Children's home run by London Borough of Hillingdon in Hillingdon

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Requires improvement at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are making good progress in all areas of their lives as a result of the support and care provided by the home. Since the last inspection, all admissions to the home have been consistent with the homes statement of purpose and the provider plays close attention to the impact of new referrals on the existing group of residents. This has had a positive impact and creates a calm, safe environment for young people to live in.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people, overall, are well behaved and work well with staff to address any behaviour that may put them at risk or have a negative impact on others. Staff develop nurturing relationships and work with challenging behaviour in a way that is thoughtful, sensitive and promotes learning. The provider is very good at delivering care in line with young people’s relevant plans and working within agreed timescales. The care plans created by the home are detailed, comprehensive and clear about young people’s needs, the interventions to help them and the progress they are making. One local authority social worker commented that staff work in a child centred way and are sensitive to their needs. She went on to say that, in working with a young person who was at risk, they have been ‘marvellous’ and helped her reduce the number of times she goes missing. The inspector observed an excellent example of good practice during the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

inspection where staff worked with considerable skill and passion, to help a young person move on positively to her new placement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff ensure that young people receive health care and advice when they need it. They work closely with local health services to ensure that there a range of resources is available to provide more choice for those young people who are harder to engage. They are particularly good at identifying and addressing cultural needs and making adjustments to ensure that all young people have access to culturally sensitive support within the home and in the wider community.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are safe. Staff work effectively with the professional network and make use of expert input from child and adolescent mental health professionals. This gives them insight into understanding the presenting behaviour of young people in the context of their previous experiences and helps inform interventions to help them make progress. This partnership approach means that there are effective safety plans in place to manage risks for young people who are particularly vulnerable. Staff are vigilant and alert to the dangers that young people may face. They undertake training in child protection areas such as child sexual exploitation, trafficking and risks of radicalisation. The lead person responsible for promoting safe practice in relation to child sexual exploitation consults closely with the home to ensure best practice. She commented that staff take a robust and effective approach to safeguarding in this area.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people move on positively and in a planned way. Several young people have been able to return to their families, some have gone to foster care and others moved successfully to independence. Staff are careful to balance managing risk with the need to promote independence. They regularly review risk assessments and reduce interventions as soon as it is safe to do so.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has effective systems in place to monitor the quality of care. He produces regular reports and uses this information to inform service development. He advocates strongly for young people within the professional network and leads an effective team, who provide young people with a consistent, thoughtful and caring experience of being looked after. One young person who recently moved in to the home, commented that staff made her feel very welcome and ‘will do anything for you’. The deputy manager, who facilitated most of this inspection, is very knowledgeable and experienced in her role. This means that there is effective management cover for times when the registered manager is not available.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The shortfalls at the previous full inspection have been addressed this is testimony to the providers commitment and ability to deliver high standards of care for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The short-term nature of the home and high turnover of young people, creates a challenge for the provider to provide rooms that are personalised and feel ‘lived in’. Despite this, some bedrooms are bare and have little in the way of soft furnishings or pictures on the wall. One bedroom is out of commission due to problems with damp. The communal areas of the home are clean and free from damage, but do not present as warm and homely for young people.

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Information about this children's home

This a local authority run provision which provide care and accommodation for up to six young people under the category of emotional and behavioural difficulties. They provide emergency, short to medium term placements for young people from the local community and young people who arrive in to the United Kingdom as unaccompanied minors.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

(3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

(v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (Regulation 35(3)(v)) 15/04/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

Many children placed in homes may undergo a difficult transition and what should be simple aspects of their care take on a substantial significance in this context. Staff should provide a nurturing environment that is welcoming. Staff should seek to meet the child’s basic needs in the way that a good parent would, recognising that many children in residential care have experienced environments where these needs have not been consistently met – doing so is an important aspect of demonstrating that the staff care for the child and value them as an individual. In particular, staff should ensure that the communal areas and young people’s bedrooms provide a warm and welcoming environment for young people. (The Quality Standards, paragraph 3.7,page 15)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection 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

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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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