Children's home run by Park Lane Residential Home Limited in Brent

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 make good progress from their original starting points as a result of the care they receive. Staff meet the identified needs of young people well.  Young people’s relationships with staff are good. The staff team take seriously young people’s views and opinions and this helps to shape the kind of care and support they receive. Young people are happy with the care provided and do not make complaints against the service.  Young people have excellent access to and make good use of social and recreational activities that they enjoy. Staff are aware of young people’s preferred activities and use these as incentives to promote positive behaviour. Young people do not exhibit challenging behaviour.  Young people feel safe at the home. Staff demonstrate good safe care practices and there are effective policies in place to protect young people from harm and abuse.  The staff group work in effective partnership with other professionals to ensure

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The children’s home provision is good because:

that young people are safe and that their care is well coordinated.  Staff work hard to help young people engage with their education. They are persistent in identifying appropriate educational provision and supporting young people’s engagement.  Young people live healthy lifestyles. When they misuse substances, they participate in appropriate community-based services to help curb this behaviour.  Young people have the opportunity to develop skills to help them become more independent in preparation for adulthood.  Staff receive good support, training and supervision to help them work effectively with young people.  The leadership and management of the service has significantly improved since the last inspection. Newly appointed managers have implemented good systems to enhance service improvement and positive outcomes for 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

45 (1) The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (‘a quality of care review’) at least once every 6 months. hele

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Requirement Due date

(2) In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating (a) the quality of care provided for children; (b) the feedback and opinions of children about the children's home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and (c) any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. . (3) After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (‘the quality of care review report’).

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered person must (a) supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and (b) make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home. 01/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure staff understand the home’s behaviour management strategy. In particular, to ensure that staff devise behavioural management plans for each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.34)  Ensure that all staff receive adequate training in the principles of restraint. Any restraint techniques are appropriate to the needs of the children living in the home as defined in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.57)

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of five young people. The home caters for young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

02/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

06/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people receive personalised care tailored to help address their identified needs. Their experiences at the home are positive; they feel safe and know who to approach if they have concerns or worries. Young people are complimentary about the care they receive, they feel listened to and believe staff are interested in their well-being.

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Good

Staff encourage young people to help make complex decisions that affect their lives. They also have influence over their day-to-day care. For example, one young person moved bedrooms at his request. Young people routinely attend placement planning meetings and looked after children’s reviews and key-work sessions to ensure that they share their views and opinions about current and future planning. A young person’s looked after children’s review states, ‘The IRO spoke with X on his own before the review. X likes his new placement … he feels it is a safer area.’ Staff encourage young people to visit their friends and family when it is safe for them to do so.

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Good

Young people receive clear information about how to make complaints and how to access independent advocates. The service has received no complaints since the last inspection.

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Good

Young people have access to educational provision that meets their learning needs. For example, in the absence of immediate school enrolment, one young person, new to the home, received home tuition. This promotes learning and educational objectives. Staff members’ liaison with educational professionals is persistent, to ensure young people receive an appropriate education. Young people have access to quiet space and computer access to enhance their learning.

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Good

Young people have access to a range of leisure activities that are of their choosing. For one young person, this includes enrolment in basketball and a music production programme. This supports his strong interest in the music business, his chosen career path. Staff are keen to encourage positive recreational activities that young people identify for themselves. For example, staff have also purchased keyboards and a full-sized mirror to support the young person’s growing confidence in music and lyrical performances.

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Good

Young people have very good opportunities to develop their independent skills. This is because some of the current staff team have extensive experience of working with young adults living in semi-independent accommodation. As a result, young people have access to a comprehensive semi-independent programme that assesses their needs, and provides opportunities for them to develop practical skills to help them prepare for adulthood. Some young people are currently developing skills in shopping, budgeting, cooking and improving their personal hygiene.

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Good

Staff manage plans for young people to move on to alternative accommodation sensitively and well. They encourage these young people to maintain contact with the staff team for ongoing practical and emotional support.

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Good

Young people’s health outcomes are variable, as they largely do not take responsibility for living healthy lifestyles. Some have a history of alcohol and substance misuse, which continues. Staff are working diligently with young people to improve their health outcomes. Staff promote registration with primary health care services and support young people to attend appointments. Success here is also variable, as young people do not consider this a priority.

