Children's Home run by Amelia’s House Limited in Brent

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Leaders and managers are unaware of the implementation of the Quality Standards. This lack of understanding means the service does not take into account the underpinning principles of promoting aspirational and positive outcomes.  The statement of purpose has not been updated to reflect the changes in regulations.  Children’s care plans do not reflect their voice or learning needs. They are also not dated.  Medication administration records are inaccurate and the records are not well maintained.  A bedroom has a cracked wall, which exposes the brickwork.  Staffing rotas are not well maintained and the home does not retain rotas.

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The children's home strengths

 Children thrive within a nurturing family style atmosphere. They are very happy, have increased verbal skills and are growing in confidence and independence.  Children engage in a range of activities and sports which enables them to lead a fulfilling life and showcase their talents.  Children are learning to behave in a socially acceptable manner; they are calmer, polite and have good interpersonal skills.  The home has good safeguarding arrangements, there are no issues with behaviour management, bullying or child protection.  Children are attending and achieving in school. The home also provides a learning environment, which builds on their reading, numeracy, literacy and problem solving skills.

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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

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement of purpose which covers matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16 (1)) 01/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain and retain the staffing rota for at least 15 years from the date of entry. ( Regulation 37 (2)) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

15: Duty to have regard to statements of standards published under section 23 of the Care Standards Act 2000

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must have regard to the quality care standards. (Regulation 15) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records for each child which are signed and dated. (Regulation 36 (1) (c)) 01/12/2015

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard:

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Requirement Due date

12 In order to meet the protection of children standard, with particular reference to the wall damage in a bedroom ensure that: (2) (d) the premises used for the purposes of the home are maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards. 01/01/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure the children's guide helps children to understand how to make a complaint, access advocacy support and how to contact the Office of the Children's commissioner (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 24, paragraph 4.22)  Ensure staff encourage children to view and contribute to their care plan in a way that reflects their voice (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 58, paragraph 11.19)  Ensure medication administration record keeping complies with the guideline Managing medicines in care homes. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 35, paragraph 7.17)

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Information about this children's home

Amelia House is a privately owned home which is registered to provide care and accommodation for four children. The home caters for children who have a learning disability; this includes children on the autistic spectrum.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

20/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress

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Requires improvement

Children enjoy living in a nurturing family style atmosphere. They are thriving despite the shortfalls within the service. A social worker highlights that the home meets all their child’s needs. Care planning and record keeping within the home require further attention. Children do not benefit from the implementation of the Quality Standards which are guiding principles to improving their outcomes. Children are, however, very happy, calmer, growing in confidence and independence. Staff also highlight that children are ‘more verbal’.

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Requires improvement

Care planning within the home is inconsistent. All children do not have a person centred care plan written in ‘their voice’. Some care plans are only in a written format, which means children are unable to understand them. Care plans do not have a date, which has an impact on the evaluation of progress. Medication administration records are inaccurate; they do not detail the correct amount of tablets in storage. Records are also confusing and they do not include the occasional use of ‘as required’ medication.

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Requires improvement

Children engage in an appropriate level of activities within their community and further afield. They enjoy visiting parks, restaurants, various shopping centres and sightseeing in Central London. During the summer they took advantage of the weather, having picnics and enjoying trips to Brighton and Heathrow to watch the planes. They were also participants in a summer scheme at their local youth centre.

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Requires improvement

Exercise is an important part of children’s weekly routines. Staff work hard to encourage their talents and help with maximising their potential. An example of this is developing their sporting abilities through the guidance of a coach and specialist athletics programme. Children enjoying swimming, using the park gym, engaging in basic water sports and playing football and golf. The large trampoline in the garden also provides another avenue for them to have fun and exert their energy.

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Requires improvement

Children are attending and achieving in school. Their schools confirm their attainments through presenting them with certificates and vocational awards. The home also provides a learning environment, which builds on their reading, numeracy and problem solving skills. Children also extend their knowledge though object identification and supervised internet use. They enjoy using the computer and staff take advantage of this by using computer-based numeracy packages. Children also have the opportunity to express their creativity though arts and crafts sessions and playing musical instruments.

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Requires improvement

Children benefit from improvements to their health. There are significant reductions in their medication, they are more continent and successfully managing their weight. Children are becoming more independent and they are taking responsibility for daily living tasks. They help to bake, set the table and wash up dishes. They assist with making their beds, cleaning their room, running their bath and attending to their personal care. Children are learning to travel on public transport in a socially acceptable manner. They also conduct themselves appropriately in public, for example waiting patiently in queues.

