Children's home in Westminster

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:

 Young people are making good progress as a result of receiving consistent, safe care and there has also been a reduction in risk-taking behaviours.  Staff know the individual needs of young people well. There are positive relationships between young people, their peers and staff.

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The children’s home provision is good because:

 Young people contribute to decisions about their care. They report that they have opportunities to influence their plans and that they know how to complain or raise concerns.   Staff celebrate young people’s achievements. They support and encourage young people to develop their skills and talents.  There is a requirement for the registered manager to ensure that all young people have up-to-date care plans and a requirement to ensure that all young people are in full-time education arrangements.

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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

14: The care planning standard is that children receive well- planned care from the home and have a positive admission and transition experience.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular the registered manager ensures that:

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Requirement Due date

(c) each child’s relevant plans are followed. 30 September

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

(2) In particular the standard requires the registered manager to ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(a)(viii) help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible. 30 September

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home is registered for five children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

13 January 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

5 March 2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

p.5

Good

Young people have developed positive relationships with staff and staff know, and meet, their individual needs well.

p.6

Good

Consultation with young people is embedded in the care they receive. Young people contribute to decisions about their daily routines and the development of the home. For example they were heavily involved in choosing the decor of the home and particularly what their rooms looked like. When the development plan for the home was reviewed, staff and young people were involved in the planning day. Young people are supported to contribute to their care planning. The independent visitor also consults with them about their care and there is an advocacy service that is regularly available to them. There has been one complaint by a young person that was investigated and a resolution agreed with the young person. The manager ensured that information was shared with staff to learn lessons from the complaint.

p.6

Good

Staff celebrate young people’s achievements and encourage them to develop their skills and talents. There is an incentive scheme for young people to volunteer to support staff with the maintenance in the home. This is an opportunity for them to learn new skills and to receive a reward for contributing to the task. Two young people discussed this enthusiastically with the inspector. Young people have also contributed to raising funds for charity in the community, and one young person had recently made cakes for a sale. The managers liaise closely with the parish council and role model good community relations.

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Good

The admission process is child centred, young people are encouraged to visit the home prior to admission and they receive a comprehensive welcome pack. Some young people have had chaotic, challenging lives and staff provide consistent guidance, nurturing care, good boundaries and structure. As a result, young people benefit from experiencing stable care and routines.

p.6

Good

The home provides an independence skills package that young people complete, which is valuable evidence of their skills and knowledge for accommodation and training providers. Staff take into account their ages and abilities and tailor the package to individual needs. Young people who have moved on have done so in a planned way and as a result of recommendations from multi-agency meetings.

p.6

Good

Staff in this home are supporting young people to lead healthy lifestyles. A recent development is the implementation of a smoking minimisation policy, and this has been effective in reducing smoking. In addition a well-being menu plan has been introduced with low-calorie, healthy meal options. Young people are responding positively to these choices, which staff encourage.

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Good

All young people have detailed health plans. They are supported to attend preventative health appointments and are referred to specialist services when this is required.

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Good

Staff proactively support contact arrangements with friends and family. They liaise with social workers to ensure that checks are undertaken and contact is agreed as part of a safe plan. As a result, young people are able to maintain and enjoy relationships and friendships that they have identified as important to them.

p.7

Good

Staff and an education tutor liaise with virtual school leads and relevant schools and colleges to ensure that young people are receiving a good standard of education and training. In some cases, liaison involves daily contact to support young people to settle and to do well in school. Staff provide transport to support one young person to attend school. Another young person, recently admitted to the home, is attending alternative education provision while a full-time school place is being identified. Staff are liaising closely with the young person’s social worker to ensure that a good school placement is secured. Unfortunately there has been delay in progressing one young person’s education plan, which means that they have not received the full-time education that they are entitled to and which would support them to reach their potential. Managers have liaised with the responsible local authority, but they accept that there should be a more robust challenge when

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Good

placements are being planned to ensure that all arrangements are in place for young people. In addition, they need to ensure that all essential information is shared at the point of admission and that the home receives up-to-date plans as the placement progresses. For one young person this was not the case. This means that an up-to-date, good quality care plan was not available to inform the young person’s placement plan. The manager is now escalating concerns about this with the placing local authority. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

Young people become safer as a result of living in this home. There are detailed individual behaviour and risk plans, which are well implemented by staff. Young people are involved in devising these strategies to reduce risks and change behaviours.

p.8

Good

Staff work with young people on a range of issues to increase their awareness and knowledge about risk-taking behaviours. For example, providing information and holding discussions about risks associated with substance misuse, or the use of social media. Staff seek advice from the child and adolescent mental health team and other specialist services to support young people with additional needs, such as with their emotional welfare. This means that there are reduced incidents of aggressive behaviours within the home, improving relationships with peers and young people experience stable and secure relationships.

p.8

Good

There have been concerns about the impact of substance misuse and challenging behaviours by some young people in the home. These have been carefully monitored and addressed. The manager has requested meetings with professionals to review the placements and consider the safety and well-being of all of the residents. As a result, two young people’s care plans were reviewed and changed. Managers ensure that social workers and family are kept informed of anything significant that happens in a young person’s life. This includes sharing weekly summaries of the young person’s progress. Young people are involved in the discussions and decision-making about their care plans.