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Good

Young people have access to required specialist healthcare services. This includes mental health services and engagement with community-based substance misuse programmes. Managers and staff have effective relationships with relevant healthcare professionals and ensure that young people have annual medical assessments. This is to ensure staff are aware of any emerging healthcare needs and that they are resolved effectively.

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Good

Staff pay attention to and address young people’s identity needs. Staff ensure they promote any religious or faith needs, by promoting attendance at places of worship if desired. Young people have good access to nutritious meals that meet their religious and cultural needs. Staff encourage young people who identify with popular sub-cultures to participate safely and appropriately. For example, staff support one young person’s involvement with a rap music programme that proactively promotes positive messages and lifestyles.

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Good

Young people share positive relationships with the staff team. One young person says of his key worker, ‘She’s very easy to talk to’. An external professional made the following comment on a feedback form: ‘I like the family style organisation I have observed. I believe it works for children well.’ Critical incidents are rare. Staff are consistent in their messages about acceptable behaviour and staff regularly reinforce this during one-to-one key-work sessions with young people. Staff treat young people with dignity and respect and promote the concept of choice. This is evident in young people’s participation in meal planning, clothes shopping and the decoration of their individual bedrooms. Staff conduct room searches in the presence of young people when this is at all possible. This is in acknowledgement that young people’s bedrooms are private spaces.

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Good

Young people have good opportunity to maintain contact with family members and friends if they so wish. Staff particularly encourage this if young people are living a long way from home. Staff and social workers negotiate contact arrangements that facilitate safe meetings between young people and their significant others. This is to maintain established family relationships, support, and promote a positive sense of heritage. If young people choose not to have contact with their parents, staff respect this and explore issues sensitively in key-work sessions. This is to give young people an opportunity to explore in a safe environment family relationships and dynamics.

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Good

Young people feel safe and protected from neglect, harm and abuse. They benefit from the organisation’s clear and comprehensive child protection policies and procedures, which are familiar to the staff group. This was not the case at the last inspection. Staff receive regular training and guidance in relation to safeguarding and this is in young people’s best interests. Recent staff training has included training in child sexual exploitation and the prevention of radicalisation.

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Good

Staff are consistent and clear about setting boundaries, which offer young people structure to help keep them safe. They understand that young people’s behaviour is sometimes influenced by their previous experiences and so staff are careful and sensitive in working with young people about their presentation and behaviour. Staff do not, however, devise behaviour management plans for all young people. This is necessary, even for those young people who do not present with behavioural challenges, to alert staff to possible triggers and provide insight into how issues are to be resolved.

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Good

Staff make use of rewards and incentives to encourage positive behaviour. Young people help decide what rewards should be offered to encourage them to act appropriately. For example, one young person negotiated the purchase of a large mirror for his room as an incentive to help him develop his performance as a rap artist. Staff rarely make use of sanctions, as this is less effective than positive reinforcement.

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Good

Staff have a keen focus on the prevention of bullying and young people do not experience bullying. There are clear policies in place, which include information about cyber bullying. This was not the case at the last inspection. Staff complete training about how to prevent bullying and there are creative posters in communal areas to advise young people of action to take if they are subject to bullying. Staff carefully monitor young people’s use of the internet and social media to ensure that access is safe.

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Good

Young people benefit from individualised risk assessments that address known and anticipated risks. This is in an effort to reduce and eliminate risky behaviour. Staff are vigilant in their supervision of young people; where concerns are of a child protection nature, staff adhere to safeguarding procedures to promote young people’s safety. This is particularly evident in staff’s management of young people going missing.

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Good

The frequency of young people going missing is high, but staff manage incidents appropriately. There is consistent communication with key professionals such as the allocated social worker, local police and school personnel and key family members. This is to ensure that those involved with the young person’s care are fully aware of issues and risks. Staff are proactive in sharing pertinent information and strictly adhere to missing person’s protocols. Managers do not hesitate to prompt multi-agency strategy meetings to address persistent episodes of unauthorised absences and missing from home. Staff speak with young people upon their return home to try to establish where they have been, with whom and whether any new risks are emerging. No young person is involved or suspected of being involved in child sexual exploitation.

