Children's Home run by Amelia’s House 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:

 Children excel at this home in all areas of their lives. The home’s strapline, ‘nurture with care’, is at the heart of working practices.  Staff are ambitious for each child, enabling them to maximise their potential and exceed expectations. Parents, placing authorities and involved professionals confirm that children are thriving.  Children are calmer, more confident, social and communicative. They are also healthier, both physically and emotionally.  Children enjoy an abundant range of activities, which includes daily exercise, visiting places of interest and attending pop concerts.  Children receive protection from the good safeguarding arrangements. There are strong links with the local safeguarding personnel, which enable staff to access regular, relevant training.  There is exceptional behaviour management. Children respond positively to behaviour management strategies. Incidents are extremely rare.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Leaders and managers are highly visible and have effective working relationships with the host authority. Social workers appreciate the service, describing the care as ‘good’.  Leaders and managers have strong links with a national autism charity that delivers in-house training. This input informs service development, the working ethos of staff and their belief in children’s abilities.  Although there is an ongoing issue with documentation, this shortfall does not impact on the good quality of care. Leaders and managers need to improve the statement of purpose, disciplinary procedure and their quality assurance system. Recommendations relate to developing the children’s guide, performance appraisal system and the internal decoration.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that must be taken so that the registered persons meet 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 persons must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement of purpose which covers matters listed in Schedule 1. This particularly relates to complaints information, restraint training and staff competence, notifications, staffing and emergency admissions. (Regulation 16(1)) 01/12/2016

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care at least once every six months. (Regulation 45(1)) 01/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular, provides that the failure of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child is grounds on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33(2)(b)) 01/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that the children's guide helps children to understand how to make a complaint and access advocacy support, and how to contact the office of the Children's commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22)

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Recommendations

 Provide a homely domestic environment. This refers to scuffed and scribbled walls in rooms and the hallway and to the loose brick on the patio. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their roles 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. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Information about this children's home

Amelia House is a privately owned home which is registered to provide care and accommodation for four children. The home is able to cater for children who have a learning disability. This includes children on the autistic spectrum.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

10/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

Children lead purposeful, enriching lives. They receive effective care from staff who do not put limitations on their abilities. Leaders and staff are highly aspirational for children. There is a strong emphasis on helping children to maximise their potential and exceed expectations. The uniqueness of each child is valued. A social worker commented on the ‘amazing progress’. They highlighted a child who is doing ‘fantastically well’, compared to when they lived at home and explained that it is a ‘different’ child. Staff are ambitious for each child, giving them the confidence to try new things. Care strategies provide clear success criteria. Care planning and individual targets focus on personalised outcomes. A significant strength is the support with independent living skills. A social worker described this as ‘great’. Children learn the skills needed for adult life. Photographs capture their individual journeys,

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Good

detailing their progress. There are improvements in children’s communication skills. Examples are their initiating greetings and using a wider range of verbal language. Children undertake household tasks, helping to set and clear the table. They contribute towards the home through helping to maintain the garden. They also practice their cooking and baking skills. Children’s independence skills include the ability to go shopping, attend to their laundry, dress themselves, undertake their personal care and manage their continence. They learn to develop resilience, confidence and interpersonal skills necessary for adulthood. An example of the latter is appropriately interacting with members of the public. The wide range of pictorial aids helps to further expand children’s communication and level of understanding. Strong working relationships with schools and parents result in a uniform approach to communication. Staff receive relevant training in

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Good

sign languages and alternative communication systems. Children benefit from an increased use of pictorial symbols. Staff creatively use these to empower children to have a voice and to increase their levels of understanding, thereby promoting their daily choices. Social stories help children to understand their routines. Effective relationships with schools provide consistent ways of working. The sharing of the curriculum and educational targets provides children with extended learning opportunities. Staff use this information to positively reinforce children’s knowledge. They creatively engage children in fun activities, which increase their understanding in specific subject areas, such as numeracy and product identification. A headteacher stated that, academically, a child has had ‘an outstanding year, exceeding all his targets’. Children are achieving and they receive certificates that confirm their accomplishments. These recognise children’s

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Good

personal development, such as their ‘positive attitude’ and ‘perseverance’. Children participate in a wide range of activities in and outside the home. Internal activities include arts and crafts, watching DVDs and using the computer. The summer was eventful, visiting football stadiums, airports, zoos and attending pop concerts. They enjoy exploring the local area, going to parks and having picnics in the warmer weather. Children socialise with their peers and learn different skills at local summer schemes. Activities, such as trips to the library and museum, are also educationally stimulating. Children have good levels of fitness. They lead healthy lifestyles, through regular exercise and eating a nutritious diet. Children enjoy using the outdoor gym, bike riding and playing football. There is greater attention to menus, which takes into account specific nutrients needed to treat health conditions. Overweight children

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Good

are losing weight and enjoy more active routines. Children benefit from good health outcomes. They regularly attend the optician, dentist and hospital appointments. Staff help with physiotherapy exercises. This has resulted in improvements in one child’s posture and mobility. Staff assist with toileting programmes, which have enabled a child to be discharged from the enuresis clinic. Leaders and staff offer practical and emotional support to parents. The responsible individual highlighted that they ‘are like extended family members to families’. Staff facilitate and escort children for contact, when necessary. Staff also help children to transition back into their family home. A parent described the care as ‘excellent’, explaining that her child ‘has improved a lot’.

