Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Ealing

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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because:

 Not all staff understand what they should do to enable, and maximise, educational progress, as they do not have the relevant information about young people’s education history or their educational targets. Three out of four young people have no personal education plans.  Risk assessments are not always completed to enable staff to effectively manage young people’s safety. One young person was moved out temporarily for his own safety, yet no assessment of the risks associated with this was completed.  Records are not always completed with an appropriate amount of detail to show explicitly what has happened, and when. Examples of this were found relating to how young people have been welcomed back after being missing, transitions to another placement and the support to them after incidents of racism. If young people look back in later life they will not be able to see how they have been supported, or recognise that staff worked

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because:

hard to support them.  The recruitment procedure is not consistently robust. Where staff have convictions, the risk assessments are basic and do not fully identify the issues and potential risks to young people.  While there is some good support to young people in many areas, after a recent verbal racial attack on a young person, neither the perpetrator nor the victim received good-quality support.

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The children's home strengths

 Staff have managed some young people with particularly complex behaviour well.  Good relationships between staff and young people are forged, and there is always someone for young people to talk to about their problems and worries.  When young people have been missing, staff have been instrumental and proactive in protecting them.  Staff at the home are very committed to the young people. They have worked tirelessly through some difficult times and remain committed. There are examples of staff ‘going the extra mile’ for young people to ensure that they are supported.  The registered manager has managed the staff group well and has worked hard to ensure that there is a competent and more stable staff team. This has made a positive difference to the quality of care.  The momentum of improvement is very clear, and the registered manager’s immense commitment and drive for improvements are demonstrated.

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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 ‘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

8. The education standard In order to meet the education standard, the registered person must ensure— (2)(a) that staff— (i) help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets as recorded in the child’s relevant plans. 26/09/2016

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Requirement Due date

12. The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure— (2)(a) that staff— (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. This is in relation to when a young person was moved out of the home to other accommodation without a proper risk assessment being undertaken regarding their new circumstances. 26/09/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to understand each child's education and training targets and next steps for learning. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.11)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. This is in relation to records such as information about what happened when young people return from periods of missing, their transition out of the home and how they are supported when there are racial incidents. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home's records for each child represent a significant contribution to their life. Staff should understand their important role in encouraging the child to reflect on their history. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the recruitment, supervision and performance of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This is in particular relation to recruitment practice and the quality of risk assessments for staff when they have convictions. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that staff’s skills for safeguarding include being able to identify signs that children may be at risk, and support children in strategies to manage and reduce any risks. This is in particular relation to racial incidents, with regard to the perpetrator and the victim, and to working with young people on the risks regarding road safety. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.10)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Requires improvement

There has been a recent verbal altercation between young people, with the use of some very racist language. This has not been dealt with well by staff. The documents to show how the perpetrator was dealt with were first not available, then staff said that they had been put in the wrong place. There was a very confusing picture presented about the support to young people with regard to this incident. Once the documents had been found, they were of a poor quality and did not demonstrate a robust approach to ensuring that the perpetrator could learn from what they had done, and the impact this would have had on the victim. For the victim, there was no support identified other than telling him that this form of discrimination was ‘not tolerated’ and would be dealt with. This incident could have left the victim feeling upset and unsupported.

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Requires improvement

There has been some examples of good work with regard to education, where young people have engaged well and their attendance, attainment and progress are better than before they came to the home. However there were no personal education plans in place for three of the four young people placed. This means that staff were unable to identify learning targets for individuals. Young people’s progress, therefore, does not move as quickly as it could, as targets are unknown.

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Requires improvement

When young people leave the home, there was verbal evidence that they are supported well by staff. However, the records of this do not show the support given. Should young people wish to look back at their records to make sense of their time at the home, they will not see clearly see what happened and why, and that staff cared for them.

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Requires improvement

Staff know the young people well because they know how each individuals needs should be met, informed by individualised care plans. Young people soon learn to trust staff, and barriers to communication are reduced so that they feel able to talk to them about their worries. Most young people speak highly of their relationships with staff and they can all identify someone they know whom they can talk to. As a result of these relationships young people respond well to staff when they guide them about their behaviour. Young people learn to respect each other and themselves. They are praised by staff for who they are and the incentive scheme works well, encouraging positive behaviour.

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Requires improvement

Young people feel happy and are relaxed in the home. There is a sense of open discussion and direction from staff, but where young people can also have fun as well. During the inspection, staff and young people were buying a paddling pool to have some fun in during the hot weather, and staff and young people were found to be relaxing and enjoying their time together.

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Requires improvement

The manager is particularly proactive in ensuring that young people receive the right services to meet their health needs. For example, he organises sexual health guidance and emotional support for young people’s emerging sexuality. Local community groups are being sourced to support young people and broaden their experiences. Social workers report that young people soon present as healthier, with a better diet and exercise, although one social worker felt that even more could be done. There are examples of young people making huge strides with reducing their drug taking and virtually stopping, soon after their admission, making them healthier and happier young people. Contact between young people and their families and people important to them is well organised. Staff try to understand the child’s journey so far, to help and support them in the best way that they can with the sensitive issues that contact

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Requires improvement

brings up. Placing authorities are particularly happy with the way that young people are supported with their contact visits. Some young people are living at some distance from home, but staff continue to put themselves out to facilitate contact visits, so that young people can maintain links with their own community.