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Requires improvement

Staff help children be proud of who they are. They encourage children to wear traditional attire which reflects their cultural heritage. Staff assist children to maintain contact with their families. Parents visit the home and they appreciate spending quality time with their children.

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Good

Children live in a safe and secure environment. Children have their own bedrooms which they can personalise to reflect their individuality. Communal spaces include a spacious kitchen with a dining and lounge area. The home also has a converted shed called ‘the retreat’, where children can play games, puzzles or complete their artwork. During the inspection, the fitting of window restrictors took place to further protect children. The only issue relates to a cracked wall, which has a small amount of exposed brickwork. This requires attention as it is a potential hazard if the crack extends. Engineers verify the safety of the utilities and fire prevention equipment. Children know the fire evacuation procedure and competently participate in the regular fire drills. The home promotes safe recruitment; new staff members do not work unsupervised until all regulatory checks are in place.

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Good

Children learn to behave in a socially acceptable manner, for example no longer dropping their trousers in public. Children demonstrate good manners; instead of barging past others, they say ‘excuse me’. Staff highlight that this is a ‘huge achievement’ and they are proud of this accomplishment. Staff are good at redirecting children if their behaviour becomes obsessive. They are able to successfully manage mental health needs, such as psychosis which impairs thoughts and emotions. The home has a strong relationship with mental health services, which ensures children receive regular appointments to see professionals. Children learn to self-regulate, seeking a calming space when they need to relax. The home’s soft room provides a place of refuge where they can unwind and have sensory stimulation. Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding and are familiar with the child protection procedure. Leaders and managers have links with the safeguarding

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Good

personnel in their host authority. This also extends to networking with professionals and attending relevant forums. The home does not have an issue with bullying, sexual exploitation or children going missing from care. There has also been no child protection concerns, complaints or notifiable incidents.

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Good

Staff succeed in forming good relationships with children and are able to positively manage behavioural needs. Staff do not issue sanctions and rarely have to use physical interventions. Children benefit from a risk management system which identifies individual and environmental risks. The home promotes internet safety and children do not have access to unsuitable websites.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers do not keep fully up-to-date with developments within the sector. This has an impact on the home’s effectiveness and ability to comply with the current regulatory framework. Leaders and managers are aware of the new regulations; however, they did not know the significance of the new Quality Standards. The home does not benefit from the aspirational and positive outcomes and underpinning principles necessary to deliver the best possible care. Leaders and managers have a sound foundation and a heart for children. Their lack of knowledge does not have a detrimental impact on the overall quality of care. There is an acknowledgement that practice needs to improve.

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Requires improvement

The new guidance highlights the importance of key documents. An example of this is the statement of purpose, which focuses on promoting the organisation’s aims and objectives. This document does not reflect the new regulations or indicate how individualised care meets the Quality Standards. Children benefit from their own personalised guide which includes photographs of themselves and life at the home. This helps them to make sense of their surroundings and what they can expect from the service. The guide does not include information relating to making a complaint, to advocacy or the Children’s Commissioner contact details. The omission of this information means children are unaware of how others can help them.

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Requires improvement

The Registered Manager is also the joint owner of the home, with their husband who is the responsible individual. Both are currently undertaking the necessary leadership and management qualification. The Registered Manager has been in post for approximately one year. They express pride in their ability to provide a nurturing family atmosphere for children. They acknowledge that the paperwork side of their business requires more robust attention. An example of this is the numerous documents which are not dated, which demonstrates a gap in their auditing system. Leaders and managers are currently working with a consultant to address service development.

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Requires improvement

The home has an adequate quality assurance scheme. This involves monthly monitoring by an independent consultant and their own evaluation of the quality of care. Leaders and managers are aware that the reports currently quote the wrong regulation.

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Requires improvement

Children receive support from a small, culturally and gender-reflective staff team. The home mainly provides care for young men, therefore the staff team is predominately male. Staff are currently undertaking their vocational qualification. They supplement their learning with specific autism related workshops and training which builds on their knowledge regarding promoting the care needs of disabled children. Staff receive regular supervision and annual appraisals, which helps to equip them for their role. New staff benefit from an induction which embraces vocational standards. This helps to provide a suitable introduction to the work and gives them the confidence to effectively address children’s needs.

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Requires improvement

The home generally complies with the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. The only outstanding issue relates to the staffing rota. This contains only very basic information and does not indicate the year or the actual hours worked. Rotas are not retained for at least 15 years. Regulations require the storage of this information, in case it is needed in the future.

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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

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

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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

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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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