Children's Home run by Herman Allen in Barking and Dagenham

Good

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

p.2

The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people have the opportunity to self-define themselves through the home’s care planning procedures. They are building up their inner resilience and demonstrate greater self-confidence and independence.  Young people have good school attendance and are achieving in their education.  Health professionals commend the management of health issues.  The home provides an extensive level of support to family members. Siblings join young people on trips out.  Positive engagement with parents involves them in decision-making. They are also able to work towards reunification and family therapy.  Young people benefit from strong safeguarding arrangements. They receive a broad education regarding their personal safety.  There is a commendable relationship with the local safeguarding personnel and the police. The home are part of the child sexual exploitation champion’s forum and have access to purposefully tailored training on the

p.3

The children's home provision is good because:

issues affecting the local area.  Young people, staff and the organisation benefit from the new dynamic management arrangements.  The home needs to improve the statement of purpose and consultation with young people, broaden activities available and improve staff training.

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

7: The children's views, wishes and feelings standard:

p.4

Requirement Due date

(2) In order to meet the children's views, wishes and feelings standard, the registered person is required to- (a) ensure that staff (iv) regularly consult children on the quality of their care. 01/11/2015

p.4

Requirement Due date

The registered person must update the statement of purpose to include all the information in Schedule 1 and to accurately reflect the current service being offered. (Regulation 16 (1)) 01/12/2015

p.4

Requirement Due date

6: The quality and purpose of care standard

p.4

Requirement Due date

(2) In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, the registered person is required to- (b) ensure that staff- (iv) provide personalised care that fully meets each child's needs, as recorded in their care plan. 01/11/2015

p.4

Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Nurture each child's talents and interests and support children to try activities which are ‘new’ for them. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 31 paragraph, 6.4)  Support children's mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the statement of purpose. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 33, paragraph 7.3)  Produce a workforce plan to include the training required to enable the delivery of the home's statement of purpose. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.4

Information about this children's home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people who may have a moderate learning disability or emotional and behavioural difficulty. The home recently re-opened under the new name of Lily House with the aim of ideally providing a home for young people on the autistic spectrum.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.6

Recent inspection history

12/11/2014 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

Good

Young people describe the home as being ‘very good’. They comment on the ‘respect from staff’ and happily grade the home an ‘A’. Young people have the opportunity to self-define themselves. They reflect on who they want to be, their goals, strengths, fears and difficulties. They highlight that they wish to be a ‘better person’ and they are making progress in relation to their variable starting points. Young people are building up their inner resilience and demonstrate greater self- confidence and independence. They appreciate the impact living at the home is having on their lives. One young person states they ‘want to learn from living’ at the placement.

p.7

Good

Staff express pride in the positive relationship they have with young people. They succeed in providing a nurturing environment where they aim to give ‘lots of tender loving care’. Young people have the opportunity to thrive; this is dependent on their ability to positively engage. Young people highlight that they ‘get on well’ with their key worker. They meet regularly to discuss issues of relevance to them, covering an extensive range of topics including their education, health, family dynamics and relationships. This contributes to their personal development and they state it ‘helps you a lot’. A school highlights that a young person is ‘calmer’ and ‘happier’ since living at the home and that this young person is more independent and has a ‘good relationship with staff’.

p.7

Good

Young people benefit from their own special school, which is available for those with complex needs. The home provides a learning environment and young people are able to receive on-site tuition during term time and holidays. Young people are achieving and they have good school attendance. A school describes one young person as being the ‘brightest pupil in their class’ and they comment on their ‘significant improvement’. Staff also assist in promoting a learning environment, providing additional practical support in numeracy, social skills and specific for example exploring maths in relation to taking out a mobile contract. The manager states he aims to ‘inspire’ young people ‘to achieve’.

p.7

Good

Young people benefit from good support to manage their health. A doctor commends the staff for stabilising a young person’s health condition, describing this as ‘impressive’. A senior nurse states that a young person’s ‘diabetes and mood are more stable’ since being at the home. Young people learn the importance of following a healthy diet and there are no issues in relation to smoking, alcohol or drug misuse. Young people learn to have greater insight into their own disability and this extends to increasing their relatives’ understanding. Young people receive encouragement to maintain their personal hygiene and take pride in their personal appearance. Some attend appointments to get braces to correct their teeth. They also visit the optician to explore the option of wearing contact lenses.

