autism, communication difficulties and a hearing or visual loss. The home is able to provide care for young people over the age of 18 provided they are in the minority.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

26/01/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

15/01/2014 CH - Interim Satisfactory Progress

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good

Children thrive within a home which positively promotes their abilities and enables them to grow as individuals. All children are making continued progress in relation to their starting points. They are calmer, have greater concentration, communication, social and independence skills. Professionals highlight that children are ‘very happy’, ‘very relaxed’ and ‘even more vocal’. The home fulfils its statement of purpose through providing ‘a warm, friendly and caring environment’. Group living promotes a homely environment. Siblings are able to live together and a very small number of children have regular respite at the home. Professionals remark that children quickly settle at the home. Young people aged over 18, are also able to continue receiving a service due to the conditions of registration. The latter is a valued comfort for families and promotes excellent continuity of care.

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good

Care planning embraces the new quality standards and staff highlight their ultimate aim is to help children ‘reach their full potential’. The home aims to provide ‘positive parenting’ and the individualised care planning system enables them to fulfil this role. Children benefit from their own key-worker, whom they choose based on the quality of their relationship. Key-workers strongly advocate for children, promoting their rights and enhancing their lives. Staff highlight that children have ‘more of a voice’. Individualised picture exchange communication systems further extend their communication skills. Pictorial plans enable children to further explain their diverse cultural needs. Children understand how to complain and contact Childline, as this information is also available in a pictorial format.

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good

Children learn to appreciate other cultures through their international menus. The culturally diverse staff team are also able to cook traditional meals which promote their heritage. Children are able to practise their faith; this includes attending places of worship. In-house activities also promote religious and secular festivals, which broadens children’s appreciation of our diverse society. Children extend their social awareness through watching the news, which increases their understanding of current affairs. Staff challenge any sexist attitudes and help them develop respect for others. Professionals positively comment on the ‘good relationships’ children have with their ‘peer group and staff’.

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good

Children enjoy similar activities to their peers, going to the cinema, bowling, visiting adventure play areas, parks and fun fairs. The provision of two minibuses further expands their access to the local community and further afield. Children are looking forward to their forthcoming holiday to a countryside venue which caters specifically for disabled children. The introduction of daily structured routines for each child provides a more meaningful leisure experience for them. This involves making learning fun and incorporating children’s individual preferences. It also provides an avenue for children’s creativity. A good example of the latter is their art work, which is proudly displayed in the lounge. Children positively use information technology through using tablets to play games and listening to their favourite pop stars on the internet.

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good

Children benefit from good educational outcomes. School attendance is very high and the close relationships with schools promote good continuity of care and learning. An excellent example of this is the school working in partnership with staff, helping a child transition into the home. Staff also visit schools to gain a greater understanding of children’s needs. Staff also benefit from training provided by the school. Placing authorities encourage the home to nominate children for achievement awards. Children receive numerous certificates from school in recognition of their progress. The home also holds its own annual achievement ceremony for children. Children’s intellectual capacity increases from the home’s practice of daily reading to children. The home offers them an opportunity to learn in a nurturing, relaxing environment.

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good

Children have improved outcomes in relation to their physical and emotional health. Social workers highlight the home’s ability to meet ‘multiple and complex care needs’. Staff receive ongoing training to manage a wide range of health needs and lifelong conditions. Staff undertake the necessary physiotherapy exercises with children. Arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective. Children living with epilepsy benefit from a decrease in seizures. Children who have a history of excessive hospital admissions also enjoy significantly more stable health. The strong relationships with health professionals further contribute to the good health outcomes. Nurses highlight that staff are ‘great’, a good example of their dedication is staying with children throughout their hospital admissions. This around the clock care provides the care and assurance children need during difficult times.

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good

Children are growing in confidence and their independence is promoted, wherever, possible. Children are developing self-care skills; they assist with shopping and help to pay for items which increase their budgeting and money management skills. The home positively promotes contact, enabling children to maintain a relationship with their relatives. Staff work with relatives in a constructive manner, sensitively promoting each child’s best interests. Staff help relatives to see residential care as a positive option, an example of this is requesting social work input to help relatives with this adjustment.

