Children's home run by Virgin Care Limited in Camden

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Children and young people who visit this home for short breaks receive highly personalised care. Their diverse and complex needs are fully understood. Staff are very attentive, caring and professional in their practices.  Children and young people are supported to enjoy a wide range of experiences that may not be available to them otherwise. Staff are very creative in their approach to providing activities within the home and opportunities for a wide range of interesting outings. These outings are extremely well researched. What is particularly impressive is the way that staff are effective in overcoming barriers and limitations that children with a range of disabilities might otherwise face. It is clear that children‘s short break experiences add to their own lives as well as providing much appreciated support to their families.  Staff have a really good awareness of the vulnerability of the children and

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The children's home provision is good because:

young people in their care. They show an excellent understanding and awareness of the protection needs of children with disabilities.  The manager and staff are effective in their partnership working with parents and other professionals. One parent said that the home is ‗excellent‘ and that ‗staff could not be any better‘ and that all children and young people ‗receive an equally amazing quality of care and support‘.  The manager and staff have continued to make steady and sustained improvements to the home. For example, staff are very mindful of the importance of creating as attractive and child-friendly environment as possible and minimising its clinical impact. Bedrooms have all been redecorated, each providing themes such as a woodland room and a space room. Work continues in the garden to provide children and young people with opportunities to enjoy growing flowers, vegetables and herbs. The sensory potential of the garden is being fully explored to benefit children

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The children's home provision is good because:

and young people. The home is still hoping to build an extension to create an indoor sensory experience, which will provide much appreciated additional space and opportunities .

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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

In order to meet the quality and purpose of care standard, with particular reference to the blending of meals, the registered provider must ensure that staff— (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(iii) treat each child with dignity and respect. 8 May 2016

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (―the independent person‘s report‖) which sets out, in particular, the independent person‘s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and the conduct of the home promotes children‘s well-being (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)). 31 May 2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Any home using CCTV or other monitoring equipment should have a written policy describing how this will support the safeguarding and well-being of those living and working in the home in accordance with Regulation 24. In particular, the standard operating policy needs to be specific to the home and not a generic document to ensure that staff are clear about the expectations upon them to safeguard and protect the privacy of children and young people (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 16, paragraph 3.16).  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, a review of a recent serious incident involving one of the home's minibuses should be fully reflected

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Recommendations

upon to seek ways to further safeguard children and young people in the event of emergency evacuation from the vehicle being necessary (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 42, paragraph 9.5).  In some extreme cases where children have very complex care needs, a child may need to be restrained by mechanical or chemical means. Any use of such restraint should follow a rigorous assessment process and, as with any restraint, be necessary and proportionate. In particular, the use of specialist orthotic chairs should be fully discussed and consent recorded for each child and young person (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 47, paragraph 9.45).  Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 54, paragraph 10.22).

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Recommendations

 All children's case records must be stored securely while they remain in the home (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 62, paragraph 14.3).  The registered manager‘s review of quality of care should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home's care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home (‗Guide to the Children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 65, paragraph 15.4).

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned by a national organisation that has other similar homes in the area. It provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people at a time. However, due to many of the young people having large specialist wheelchairs, the home usually accommodates four young people at a time. The home is equipped to provide care and support for children and young people who have a physical disability, a learning disability and/or a sensory impairment .

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17 December 2015 CH – Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

21 January 2015 CH – Interim Sustained effectiveness

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people living in the home are

Children and young people who attend for short breaks benefit from their experience. They have opportunities to mix with peers and enjoy a wide range of activities and outings. Children and young people receive highly personalised care, which is tailored to meet their diverse and complex needs. Really good emphasis is given to providing continuity of care and routines, which is achieved by effective communication with parents and other professionals. Children and young people benefit from the care and support that they receive from staff who are attentive, caring and professional. Observations throughout the inspection confirmed that children and young people feel secure in their relationships with their carers. Staff know the children and young people very well. Many of the staff have supported the children and young people during short breaks for several years. They are highly invested in the safety and well-being of

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people living in the home are

each of the children and young people. Care plans are detailed and informative. They are regularly updated and staff participate in detailed daily discussions about the children and young people who are visiting and if any of their needs have changed. Some individual files are very full and staff need to be mindful to keep information secure. There is effective communication between the home, school and parents. All contribute to helping children and young people to have positive experiences and make progress. The home is well equipped and designed to meet the needs of the children and young people who visit for short breaks. Staff have worked hard to provide a child- friendly environment and reduce the impact of clinical requirements. Careful and considered planning contributes to children and young people feeling welcomed and valued during their stay. Excellent attention is given to personalise bedrooms