p.7

Good

Young people are learning to express their emotions through the use of rap music. They have their own journals where they can write their own rhymes. There are plans to extend the musical input though the purchase of a piano. The home has a relaxation room, where young people can benefit from a calm environment and sensory stimulation. The home does not provide a therapeutic environment but instigate referrals to external agencies to provide this service. The organisation’s school is additionally able to provide therapy, though specific professionals, such as drama therapy.

p.8

Good

Young people say they do a range of ‘fun things’. They enjoy going to the cinema, bowling, the fun fair and a local youth club. Within the home they enjoy playing video games and board games. Young people would appreciate an even wider range of activities. Staff share their hobbies with young people, for example gardening, cycling and art. This offers young people the opportunity to develop their range of interests.

p.8

Good

Young people are learning the skills necessary for adult life. Their daily routines include household chores, tidying their rooms and doing their laundry. Young people proudly list the different foods they are able to cook, which includes culturally reflective dishes. They also enjoy baking nights and are able to follow simple recipes. Young people express delight in the fact that they have ‘got savings’, which contributes to their good financial management. Young people also contribute to the household though assistance with the home’s shopping and recycling of domestic waste.

p.8

Good

Young people receive strong support to maintain contact with their family and friends. Staff take young people to visit their relatives who also enjoy visiting the home. Siblings join young people on trips out, an example being the summer outing to a theme park. Staff positively engage with parents, keeping them informed and involving them in decision making in relation to them taking parental responsibility. The home works hard to build family relationships, for example, suggesting family therapy. Young people’s friends visit and they are able to relax in the home and enjoy a meal together. A placing authority highlights the home proactively initiating contact with a parent and organising this meeting.

p.8

Good

Young people share their views during key work meetings. They also influence their care, sharing their opinions throughout their day. The independent visitor captures young people’s views during their monthly visits. Staff do not formally consult with young people collectively in regards to the overall quality of care. Young people do not highlight this as an issue and state ‘nothing could be better’. They use the complaint procedure if they have any concerns and the home effectively manages their grievances.

p.8

Good

Young people benefit from strong safeguarding arrangements. They are happy at the home and confirm that they feel safe. A social worker is thankful for the home’s ‘hard work’ in making sure their young person ‘remains safe’. They feel this ‘there is nothing they can do better’. A parent also highlights that staff are ‘doing their best’ to keep their child safe. Young people receive a broad education regarding personal safety, their vulnerability, grooming, sexual exploitation and internet safety. Staff also undertake extensive training in relation to child protection and the wider aspects of safeguarding.

p.9

Good

The home is effectively working to manage risks, actively participating within a multi-agency framework. There is a commendable relationship with the local safeguarding personnel and the police. Staff have access to expert knowledge and purposefully tailored training on the issues affecting the local area. The home is part of the child sexual exploitation champion’s forum which provides a platform for information sharing and deepening their awareness of critical issues. The home has a proactive and challenging relationship with the police, which highlights their shared responsibility to safeguard young people. This involves the home manager also proposing to attend a team meeting to further explain the home’s role to police officers.

p.9

Good

Currently there is one young person who has regular unauthorised absences and there are concerns regarding sexual exploitation. The home rigorously works with this young person to prevent missing episodes; this includes having two-to-one staffing. Staff also go out looking for this young person and work closely with the local police. This young person has a good relationship with staff; however, they find the ‘pull factors’ outside of the home more attractive. There is a robust plan to reduce harm and a well-co-ordinated response to missing episodes. The placing authority are endeavouring to find a more suitable placement for this young person.

p.9

Good

The home provides sound care planning, which incorporates person centred practice from a young person’s viewpoint. Young people meet regularly with their key worker. Meetings relate to the young person’s presenting issues and things they wish to discuss. Key working does not systematically address the objectives detailed in the young person’s care plan. This means that it is difficult to monitor the effectiveness of the home’s intervention, as requested by their placing authority. The statement of purpose mentions various form of therapy; however, the home does not offer therapeutic childcare. This is confusing for placing authorities who may believe young people have access to in-house therapy at the home.