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Good

Safeguarding practices protect children and promote their welfare. Each bedroom has Ofsted’s contact details and a social story related to making a complaint. This ensures that children have the relevant information, should they wish to complain. There are strong links with the local safeguarding personnel, which enable staff to access regular, relevant training. There have been no safeguarding concerns, incidents or complaints since the last inspection. Consistent boundaries ensure that behaviour management is not an issue in the home. A parent confirmed that they feel that their child is ‘more settled’ and ‘less aggressive’. A social worker highlighted that their child placed here has ‘progressed so well’ and staff are the ‘only family he knows’. A psychiatrist stated that challenging behaviour is controlled well by staff with verbal de-escalation.’ Children are calmer and understand how to de-stress, such as by going to the sensory room

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Good

independently. Children are happy to be at the home and have good relationships with staff. The encouraging, nurturing atmosphere and the reward system contribute to children’s socially acceptable behaviour. Staff do not have to restrain or sanction children. Leaders and managers have proactively produced crisis management plans for each child. These detail strategies to manage challenging behaviour. They also recommend specific holds if there is a need for a physical intervention. Children relate well with each other and are mutually respectful of their personal space. There are no issues in relation to bullying. Leaders and managers have established links with the community police. The location assessment provides an overview of the potential dangers in the area. The home is in a neighbourhood that has low levels of anti-social behaviour and exploitation. Children do not go out unsupervised, and there are no concerns in

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Good

relation to them going missing. Recruitment and employment practices meet regulatory requirements. This helps to prevent unsuitable persons from working with children. Certificates confirm the safety of the premises, and staff undertake regular health and safety checks. Children know the importance of fire safety and participate in fire drills. They learn road and personal safety, while out in the community. Children have appropriate individual risk assessments, and there are collective risk assessments for specific activities.

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Requires improvement

Leaders and managers are visible and they are making an effort to implement and embed the quality standards and regulations. Although working practices promote the principles, there is an ongoing issue with documentation. This shortfall does not impact on the good quality of care. Leaders and managers need to improve the statement of purpose, disciplinary procedure and their quality assurance system. Recommendations relate to developing the children’s guide, performance appraisal system and internal decoration. Independent monitoring reports provide constructive feedback. Leaders and managers, however, do not undertake their own evaluation of the service on a regular basis. Regulations highlight that quality of care reviews must be undertaken at least once every six months. The last report was undertaken in January 2016. Leaders and managers have made efforts to address the requirements from the last inspection. Refrigerated medication is securely stored in a lockable container.

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Requires improvement

Staff are enrolled on the relevant vocational training course. Two requirements and one recommendation are partly met. The updated statement of purpose, although reviewed, still does not contain all the required information. The omissions relate to the complaints information, restraint training and staff competence, notifications, staff experiences and the qualifications of new staff and the emergency admission procedure. Leaders and managers are currently personalising children’s guides. Each child will have their photographs to help them to understand the information. The children’s guide contains clear, simplified text. Children do not have the contact details for advocacy support or the Children’s Commissioner. The quality standards recommend that children have this information, in relation to promoting their rights. The development of resource files provides staff with additional guidance to undertake their duties. Leaders and managers are reviewing policies and

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Requires improvement

procedures, to ensure that they meet regulatory expectations. There is a whistleblowing procedure. However, the disciplinary procedure has not been updated to reflect new requirements. This specifically relates to the failure of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present. As the home is a family business, staff wish to provide a domestic household atmosphere. The registered manager is also the owner of the home, and her husband is the responsible individual. Both take an active role in the day-to-day running of the home. They are currently completing the level 5 management qualification. They keep updated on good practice, through independent study, training, attending networking events and relevant workshops. Leaders and managers also have strong links with a national autism charity, which delivers in- house training. This input informs service development, the working ethos of staff

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Requires improvement

and their belief in children’s abilities. Leaders and managers have strong links with the host borough. A social worker from this authority describes the home as ‘good’. A social worker views the home’s effective working relationship as a major strength. They appreciate that the home provides a local, very accessible service and respite. Staff love their jobs. One staff member described it as ‘very noble’. Staff feel valued and take pride in their work. A parent described staff as ‘very good carers’, commenting on ‘their love and kindness’. The organisation constructively uses volunteers. During the summer, a student worked in the home for a few weeks. Children appreciated having a young person working alongside them, seeing them as a positive role model. Staff receive ongoing training, and vocational training is in progress, when required. They benefit from regular supervision, which enables them to reflect on

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Requires improvement

their work. Staff have their performance appraised. However, feedback is not sought from children or involved professionals. This would add a wider dimension to the appraisal process and highlight further strengths and areas for development. Although children are mainly non-verbal, their body language and levels of interaction indicate their views about specific staff members. Leaders and managers strive to provide children with a pleasant living environment. The new flooring modernises the communal areas. There are plans to redecorate, which will address the scuffed paintwork and scribbling on a bedroom wall. Children relax by taking themselves into the sensory room. A computer is available for their use in the office. A valued pastime is watching their favourite music videos on the internet. They can exert their energy in the garden, playing football. The garden also has an outhouse, which is a space for arts and

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Requires improvement

crafts, games and educational work. The kitchen/dining area includes a lounge, where children can socialise and watch television.

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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 that 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 whom 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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