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 stable and nurturing care which enables them to build trusting relationships with staff.  Young people have been supported to stay safe. There has been a reduction in reports of young people missing or being absent from the home without permission.  Professionals report that young people have enhanced emotional resilience and maturity.  Staff promote safe contact arrangements with family and friends.  The staff in this home are led by an experienced, enthusiastic management team. Staff report that they are supported and receive good quality training and development opportunities.  Young people are supported and encouraged to contribute to the community and to develop skills and talents. Achievements are celebrated by staff and 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 the ‘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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Requirement Due date

13: The leadership and management standard In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

2 (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

This is with specific reference to the following:

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Requirement Due date

the quality assurance of external monitoring processes

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Requirement Due date

having systems in place to demonstrate progress, that are easily accessible and tell the child’s story

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Requirement Due date

improving the home’s development plan. 21 October

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Staff must help each child to prepare for any moves from the home, whether they are returning home, moving to another placement or adult care, or to live independently. This includes supporting the child to develop emotional and mental resilience to cope without the home’s support and, where the child is moving to live independently, practical skills such as cooking, housework, budgeting and personal self-care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.27)

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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

4 February 2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26 March 2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Young people benefit from good relationships with staff and managers. There is an effective admission process that is planned and ensures that there is a good transfer of information about each young person’s needs. Young people are welcomed to the home and are provided with a helpful information pack. They are involved in agreeing their placement plan, and their behaviour and risk plans. This means that all staff know each young person’s individual needs from the start.

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Good

Staff ensure that there are structured daily routines agreed for each young person. Education is prioritised, and some of the young people have made significant progress in their attendance and attainment since living in this home. One young person arrived with an excellent education record and the home has supported him to maintain this. He is ambitious and aspirational. The education tutor, along with care staff, has assisted him in planning his subject choices.

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Good

Young people are confident about expressing their views and report that they are consulted with regularly about the home and about their care plans. There are monthly consultation questionnaires, weekly residents’ meetings and surveys for young people addressing ‘feeling safe’. Managers review all of this information and respond using ‘you said, we did’ feedback. If any young person expresses a concern about safety, the manager will immediately meet with them.

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Good

Young people are encouraged to share their views, wishes and feelings with social workers and independent reviewing officers. They also meet the independent visitor regularly and have access to advocates.

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Good

One young person said: ‘If I have any problems I will speak to the manager straight away. I am learning cooking and how to budget to buy my food for the week. This will help me when I leave here. I like living here, there is nothing I want to change.’

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Good

Each young person has a health plan that details routine health appointments and any specialist referrals. Emotional health needs are included. There is an effective smoking minimisation policy, and young people are encouraged to have a balanced diet and to exercise as part of their daily routines. Staff continually review and respond to each young person’s health needs. Information to raise awareness about the impact on health of risk-taking behaviours, such as substance misuse, is shared with young people in individual sessions and group sessions.

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Good

Young people are learning life and independence skills to support them when they move on. One young person has recently completed a Prince’s Trust training course and is currently focusing on moving into independent accommodation. Unfortunately, the evidence of young people developing skills and knowledge to support them when they move on is inconsistent. In one case, this was partly attributable to the reluctance of the young person involved to undertake life skills work. Although the feedback from the young people themselves, and from involved professionals, was positive about their progress, concrete evidence that independence skills have been acquired would assist young people when they are applying for accommodation and training. It will also improve the staff’s and professionals’ assessments of young people’s progress and the impact on the life chances of young people. Therefore, a recommendation is made to improve the

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Good

records of progress made in developing independence skills.

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Good

The home is comfortable and all of the young people have personalised rooms. The atmosphere in the home is calm, and young people interact positively with peers and staff.

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Good

Contact arrangements are an important part of each young person’s placement plan. Staff proactively promote contact for young people with family and friends, and ensure that information is shared with case responsible social workers and relevant agencies. Checks are undertaken to ensure that contact is planned and safe. As a result, young people benefit from maintaining important relationships.

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Good

Young people report that they feel safe as a result of living in this home and the care they receive. Staff frequently, formally and informally, evaluate how safe young people are feeling. This includes direct work undertaken to meet individual needs and consultation for planning meetings and young people’s meetings.