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good

Staff understand the importance of life story work and there are plans to introduce scrap books to help document children’s memories. Children could further benefit from work to understand who they are and where they come from. This would further enhance their self-view and self- identity. Judgement grade

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good

The home provides a safe and suitably maintained environment for children. Communal areas include a television lounge and dining area where they socialise together. The garden offers them an opportunity to exercise on the trampoline or the gym equipment. Children’s rooms are furnished and accessorised to meet their individual needs. This includes specialist beds, sensory items and padded wall areas. The home is subject to ongoing refurbishment, which includes redecorating and new flooring. There is a good surveillance system which monitors entrance areas into the home.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose highlights their ‘statutory duty to safeguard children’. Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding role and they benefit from regular training to remind them of their responsibilities. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks. The home has an excellent food hygiene rating. Certificates also confirm the safety of the gas and electricity supply, in addition to fire and electrical equipment

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good

The comprehensive risk management system helps to reduce the risk of harm to each child as they go through their daily lives. These include a wide range of activities and their travel arrangements. Children benefit from their own fire safety risk assessments, which detail their evacuation plans. Children learn the importance of personal safety, an example being internet safety. Staff are knowledgeable about the risks posed by child sexual exploitation and there is a specific policy related to this issue. Children learn that bullying is unacceptable and the high staffing ratios ensures they are closely monitored. There are no issues with children going missing, however, should this happen staff have an appropriate procedure in place.

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good

Personalised behavioural plans help promote a consistent approach to unacceptable behaviour. As children approach adolescence it can manifest in sexualised behaviour. Where necessary there is concise guidance for staff to manage these episodes. Staff, however, have not had any training is this area. Children are learning the importance of social etiquette and acceptable behaviour. They are responding to clear boundaries and staff demonstrate an awareness of each child’s triggers. Staff do not use sanctions and restraint are rare. The home keeps a record of all physical interventions in a bound and numbered book. Restraints records evaluate the effectiveness and meet regulatory requirements.

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good

Children benefit from the home’s effective working relationships with the safer neighbourhood police and the host authority safeguarding team. There have been no child protection concerns and the home’s location assessment does not highlight any high risk issues. Policies and procedures include reference to current government guidance. Children receive protection from the organisation’s recruitment procedure. Leaders and managers carefully select staff and undertake the necessary checks. The whistle blowing procedure enables staff to confidentially raise concerns. Ongoing monitoring also prevents unsuitable people having the opportunity to harm children.

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good

The owner of this home is also the Registered Manager and running this home has been the culmination of a personal commitment to provide care in a family orientated setting. The Registered Manager has a relevant management qualification and their organisational skills are further enhanced by a business related diploma. Children benefit from a strong management structure which includes an experienced deputy manager and senior support workers. This provides clear delegation of authority and ensures staff benefit from clear leadership on their shifts.

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good

Children receive good continuity of care from a stable, culturally diverse, multi lingual staff team. Staff bring with them a wide range of previous experiences which includes teaching and nursery nursing. Staff state they ‘enjoy the job’ and they ‘work well together’. They have a good working knowledge of children, their strengths, personalities and progress. Children benefit from very high staffing levels. Staff highlight they take satisfaction from seeing how children ‘evolve’. Levels of initiative, creativity and resourcefulness vary amongst the staff team. To further improve outcomes leaders and managers should support staff to be ambitious for each child and maximise their potential.

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good

Staff receive ongoing training to meet children’s needs. This includes ensuring all staff have the relevant vocational training or equivalent. Staff receive supervision and they particularly enjoy the newly introduced reflective supervision session. There is an annual appraisal system, as children are non-verbal they do not contribute to this process. Quality standards guidance recommends where appropriate taking into account the views of other professionals. This would provide an insightful independent aspect to the performance management system.

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good

Leaders and managers have embraced the spirit of the new regulations and the need to be more aspirational for children. The statement of purpose clearly sets out the ethos and objectives of the home, to offer a ‘high quality service’. Children’s case records reflect their everyday experiences. Progress reports highlight the impact the home is having on enhancing their lives.

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good

There is a renewed commitment to driving improvement and securing positive outcomes for children. The home’s involvement with the wider social care network results in them accessing relevant training and events. The home also benefit from the expertise of a highly experienced consultant with substantial regulatory experience. This individual undertakes the Regulation 44 visits and their independent challenge is instrumental in the home’s marked improvement. Children benefit from an efficient quality assurance system, which includes monthly monitoring and reviews of the service.

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good

Service development is based on the needs of children. There are plans to set up a young adult provision. This plan will assist young people placed at the home to have a smooth transition into adulthood, surrounded by a familiar management team. Leaders and mangers have taken robust action to address requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. These relate to restraint records and quality assurance. Practice has improved through communication training and continuing to advocate on behalf of children. The home has a good capacity to further improve. Currently practice in the home is not significantly informed and improved by research and wider developments. Consideration of these factors, particularly in relation to children living with autism will further improve outcomes

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

Outstanding children’s home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

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, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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