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 Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judge that it has improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider continues to provide exceptionally high standards of care for young people. Staff are attentive to the individual needs of young people and develop relationships that are safe, nurturing and very respectful of young people’s rights. This creates a safe space for them to learn and have fun.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Appropriate actions have been taken to address the one requirement and recommendation from the last inspection. Staff receive formal supervision in a timely manner. This helps them to reflect on their practice and gain valuable support and guidance. Young people are enjoying more visits to the local community. This allows them opportunities to visit places of interest and engage in their local community. Young people are well behaved. Staff hold firm boundaries and intervene promptly to ensure challenging behaviour is quickly contained. This contributes to a calm and safe environment where young people learn how to adapt to group living and socialise positively with their peers. Staff use expert advice from a clinical psychologist to inform interventions for each young person. They frequently review strategies for intervention and seek creative solutions until they find what works best.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff morale is high. They value the support within the team and hold shared values. This enables staff to focus on helping young people have a positive experience and teaching them to develop the life skills to improve their future chances. Staff work consistently to deliver the agreed care and support plans. They also use their experience and knowledge to contribute to such plans; This ensures they are both effective and informed by the experiences of young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider takes care to assess the needs of young people before admission. This includes gathering relevant information to ensure that they understand their strengths, risks and challenges. Young people undergo an induction period before staying overnight which is designed to ensure that plans progress at the right pace for each young person. This means that care plans are very detailed and based upon a clear understanding of the needs of each young person. All risks are clearly identified and risk management plans are in place to make sure young people using the service are safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care plans for young people are forward thinking. The service is particularly effective at planning transitions into adult services. Young people undertake a well planned introduction to adult respite and support services. Staff work across both children and adult services to ensure that young people experience a smooth transition, supported by people who know them well. Staff use a variety of proven techniques to help young people feel safe and make progress. This includes using social stories and visual timetables. In one example, staff used a ‘ladder of events’ that helped reduce a young person’s anxiety. Staff provided information in a way he could understand to reassure him about when he could ring his parents.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The physical environment is purpose built and ideally suited to meet the needs of all young people. It is spacious and has a large garden which is equipped with a range of equipment for outdoor play. There are a number of spaces such as sensory rooms, play room and a specially developed room to help young people train for independence. The home is equipped to provide care for a range of young people, including those that have complex health needs or limited mobility. It is a clean, cheerful place that achieves a good balance between being a resource centre and creating a homely, warm environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people benefit from the care and support provided by the home. They make progress in terms of improving behaviour. In one example, this made a positive difference to their progress at school. Staff work closely with education providers and share information to make sure that young people experience consistency and are well prepared when they leave for school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Parents appreciate the quality of care provided by the staff. One parent sent a thank you card that said ‘you do wonderful work in helping families and children cope with difficult situations and enable us to function as a family unit’. Another parent said simply, ‘thank you for looking after our son, he had an amazing experience’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager recently resigned after a period of maternity leave. Interim management arrangements are highly effective. The current manager is extremely experienced and has lead on significant improvements to the service. She is ably assisted by another experienced manager who has a focus on quality assurance and a deputy manager who is ‘hands on’ with the team and young people. This creates a cohesive management team that provides strategic leadership and a clear understanding of how decisions impact on the quality of care for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff feel supported by the management team. They have opportunities to use their experience and develop this further by taking responsibility for specific areas of service provision. The current manager is in the process of applying for the permanent post and, if successful intends to apply to Ofsted to be the registered manager.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The inspector found no breeches in regulations and, in the areas inspected, the home is achieving or exceeding the standards of care set out in the Quality Standards for children’s homes and short break services (2015).

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Information about this children's home

This short breaks service is operated by the London Borough of Hillingdon. The home provides short breaks for up to eight children with learning difficulties and physical disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

04/03/2015 CH - Interim improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

28/03/2014 CH - Interim Inadequate Progress

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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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