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Good

The staff’s management of allegations against staff was cause for concern at the last inspection. Since this time, the staff team have discussed revised policies and practice in team meetings, and have received training. This is to ensure that staff are aware of relevant protocols and are able to protect children in the event that they make an allegation. There is a good working relationship with relevant local authority designated officers (LADOs) to promote further the protection of young people.

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Good

The home’s recruitment and vetting of staff is safe. This was not the case at the last inspection and staff recruitment practices were a cause for concern. Managers have improved on staff vetting practices and can now evidence all vetting information as required. This ensures that the staff team are suitable to work with vulnerable young people.

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Good

Staff conduct room searches for some young people known to harbour illegal substances in their bedrooms. Room searches are in agreement with the placing authority and are an effective measure to promote the safety of young people and others. Room searches involve, where possible, the young person and two members of staff. This is important to ensure there are witnesses to any hazardous objects found and to their removal.

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Good

The home’s building is physically safe and secure to meet the needs of young people. There are no health and safety issues. Staff ensure that there are good fire precaution systems in place and they conduct regular building checks. Staff have recently replaced fire doors to increase the safety of the premises. The home’s CCTV provides additional security to young people living at the home. The building has undergone a programme of redecoration, noticeably in bedrooms, and there is new furniture. As a result, the home’s decor is more modernised, the home is comfortable and young people are happy with their surroundings. Judgement grade

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Good

This inspection notes significant improvement in the management and leadership of the home. A newly appointed, permanent manager is now in place; she is currently going through Ofsted’s registration process. Under this new leadership, the service has an increased focus on compliance with the regulations and improving the quality of the service. The home’s recent staff recruitment drive has been successful and has resulted in the appointment of a new, well-qualified staff team. This includes the appointment of a qualified social worker. One member of staff told the inspector, ‘There are good lines of accountability. Not autocratic. Now there is effective team working with young people at the centre of all we do.’ The home’s workforce plan and recruitment to vacant positions has been successful. This promotes a good skill mix of the staff team that meets the needs of young people well.

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Good

The manager is an experienced, skilled professional, currently undertaking the required level 5 leadership and management award. She leads the staff group by example and has realistic ambitions for the service. The manager’s support and supervision of the staff team is good in ensuring the standard of care provided is high. The manager receives support and supervision through an external consultant. Supervision sessions are regular and meaningful. The staff have good experience of working with vulnerable children and young people and have appropriate qualifications to meet the needs of those who they care for.

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Good

Managers and leaders are visible and have clear ambition for the development of the service. Managers monitor the individual progress made by young people well. This is through the review of weekly plans and monthly placement summary reports. Staff regularly ask young people their views about placement progress and issues. General feedback about the service is available via the distribution of feedback forms to stakeholders. One comment about staff’s communication states, ‘Happy with communications? Very much so. R keeps me informed of any changes and discusses every session with me. I think this communication is excellent.’ Professionals’ feedback informs leaders of what is working well and helps identify areas for improvement.

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Good

Managers ensure that an independent person consistently conducts monthly monitoring visits. Subsequent reports highlight strengths and weaknesses of the service and support development and improved outcomes for young people. However, managers failed to produce any quality of care reports as required by the regulations. This is important to provide managers and leaders with an effective overview to help highlight any shortfalls that require remedial action to help improve services overall. Staff training opportunities are good. Newly employed staff undergo an induction, and training thereafter is relevant and wide-ranging. The manager ensures that staff are aware of new legislation and guidance. This is to support safe care practices within the staff team. Staff are yet to receive training in physical intervention. Leaders accept that such training is useful to ensure that staff are equipped to defuse challenging situations safely.

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Good

Stakeholders have access to clear information about the service through the home’s statement of purpose. The document outlines well the aims and objectives of the home and services provided. The children’s guide is a creative summary of services offered, for the use of young people.

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Good

The quality of professional relationships between staff, key partners and families is very good and communication between the parties is effective. This is to ensure that those involved in young people’s lives are aware of placement progress and issues, and have an opportunity to contribute to care planning.

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Good

The leadership of the home has improved significantly and its management is now very effective. This has a positive impact on the experiences and safety of young people and the quality of care provided.

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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 that 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

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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