Children's home run by The Qalb Short Break Services Ltd in Tower Hamlets

Outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the home contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

 Young people come for short breaks to a safe and welcoming environment where they have the opportunity to build nurturing relationships outside their own families with staff and their peer group.  Young people can enjoy a range of high quality, exciting activities and experiences, which may not be easily accessible at home. This helps them to develop their independence skills.  Young people receive a great short breaks service in a clean and homely setting. They receive choices of rooms, meals and activities.  An extremely experienced and committed staff team, led by a strong registered manager, provides consistent services to young people.  Young people receive high quality assessments and preparation when they begin receiving a service. This helps them to settle in well and enjoy the experience of spending time away from their homes.  Safety and protection take high priority. Staffing levels are high to ensure

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The children’s home provision is outstanding because:

excellent supervision of young people, particularly when they are out in the community.  Young people are helped to understand other communities, by being encouraged to participate in a fantastic range of cultural and religious celebrations.  Minor shortfalls in leadership and management at this inspection have not directly affected the high level of service offered to young people. The areas of shortfall are in staff qualification, timescales of staff appraisal and consistently updating case records.

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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

The registered person must ensure that, by the relevant date, the individual has attained: the level 3 diploma for residential childcare (England) (‘the level 3 diploma’). The relevant date is, in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(5)(b)) 31/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member over the year and the children in the home’s care. As part of the performance management process, poor performance should be addressed by a timely plan to bring about improvement. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)  Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this children’s home

A limited company owns and manages this service. Funding comes from a local authority for the exclusive use of families and children who live in this inner city borough. The home is registered to provide short breaks for up to five children and young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and sensory and communication impairment. It can also offer short breaks to young adults over 18 years provided it reduces its number of children by the number of adults receiving a service. Young adults over 18 years are young people who have received a service as children. The home only admits one young adult at a time and staff are vigilant to ensure all young people’s safety. It specialises in providing services to children and young people who have an autistic spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

22/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

27/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Outstanding

This home continues to offer excellent standards and quality of care to young people receiving a short break, day care and after school service.

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Outstanding

Young people receive in depth, high quality assessments of their needs prior to receiving a service. This includes written reports from the young person’s general practitioner; information gathered from parents at a home visit and includes a school observation visit. This combined information, from those who know the young people best, ensures a thorough understanding of their needs. When young people stay for short breaks, staff can offer the best possible care.

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Outstanding

Prior to coming to stay overnight, young people are carefully prepared. Key workers, appointed to make this process as smooth as possible, meet the young people in their own homes and school before arranging a visit to the short breaks unit. Young people attend a series of day care visits before going on to have an overnight stay. Only when the staff team, young person and the family feel happy does this build up to a weekend break. This ensures that young people feel secure and at home, making the transition to short breaks as smooth as possible. This excellent planning of transitions into short breaks ensures young people feel at home and settle quickly.

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Outstanding

During the referral and admission process, staff build up positive and supportive relationships with young people. Staff prioritise time with young people by organising activities both in and out of the home. The staffing ratios are never less than one to one, and are often higher when outside the home on activities. The staff team is a stable and consistent one, with some staff working at the home for over ten years. Newer staff learn from the experienced staff, ensuring consistency of care and clear boundaries for young people. Staff know the young people well and pre-empt incidents or problematic behaviours by distracting and engaging young people. This high level of vigilance is the reason this service has maintained its excellent safety record.

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Outstanding

Many young people using the service are non-verbal. Staff are trained to use different forms of communication, including the Picture Exchange Communication System, Makaton, gestures, body language and signing. Young people are encouraged to make their own choices of rooms, menus, activities and clothing. Staff undertake key work sessions and support young people to complete feedback forms, using pictures and symbols. This helps the staff team to develop the activities and menus provided. Regular feedback is sought from parents and carers where young people are unable to give this information themselves.

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Outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points and within their own capabilities. The home’s ethos is to help young people to be the best they can be, and to become as independent as they possibly can. Progress can be in small ways, but for many young people and their families these small steps are significant ones. These small steps can include improving challenging behaviour, engaging well with activities, eating well, interacting with other young people, developing self-care skills such as toileting, feeding or dressing themselves. One staff member says, ‘This home offers a great service and the children get good opportunities to go and do things they wouldn’t always be able to within their own families.’

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Outstanding

Young people are encouraged to use public transport with the staff, which often enables families to continue this. Families say that this gives them more flexibility and freedom in the knowledge that their young person knows what to expect. Young people use their pocket money to pay for things when they are out on an activity. This helps them to interact and understand the process of paying for entry to swimming or museums or to buy snacks or drinks in the shop. This approach is vital in helping young people learn social and independence skills. The staff team constantly encourages young people to strive to be their best.

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Outstanding

Staff have built excellent and effective working relationships with the host borough and many professionals within education and health services. This helps to ensure that young people’s needs are met and essential information is always communicated well. A commissioning officer says, ‘They are very person centred in approach. They offer a bespoke service to each child.’

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Outstanding

The home is an exemplar of practice and development. The home hosts an annual conference on autism every year, which includes presentations on the latest research from a variety of professionals. Parents, young people and other professionals attend this event. In addition, staff support parents via a monthly parent group and have recently included a parent as a volunteer to support growth and understanding of managing complex behaviours.

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Outstanding

Thorough and meticulous risk assessment prior to any short breaks ensures that staff understand the risks and needs of young people and can keep them as safe as possible. The assessments are informed by parents, young people and their school and include strategies for managing behaviours and to alert staff to certain triggers for behaviour. Such an in-depth and individualised approach directly informs staff practice, which means young people are safe.