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Good

Staff receive training to de-escalate challenging behaviours and defuse incidents. There have been a low number of physical interventions, as these are used as a last resort to prevent harm to young people. They are recorded in detail and each incident is reviewed by managers. These records are also reviewed by the independent visitor.

p.8

Good

There have been a very low number of young people being missing from care and a low number of young people leaving the home without permission. When this does happen staff remain in contact with young people to monitor their safety, they proactively search for young people and promptly report and share information with police and social workers. Following a young person going missing staff try to identify the cause of the absence and put strategies in place and share information with involved professionals to try to prevent it happening again. There have been concerns about some young people in the home being vulnerable to exploitation. Staff have been trained in completing assessment tools about exploitation with young people. They also liaise and consult with police and multi- agency teams, with the aim of keeping young people safe. Young people’s relationships and contacts are sensitively monitored and risks have reduced. All

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Good

plans and interventions are subject to review in meetings with professionals.

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Good

Young people new to the home receive information about respecting their peers, particularly about respecting each other’s privacy. There is very clear information that bullying behaviour is not tolerated. There has been a concern about the impact of some of the young people’s disruptive behaviours on the emotional welfare of one young person, and this was robustly addressed. The inspector was satisfied that this was an isolated incident and that the young person concerned has been supported. The manager has reviewed all of the information with social workers.

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Good

One young person said: ‘This home is particularly good at helping me to feel safe. I can’t put into words how they do this but there is nothing I want to change here.’

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Good

Young people know and understand how to make complaints. They are encouraged to report concerns or grumbles to a number of appropriate contacts. Staff and managers understand their procedures regarding raising concerns about suspected harm of children and young people. Training for staff on safeguarding children and young people is regularly updated. Staff have access to links with the Local Safeguarding Children Board and the manager appropriately consults with the designated officer. There have been two allegations that the manager referred to the designated officer, and they were investigated by an independent manager. Recommendations from the investigations have been acted upon.

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Good

The registered manager is an experienced, appropriately qualified manager. She is committed to leading a child-centred and skilled team and ensuring that young people in her care are making progress.

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Good

She ensures that staff receive regular supervision, training and development opportunities. Staff report that they feel supported by their managers, and that supervision and team meetings provide opportunities to reflect on practice and to improve skills and knowledge.

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Good

A member of staff said: ‘The manager is brilliant, a really hard worker, she will often help out. I know that I can go to her for support and for training and get a positive response.’

p.10

Good

The managers are aware of the home’s strengths and areas for development. They have recently held a development day to review the plans for the home.

p.10

Good

There is evidence of good partnership working with police, youth offending services, education settings, voluntary organisations and health services. This ensures that information is effectively shared so that young people’s needs are known, understood and are being met. The manager seeks feedback from services to improve practice and to celebrate good practice. Staff have received positive feedback from professionals about the progress that young people are making. One social worker said: ’This young person is more socially able since living in this home. They have reduced substance misuse, reduced missing episodes and they are living in a more stable environment. They are definitely safer.’

p.10

Good

The manager has requested meetings with professionals when the staff have assessed that they can no longer meet the needs of a young person. The manager and staff recognise that a planned move is more beneficial for the young person.

p.10

Good

There is a detailed referral and matching process so that the best decisions are made for young people coming to live in the home. Young people are encouraged to visit, and the needs of the current residents are taken into account before a decision is made about a new admission to the home. The managers give careful consideration to the combination of needs and check out as much information as possible prior to agreeing a placement.

p.10

Good

The manager ensures that significant information about the welfare of the young people is notified to the appropriate authorities. There are a range of monitoring mechanisms in place to quality assure the care that young people are receiving, the staff performance and the support to staff. The independent visitor reports monthly. There are quality assurance visits by placing authorities, usually annually. There are auditing systems by managers, an overview of performance indicators and health and safety monthly audits. This information is generally positive, and where there are recommendations the manager responds to them in a timely way. This information is shared with staff and informs development plans. As a result, staff and managers know the strengths and areas for development of the service.

p.10

Good

This inspection identified some inconsistencies in the quality of young people’s records and some delay in progressing one young person’s education placement. The inspection found that placing local authorities had been challenged about providing the relevant information and securing the education placement, but concerns had not been escalated. The manager is developing a robust process to ensure that essential plans are shared from the start of a placement and updated plans are also shared in a timely way. In addition, the manager will ensure that education placements are prioritised from the start of a placement.

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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 children looked after 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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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