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people living in the home are

in preparation for each child. This means that children and young people are surrounded by their own personal possessions such as cuddly toys, bed quilts, cushions, bunting and photographs. There is an extensive staff team in place with a diverse range of backgrounds and qualifications. Staff receive ongoing training opportunities and support through team meetings and supervision. They place the well-being of individual children and young people at the centre of their practice, irrespective of the challenges that they may present. For safety reasons, some children and young people need to have their food blended. It was noted that the whole meal is blended together. The inspector raised the importance of blending and presenting items separately to provide a more enjoyable eating experience in terms of appearance and taste. Judgement grade

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people are helped and protected

There is very good attention given to children and young people being and feeling safe. At least one-to-one staffing levels are provided and staff are very attentive. They keep children and young people under their constant supervision while also striking the difficult balance of allowing them to experience some degree of autonomy and independence. Individual care records are detailed and informative. They are compiled and agreed with parents and other professionals, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists. The children and young people who visit this home will need support throughout their life. Many have complex physical, learning and sensory needs which make them particularly vulnerable. Staff are very mindful of this. They are very thorough in their recording and their follow up of any matters of concern. Detailed records are maintained and information is appropriately shared. They have specialist safeguarding and first aid training and work closely in an open and

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people are helped and protected

transparent way with other professionals. Parents and professionals consulted during this inspection conveyed a unanimous opinion that staff have an excellent understanding of the protection needs of children with disabilities. One parent said of the staff and the home that she was ‗overwhelmed by their dedication and I always feel my son is safe there‘. Staffing arrangements provide for really good levels of continuity. Staff turnover is exceptionally low. There have been no new appointments in the last year and some staff have worked with the children and young people for most of their lives. The benefit of staff files having a detailed front sheet evidencing that safer recruiting procedures have been carried out was discussed during this inspection. The home uses night time video monitoring. This is subject to individual risk assessment and consent. There is a standard operating policy in place regarding

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people are helped and protected

the use of monitoring, but this needs to be specific to the home and not a generic document to ensure that staff are clear about the expectations upon them to safeguard and protect the privacy of children and young people. The home has recently purchased two specialist orthotic chairs and it was recommended that their use should be fully discussed and consent recorded for each child and young person who is likely to use them. Each child and young person has a fire safety evacuation plan that details how to support them safely from the building in the event of an emergency. This is included in their individual care file. A recent serious incident, while out travelling in one of the home‘s adapted vehicles, was well handled by staff, but it has highlighted the need for a more robust risk assessment and staff guidance in the event of emergency evacuation being necessary from the vehicle. Judgement grade

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leaders and managers

The registered manager has been in post since November 2015. She has suitable experience, a level 3 diploma in Residential Childcare and has started a level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management. She hopes to complete this qualification by November 2017. She is due to go on maternity leave and the company is in the process of arranging to appoint a temporary manager who will submit an application for registration to Ofsted. The staff team is made up of registered nurses and carers. The diverse qualifications and experience of staff complement each other and staff are working effectively together. All staff are appropriately qualified. Just one member of the team who commenced employment two years ago has to have her level 3 diploma in Residential Childcare signed off. Qualified nurses have maintained their registration and receive clinical supervision every three months. In addition, they have either completed a level 5 diploma in Leadership and Management or are

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leaders and managers

currently part way through this qualification. Staff feel well supported through their training opportunities, regular team meetings and supervision. Currently, all of the team are made up of female staff and the benefits of having staff from the different gender groups is acknowledged as desirable but this has not been achievable due to the very low staff turnover that this service enjoys. The home‘s strengths and weaknesses are understood and there is a sense of a developing service with aspirations to provide an increasingly good-quality experience for the children and young people who visit. Over the last year, further improvements have taken place to create a more homely and less clinical environment. Great emphasis continues to be placed on providing a wide range of community-based activities and ensuring that children and young people have opportunities similar to their peers. One parent said that ‗what is brilliant is the

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leaders and managers

range of outings, such as a trip on a steam train to see Santa‘ . Monitoring takes place regularly. This includes monthly visits by an independent visitor. The independent visitor‘s report is detailed and the manager finds these visits beneficial. The need for this report to include the independent person's opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded and that the conduct of the home promotes children's well-being was discussed during the inspection. In particular, this statement needs to be an evaluation that reflects the findings of the actual visit and should not feel like a standardised statement. The manager‘s own review of quality of care is also detailed. It would benefit from being more evaluative to ensure that it is an effective tool for continuous improvement in the home. One requirement and three recommendations made at the previous inspection have now been addressed. Adjustments have been made to practices and the use

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leaders and managers

of video monitoring to ensure that children‘s and young people‘s rights to confidentiality are protected. A recommendation is made in this report that the standard operating policy reflects this, as currently it is too generic. The frequency of supervision has improved, the children‘s guide is provided in an accessible format and the timing of when medication is given has been reviewed with parents.

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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 that 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

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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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