Children's Home run by Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited in Waltham Forest

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good 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

This home has sustained a good level of care for young people since the last inspection in October 2015. The registered manager has addressed the three requirements made at that inspection which demonstrates capacity to continue to improve the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s statement of purpose and function has been updated and a copy sent to the regulator. The care offered within the home reflects this document. The home’s fire assessment has been updated to include arrangements for exiting the locked garden gate if necessary and the flooring in the dining area is repaired.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager considers new referrals for admission to the home very carefully and there have been no new admissions to the home for some time, due to the needs of the existing residents. This careful approach to admissions and consideration to the needs of the existing young people has supported positive placements of longevity, creating stability and the opportunity to undertake meaningful work with young people to improve their futures.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person left the home since the last inspection. Notice was given to the placing authority and an alternative placement was sought in a planned way. Although this young person did not want to move, staff supported this, facilitating the new home’s staff to visit and explaining clearly what was happening and when. A disruption meeting to discuss the future of the young person’s placement was cancelled by the placing authority.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A strength of this home is the small but experienced staff team. Consequently young people know the staff well and receive excellent continuity of care. The small amount of staff gives the home a family feel. Young people share positive relationships with staff and appear relaxed and happy in their presence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress in this home. Young people engage with education. Staff help them to understand the importance of this, and how it can open the way to future life chances. Staff use key work sessions and young people’s meetings positively to consider emerging and important issues such as ‘sexting’ and ‘online safety’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff know young people well. They help them to build confidence, develop their own identity and support them to make changes to be happier, stay safer and build better relationships. For example, young people are supported to improve their psychological health, make a positive contribution, improve their capacity to listen and empathise, be aware of inappropriate behaviours, apologise on their own initiative and express and explore their feelings through speech and music instead of through negative behaviours.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Safeguarding is central to the practice within this home. Staff are aware of their responsibility to keep young people as safe as possible and work hard and with commitment to try to ensure this happens. Young people say they feel safe. They benefit from careful risk assessments and plans. Although risk assessments are updated regularly with any new identified risks, the basic initial risks are not routinely revised to record progress or review the level of risk.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The ethos of this home reinforces positive behaviour and invests in building trusting relationships with young people. This approach means that sanctions and restraints are rarely used. Although there have been no restraints since the last inspection, the present restraint forms need updating to comply with the children’s home regulations.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff maintain records that give a good account of key work sessions, plans and young people’s progress. Recording of incidents is not always clear, for example, detailed reports are not found on all logged incidents. Recordings in several different parts of the file make it difficult to establish exactly what happened and what actions were taken as a result. A recommendation is made to review recording in respect of restraint and incident recording.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

External monitoring of this home is good. An independent person regularly visits the home and offers a good analysis of practice and recommendations for improvement. The registered manager completes a review of the quality of care, which ensures an understanding of what is happening in the home and identifies areas for potential improvement.

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Information about this children's home

This is a private children’s home. It is registered to accommodate up to three children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

20/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In relation to updating the basic components of the child's risk assessment.(The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff are familiar with the home's policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. In relation to the recording of restraints compliant with regulation 35 and incidents occurring within the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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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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