p.9

Good

Young people receive ongoing support to manage their anger and they are making marked progress in this area. Young people are respectful of staff, their environment and each other. Workshops equip young people with the skills to self- regulate and manage their behaviour better. This involves using stress balls and going to their room and listening to music. The trusting relationships young people have with staff enables them to disclose past events and current fears. There are no issues in relation to conflict management. Sanctions are infrequent and the home monitors their effectiveness. Staff rarely have to restrain young people and the home ensures restraints promote young people’s welfare.

p.10

Good

The premises provides a safe and secure home for young people. There is a comprehensive risk management system, which includes individual, environmental and local risks. Engineers confirm the safety of the electrical, gas and fire safety equipment. Young people participate in regular fire drills. Staff undertake room searches if they have any reason to believe young people are at risk. The organisation’s recruitment procedures meet regulatory guidance. It aims to ensue unsuitable people do not work with young people.

p.10

Good

Young people, staff and the overall service benefit from the new dynamic management arrangements. The manager is currently going through the registration process with Ofsted. This individual is a lawyer by profession and has prior experience in law enforcement. They have 16 years’ experience in social care management and are highly qualified, having a relevant leadership and management qualification and a master’s degree in business administration. Staff state that they have ‘great respect’ for this manager and they appreciate their empowering leadership style. Staff feel that the ‘very skilled deputy’ strengthens the management team.

p.10

Good

The new manager has been in post since July 2015 and they are making a positive impact on the organisation. They are currently working with staff in the review of the home’s statement of purpose. The new manager has an excellent grasp of the issues affecting the home. They are creatively working in a multi-agency manner to meet the needs of young people. This includes working collaboratively with parents. The comprehensive action plan to improve the service clearly identifies the home’s strengths and shortfalls. The new manager aims to provide ‘an outstanding service’ and shares the organisational vision, regarding ‘restoring hope’, releasing potential and ‘rebuilding lives’. All young people are making progress in accordance with their respective starting points. Staff recognise young people’s strengths and work tirelessly to promote their welfare.

p.10

Good

The home has a good quality assurance system, which includes monthly monitoring by an independent consultant with substantial regulatory experience. The home endeavours to comply with requirements and recommendations and no outstanding issues from the previous inspection remain. The introduction of a buddy system to support the organisation’s residential managers provides a further level of encouragement for leaders. They aim to meet on a monthly basis to share expertise and build on good practice.

p.11

Good

The gender balanced staff team is from an African Caribbean and White European background. This is reflective of the current residents; there are plans to further extend the diversity of the staff team. An educational professional highlights that it is ‘wonderful here’. They describe staff as being ‘compassionate’ and ‘vigilant’. Staff state that they ‘love’ their job. The new manager is introducing areas of responsibility for staff members to promote greater accountability. Staff share their cultural identity with young people, through cooking their traditional meals. For some young people, this is culturally reflective and contributes to their ‘home from home’ experience. For other young people this broadens their appreciation of international cuisine.

p.11

Good

The home provides a supportive atmosphere for staff through effective supervision and practice-based team meetings. Staff describe these meetings as being ‘very good’ and ‘productive’. Staff are very keen and enthusiastic and welcome more training. Staff vocational training is in progress and staff have the opportunity to undertake a range of other related training. The new manager is currently undertaking a skills analysis and developing a training matrix. The homes does not have a workforce development plan. However, managers are aware of the training they require to deliver the objectives of the revised statement of purpose.

p.11

Good

Young people live within a well-maintained, homely environment. They can relax in the lounge which has comfortable sofas and a large flat-screen television with a significant amount of channels. They can enjoy in-house entertainment from watching a wide range of DVDs. The kitchen is a hub of activity and where they spend a lot of their time with staff eating and socialising around the kitchen table. The patio garden is available for them to enjoy, especially during their summer barbecues. At the back of the building is a separate outhouse where they can do arts and crafts and other activities, including home tuition.

p.11

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.

p.13

What the inspection judgements mean

An 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

p.13

What the inspection judgements mean

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

p.13

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

p.14

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 .

p.14

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,

p.15

Information about this inspection

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

p.15

Information about this inspection

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

p.15

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

p.15