Children's home in Hammersmith and Fulham

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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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Leadership and management arrangements are poor. The previous registered manager left the position in February 2016 and a new permanent manager has not yet been appointed. Interim management arrangements have been put in place, but these have not provided the consistency of management oversight, strong leadership or direction that the staff team and young people require.  Risk assessments do not sufficiently identify or assess all relevant risks, such as mobile and internet use.  The home does not present as a domestic environment and would benefit from some improvements internally with regards to signage and pest control.  Records relating to the care that young people receive have not been kept up to date consistently and do not always reflect the complex or changing needs of the young people. This could further undermine the ability of staff to provide the levels and type of care that young people receive at any

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

particular time during their stay.  Storage and the management of stocks of some medicines are not secure. The interim manager has plans in place to address this as a priority, but it is of concern that such practices have gone unchecked until the recent inspection.

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The children's home strengths

 Children and young people receive care and support from a very dedicated and committed team of staff, several of whom have worked at the same organisation for a considerable length of time. Staff have developed trusting relationships with young people. This ensures that they have someone whom they can talk to about their worries and concerns.  Staff fully support young people to maintain contact with their families. As a result, young people benefit from improved relationships with people who are important to them.  Staff benefit from regular supervision, which they describe as a two-way, constructive and helpful forum that supports their practice and professional development.  The home, situated in open countryside, has been internally designed to meet the individual needs of young people.

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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 ‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’. The registered person(s) must comply within the given timescales.

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are met

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children's home is to provide care and accommodation (Regulation 5(d)) 31/05/2016

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The quality and purpose of care standard

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult (Regulation 6(2)(b)(vi) 31/05/2016

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The education standard

help each child to achieve the child's education and training targets, as recorded in the child's relevant plans (Regulation 8(2)(a)(i) 31/05/2016

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The enjoyment and achievement standard

Ensure that children take part in and benefit from a variety of activities that meet their needs and develop and reflect their creative, cultural, intellectual, physical and social interests and skills (Regulation 9(1)). 31/05/2016

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The protection of children standard

help each child to understand how to keep safe, with particular reference to e-safety (Regulation 12(2)(a)(ii) 31/05/2016

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The leadership and management standard

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home's statement of purpose (Regulation 13(2)(a)). 31/05/2016

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Medicines

ensure that medication procedures ensure that medicine is checked stored and administered to the child for whom it is provided in such a way that other persons are prevented from using it (Regulation 23(3)(a)) 31/05/2016

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Appointment of manager

The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children's home (Regulation 27(1)). 31/05/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  For children's homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene etc.); however in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than 'institutional' impression (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them (‘Guide to the Children's Homes Regulations including the quality standards’, 9.5).

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Information about this children's home

This home provides accommodation for up to six young people with a learning disability. A private organisation operates this setting. It has a number of provisions in the area and young people attend a specialist school together in a nearby town. At the time of inspection, the service was operational from Monday to Friday only.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Require improvement

The young person currently living at the home attends the organisation’s own educational provision between Monday and Friday and they stay at this home on those days. Transport is provided to bring them to and from the home. Insufficient work is currently being done by staff and managers to ensure that they meet any relevant education, speech, language and occupational therapy targets. This is something that a parent also commented on, saying, ‘Ideally, I would like to see staff there having better access to key information and reports from (school) staff (e.g. speech therapy), as I think that sort of information could be better used to help them in supporting my son.’ This help and support would further assist young people to consider such targets during their five-day stay at the home, and increase their independence and social skills. The home’s records do not contain sufficient information in relation to young people’s educational plans or other

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Require improvement

Procedures and risk assessments for the self-administration of some medications has not been effective. Medications are stored in an open drawer in an open bedroom, which could enable other young people to access them. Furthermore, medication is not checked at the start and end of placement to ensure that correct doses have been self-administered during the young person’s week-long stay. There has been no adverse impact on young people as a result of this shortfall, but more robust and safe storage and stock control are required, and the routine needs to be established.

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Require improvement

Recent work has been started by staff which focuses on independence skills for young people. However, there is no system for measuring the baseline skills and abilities of young people who access the home. Staff and the interim manager have failed to set independent targets and, as a result, there is no ability to track and monitor the progress that young people make.

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Require improvement

The physical environment of the home presents as generally safe and secure. The interior decor of the home is very pleasant, it has individually designed rooms with well thought-out concepts and colour schemes. But this is marred by a number of double-mounted, boxed fire hydrants, fire symbols, mousetraps and pest control stickers. This fails to present as homely in all areas and would benefit from improvements in line with a more domestic environment.