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Good

Aggressive behaviours displayed by young people have significantly reduced. Staff are trained in safe de-escalation techniques and in intervening to prevent harm. Physical intervention is used as a last resort. There are a low number of physical interventions. A manager or an independent person always speaks to young people after any incidents. Managers also request professionals’ meetings to address difficulties in relationships between peers. Such proactive strategies to address behaviour management have also reduced risks and concerns about offending behaviour by young people.

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Good

Key working sessions provide evidence of work to raise awareness about the impact of substance misuse, the safe use of digital technology, an understanding of sexual exploitation and safe relationships.

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Good

Where there have been concerns about unauthorised absences, the records are comprehensive, capturing a chronology of concerns, an interview when the young person returns, and an assessment of risks of exploitation. As a result, staff target support for the young person to prevent further incidents of missing or an escalation in challenging behaviours.

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Good

There have been incidents of conflict between young people in the group. Staff have responded promptly to these, and mediation sessions have been offered. Some incidents have raised concerns about potential bullying behaviours. These were robustly addressed. The manager convened a professionals’ meeting of relevant social workers, and strategies and actions were agreed to prevent any further concerns. One social worker reported that he was very impressed by the home’s response, by the timeliness of the manager’s intervention, and the effectiveness of the measures put in place. An independent reviewing officer reported that the young person she works with has: ‘Developed emotional resilience and maturity. They are calmer, less aggressive and able to reflect upon their actions, as a result of the care received in this home.’

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Good

Recruitment records, policies and procedures demonstrate an understanding of safe recruitment practices. All staff are subject to robust vetting processes, and have a probationary period that includes training and induction. There is ongoing monitoring of staff, and the induction training covers expectations about the conduct of adults working with children and young people.

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Good

Staff and managers are familiar with procedures for reporting allegations against staff who work with children and young people. There have not been any allegations against staff since the last inspection. Staff receive regular supervision, which provides the opportunity to raise any concerns. Judgement grade

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Good

The registered manager is ambitious for the home, with a clear focus on improving outcomes for children and young people. She provides strong leadership and the staff hold her in high regard. She is able to recognise the home’s strengths and areas for development.

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Good

The registered manager has two years’ experience in this post and was the deputy manager for two years prior to this. She holds a management qualification, as stipulated in the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015.

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Good

The deputy manager is an experienced practitioner and manager, with a level 5 qualification in leadership and management. Both managers are committed to developing the staff team and, on the day of inspection, a team development day was taking place.

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Good

The home benefits from a generally stable and experienced staff team. Staff are well trained, with new staff having a clear induction programme and appraisal process. Staff report that the training they receive is at an appropriate level to support their practice. Aspirations are encouraged, with opportunities to undertake specialist training and other career development. Recent staff illness has presented a challenge but this has been thoughtfully managed. Additional support was arranged by other homes in the provider group, and these staff were known by the young people.

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Good

All staff are familiar with safeguarding procedures. Staff receive regular supervision and contribute to team meetings. Staff report that they can also seek support from managers at any time.

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Good

The home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the young people.

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Good

The home is subject to internal and external monitoring. The registered manager has challenged the content of recent external monitoring reports. Systems for quality assurance of the service require further consideration to ensure that they are helpful to the development of the home.

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Good

Both managers demonstrate a sound understanding of the young people as individuals and they are very knowledgeable in respect of the young people’s needs. There is evidence that young people are making good progress, and this is supported by very positive feedback from involved professionals. However, the systems in place to support all staff to track and monitor young people’s progress require improvement. A process for evidencing young people’s progress from their starting points should be more readily accessible. Staff celebrate the achievements of young people, but the capturing of aspirational plans requires development.

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Good

Staff speak positively about the home and the support they receive in their day-to- day work. There is an acknowledgment of recent staffing challenges and staff are confident that these are being addressed. Staff are receptive to new ideas and feel that their own contributions are valued. This presents an opportunity to review the home’s development plan and ensure that staff and young people fully participate in this.

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Good

Relationships with professionals are good and positive links are being developed in the community.

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Good

The registered manager makes child-centred decisions regarding matching, and fully considers the needs of all of the young people in the home in this decision- making.

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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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