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Requires improvement

How well young people are helped and protected from harm is not yet good, as there is the potential for young people’s safety to be compromised. One young person has recently had to temporarily move out of the home for his own safety, because of incidents in the home. While steps had been taken to ensure the young person’s safety, the details of how the young person was to be protected were not fully identified. Also, the young person was being looked after in a lone working situation, and the risks associated with this had not been fully thought through, potentially putting the staff and young person at risk of harm.

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Requires improvement

Other risk assessments looked at generally did set out steps to reduce risk, but an example was found where there was a lack of oversight on road safety for one young person.

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Requires improvement

The organisation’s recruitment procedures are not yet good because where staff have convictions, these are not always risk assessed fully. The recruitment procedure does not show that all possible steps have been taken to protect young people from adults who might be unsuitable.

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Requires improvement

Young people, professionals, staff and management confirm that young people feel safe in the home. Issues regarding safety that have been identified at previous inspections have been rectified, as improvements in safeguarding are now well embedded to ensure young people’s safety and welfare. The numbers of young people admitted to the home have only increased once the improvements became embedded. Staff know that they must pass on any concerns to their manager and are clear about who in the organisation they can talk to about safeguarding matters. This means that effective and timely decisions can be made about young people so that their safety increases. Not all staff were absolutely clear though about who, outside of the organisation, they can refer safeguarding issues to. However, the manager and staff were proactive during the inspection in putting this right, ensuring that all were clear.

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Requires improvement

Behaviour management is good, and young people receive help and support to manage their feelings and behaviour. Staff work as a consistent team, so that young people can understand boundaries for behaviour and what is socially acceptable. Other professionals have noticed a positive difference in young people’s behaviour at the home, saying: ‘They talk to the kids. They are good at diffusing and I am impressed without exception.’

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Requires improvement

Arrangements for protecting young people who go missing are good. Where young people have put themselves at risk, staff have worked very effectively with the police to protect them as much as they can. Staff have been very proactive in bringing about a positive change of view in the police about action that can be taken to protect individuals further. The police said: ‘They are very good, compared to other care homes’.

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Requires improvement

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since the last inspection. He has been in post for almost 12 months. He has almost completed his diploma level 5 in management and has worked hard to ensure that this has been completed quickly to meet with regulations. The leadership and management of this home have continued to improve since the last inspection, but do not yet fully reflect a good home. An example of this was when a young person was recently admitted, the impact risk assessment was not completed until after the decision to place the young person. The registered manager was on annual leave at the time, yet the manager in charge was not involved in the decision making. While there have been some significant improvements in placement matching in the past few months, there is still work to be done to ensure that compatibility and placement matching are consistently good. Some aspects of the records made by staff present as confusing. Improvements

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Requires improvement

are needed to ensure that, should young people wish to look back on their records in the future, they will be able to see how they have been supported, for example after episodes of missing and racial abuse, and during their transition out of the home. Young people, staff and other professionals praise the manager for his achievements. One young person said: ‘He is sound’, and all other comments from staff and professionals were very positive, including: ‘He is a great manager’. He has an extremely good understanding of the homes past problems and issues. He has learned from the home’s previous mistakes and has inspired staff to do the same. He aspires to continue in his efforts to ensure that the home continues to work towards good outcomes for young people across the board. Staff are growing in experience and continue to gel as a team. They are all committed to providing good-quality care to young people. The manager has made

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Requires improvement

sure that they have all developed and has supported them well through some difficult times. As a result, they have learned about what good-quality care looks like, and young people have made some good progress as a result. Staff are well supported through supervision and their performance is overseen by the manager. Training is generally well organised. There is mandatory training on issues such as restraint, safeguarding, first aid and child sexual exploitation. The manager was happy to reflect on the fact that there could be some further improvements. For example, training on attachment disorders would be helpful to staff in looking after this particular group of young people. Joint working with other professionals has a high profile. The manager ensures that children get what they need from other services, and actively seeks further support and guidance for young people, for example sexual health services and

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Requires improvement

local community support groups. Young people are always at the centre of decisions. Young people are generally confident that, if they go to the manager with a complaint, they will be listened to. The six requirements raised at the last inspection have all been met. As a result, there have been improvements to care planning, staff induction and supervision, which is better organised and more effective. Also, restraint records ensure that young people are always asked for their opinion and Ofsted is now consistently informed of all events in line with the regulations. The one recommendation made at the last inspection is met, as now the statement of purpose is focused on the needs of the young people that it intends to meet. The document has been, and still is, regularly updated to ensure that it is clear about how it sets out to provide care. Quality assurance is improving, with more detailed visits from an independent

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Requires improvement

person to identify shortfalls. The manager’s response ensures that the issues identified at these visits are put right. The visit reports have recently not been sent to Ofsted in a timely way and there is a pattern of Ofsted receiving them six weeks after the event. This makes the timely review of the home difficult. New initiatives to improve the quality assurance process include a questionnaire for young people to fill in when they leave. This enables staff and managers to learn from their feedback by identifying shortfalls and further improvements needed.

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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’. An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 ‘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 0300 123 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 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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