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Require improvement

Young people receive care and support from dedicated and committed staff. Staff work hard to ensure that they enjoy their stay, and provide young people with experiences and activities which they enjoy. Progress in this area is very limited and fails to develop social skills, for example the young person often spends excessive amounts of time involved in online gaming and viewing YouTube channels. This does not encourage engagement in activities that involve more social interaction.

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Require improvement

Staff promote young people’s physical and emotional health by ensuring that they have access to a range of health services at the school, including earning disability health services. Independent therapists are commissioned to support young people with their emotional health. Young people have regular sessions to improve their social skills. This is helping them to cope more effectively when faced with challenges and difficult emotions. One young person said, ‘I have come on more in five weeks than I have done in the last five years.’ Clear health plans ensure that young people’s health is promoted.

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Require improvement

Staff receive training and support in relation to meeting the complex health needs of young people. The organisation oversees specialist health and social care training for staff, and reports its’ satisfaction that staff have the skills, training and competence to meet the complex health needs of young people.

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Require improvement

Contact with families, friends and those people important to young people are promoted within the confines of placement agreements. Young people have easy access to phones and personal laptops. Staff are very supportive of such arrangements, commenting positively on the manner in which visits from friends are facilitated and the benefit they bring to the young people.

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Requires improvement

Despite young people spending large amounts of time on online gaming and YouTube, their individual risk assessments do not sufficiently assess and manage such risks. Staff have been over-reliant on the information supplied by parents, that their children have a good level of knowledge around e-safety. Shortfalls in risk assessments are impacting on staff’s ability to identify, act upon and teach young people how to keep themselves safe.

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Requires improvement

Each young person is allocated a key worker. This member of staff takes the lead in ensuring that plans and risk assessments are completed and reviewed, and is the contact person for parents/carers and involved agencies. Records for young people need updating to reflect their current plans and assessments from professionals, and to ensure that all relevant documentation is in date. Furthermore, individual key-worker sessions, which are often irregular, do not complement the plans, but rather record the young person’s trips to the shop or when baking a cake, for example.

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Requires improvement

Young people receive care and support in a safe environment. Staff demonstrate an awareness and understanding of their complex needs and have satisfactory staffing ratios in place. There have been no reported incidents of young people going missing from this home since its registration. Security within the home is robust and prevents young people from being able to place themselves or others at risk of harm.

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Requires improvement

Good links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board (LSCB) ensure that all child protection policies and procedures are consistent and agreed. The management maintains appropriate links with the LSCB and the local authority designated officer. This ensures that swift actions are taken, in line with local and national protocols.

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Requires improvement

Staff recruitment and selection are clear and prevent unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm young people. The organisation has ensured that staff recruitment files have been updated to include all necessary documentation. All necessary checks and verifications of references have been completed and reflect management’s commitment to safer recruitment processes in this home.

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Requires improvement

The health and safety of young people is taken seriously. Regular fire drills ensure that young people know how to evacuate the building safely. Routine checks and tests of equipment and the living environment mean that the home is safe to live in.

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Requires improvement

The home has been without a permanent registered manager since February 2016. Interim managements have been put in place until a new permanent manager is appointed. The interim manager has the necessary qualifications and experience to perform the role, but he fails to deliver the strong leadership and direction that the staff team and young people require. As a result, some documentation has not been reviewed or updated, including development plans, and this does not demonstrate a commitment to ongoing improvement work.

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Requires improvement

Staff report high levels of satisfaction in their roles. They report receiving good quality supervision and training opportunities. Clear induction plans and a detailed workforce plan for the home reflect the commitment of managers to ensuring that young people receive care from well-trained and qualified staff.

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Requires improvement

The statement of purpose for the home contains all necessary information and sets out what the aims and objectives of the service are. It has been amended and updated to reflect the changes in management arrangements. A copy of the amended and revised versions has not been sent to Ofsted. This was addressed during the inspection.

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Requires improvement

Managers regularly monitor the quality of care provided and consider the reports from the independent person who visits the home each month. Parents and carers report satisfaction at the care and support provided to their children during their stays. One parent commented, ‘The staff there seem to work well with my son, and he feels safe and supported there.’

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Requires improvement

A suitable complaints process is in place. Young people say they know how to complain should they wish but no complaints have been made to date. The atmosphere at the home is open and young people clearly have a voice in the home.

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Requires improvement

The use of physical restraints and sanctions has not occurred in this home. Staff know the young people well and work with them to reduce any concerning or potentially risky behaviours. Records clearly reflect the actions taken by staff to support young people when their behaviours may be of concern. They seek to elicit the views of young people wherever possible and record them on case files.

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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, 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 ‘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, work- based 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

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

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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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