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Outstanding

The statement of purpose makes parents and professionals aware that the home has CCTV systems in communal areas and an identity card system. This ensures that young people cannot leave the home without the support of accompanying staff members. All young people using this service would be vulnerable alone in the community. Some young people have plans enabling them to request to leave the unit, accompanied by staff if they want to go out. This is reflected in risk assessments or health and education plans.

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Outstanding

Staff have a thorough understanding of the child protection policies and are confident how to report any concerns or allegations made. No young people have gone missing from the home, as staff are extra vigilant, provide individual care and manage trips out in the community with an increased staff ratio if necessary. This high level of attention to detail has ensured the exemplary record of no young person going missing.

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Outstanding

Staff receive child protection training twice each year via the Local Safeguarding Children Board. They have completed child exploitation and risk of radicalisation training since the last inspection. Staff are exceptionally aware of the vulnerability of the young people staying at the home. Clear handovers between changing shifts document any injuries, scratches or concerns, including body map images. Regular communication between staff and managers at the home and parents/carers helps to minimise risks for young people.

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Outstanding

Young people and their parents/carers are made aware of safeguarding information via the statement of purpose, the home’s newsletter and the children’s guide. There is a complaints policy and parents/carers are given complaints leaflets at the start of any service. The home has received one complaint since the last inspection. The complaint was resolved quickly; the complainant felt listened to, and felt that the home responded well. The manager’s ability to listen to service users’ views and ensure good information sharing makes this a highly respected service.

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Outstanding

There is a comprehensive risk assessment of the building, including a review of the local area to assess for further risks. The health and safety checks within the home ensure that the whole environment is safe, including any equipment and the minibus.

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Outstanding

Staff receive behaviour management training and specific training if needed to manage the needs of particular young people. Restraint is not used in this home and would not be appropriate. Staff work well together to avoid incidents, pre- empting and distracting from potential issues with skilled teamwork. Robust staff recruitment processes are in place. These protect young people from exposure to unsafe people working in their home.

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Outstanding

Fire safety systems, checks and risk assessments for the evacuation of the building in the event of fire are excellent and protect young people from the risk of fire in the building.

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Good

The leaders and managers of this home put a high priority on ensuring that young people’s needs are met. For example, there is always one member of staff to each young person throughout the shift, ensuring that young people have consistent and available care. Although staff work very closely as a team, revisions to the recording sheets easily identify which member of staff is responsible for each young person at any given time. This gives consistency of care for the duration of the shift for the young person and responsibility to each staff member for specific tasks.

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Good

The administrator for the service keeps a matrix of training completed by staff, which ensures regular update training is provided on essentials, such as first aid, food safety and child protection. All but one staff member hold the level 3 diploma for residential childcare. The staff member holds a level 3 diploma in adult services and is currently completing updating modules to become compliant.

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Good

Other minor shortfalls were found in the timeliness of completing staff appraisals and updating case records. Despite these shortfalls, there was no impact on service users.

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Good

Leaders and managers know the young people well and match specific needs of young people to others sharing short breaks time together. For example, matching young people who have a similar level of competency for activities or seeking to place young people together in developing friendship groups. One parent told the inspector that her son, who struggles to make friends in school, had made a friend on short breaks and this friendship has developed outside of the short breaks setting.

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Good

All young people have care plans, devised in partnership with parents and placing authorities. Regular reviews ensure that placement plans continue to meet the young people’s needs. Key workers provide reports to placing authorities when there is a care package review at the placing authority panel.

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Good

Close working relationships have developed with the host placing authority. The home is in close proximity to the social work office base, which allows for regular contacts and visits by professionals. The home also holds a regular parent group and is in continual contact with parents and carers. If they see a rising demand for a family who are struggling for any reason, they communicate quickly and effectively with the placing authority to increase support if appropriate.

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Good

In addition, the company is involved with the placing authority in a government initiative called, ‘Transforming care.’ This initiative is looking at young people with complex needs and seeking ways to support them at home with their families instead of moving them to 52 week a year residential provision. Currently staff are working with the borough, interviewing, and consulting with families about options for these young people. Such involvement promotes excellent opportunities to work with the wider agenda of service provision, engaging families, young people and working closely with several London boroughs in close proximity.

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Good

The high staff ratio, careful planning and good communication create an environment where young people succeed. There are enough staff on shift to facilitate high levels of supervision, particularly when out in the community. This also prevents incidents and ensures happy young people throughout their stay at the home. One staff member says, ‘The service is excellent, good communication with staff, professionals and parents shows they are happy with the service.’

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Good

Leaders and managers provide a core, permanent staff team, many of whom have worked at the home for a number of years. They do not use agency staff, but operate a bank of regular workers. This provides good consistency of care and a good quality of staff, who are trained to a high level.

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Good

There are regular and effective team meetings, which all staff, including bank staff, attend. Discussions about young people’s needs are held and there is a regular slot to discuss their progress and achievements. This helps to share information and ensures regular updates.

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Good

Staff morale is high and team working is highly effective. Handover meetings are thorough, going through minute detail for individual children. Staff are continuously aware of the vulnerability of the young people who use the service.

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Good

Staff say that they receive regular training, which helps them to do their jobs effectively. One bank staff member says, ‘On induction I received lots of training and felt very supported by senior staff and the whole staff team.’

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Good

A new external independent visitor now visits the home once a month and provides a report informed by the views of parents/carers, young people and other professionals. This external monitoring has helped the manager to improve and develop the service.

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Good

The registered manager has now completed her level 5 diploma in leadership for residential childcare. She is extremely experienced and runs an effective service with excellent support from the responsible individual. Together they have written a development and continuity plan, which is in the process of being updated.

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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

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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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