Children's home run by Priory New Education Services Limited 07221650 in Hammersmith and Fulham

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:

 There are effective placement planning and review, which are done in close consultation with fellow professionals and families.  Young people make good progress socially and educationally because of the support provided by the home.  Young people enjoy good relationships with staff members, who are knowledgeable about their care needs, and who support them in undertaking activities outside of the home, which extend and improve their life experiences.  Although more staff need to attain the appropriate qualification for their roles, they are well recruited, vetted, inducted, trained and supervised. They are particularly well trained in the areas of care practice that are necessary to keep children and young people safe.  There are good systems of internal monitoring in place, which improve service development.  The registered manager needs to attain the appropriate management qualification.  Young people should be able to see out of their bedroom windows.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 The rear garden needs attention, to improve the young people’s living environment.

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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

28: Fitness of manager The registered person must have the level 5 diploma in leadership and management for residential childcare or equivalent. (Regulation 28(2)(c)(i)(ii)) 01/07/2017

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Requirement Due date

21: Privacy and access Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. Specifically, the frosted glass over young people's bedroom windows must be removed. Regulation 21(c)(iv) 01/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that children's homes are nurturing and supportive environments. Specifically, the garden should be well tended. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  Ensure that the home has enough suitably trained staff. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to care for five boys and girls who have learning difficulties and associated disabilities. The home is run by a private organisation and offers the flexibility of short breaks in addition to long-term placements. At the time of the inspection, there were three young people placed. There were no short-break arrangements in place. The property is a three-storey house located on the edge of a large city and within walking distance of shops and community facilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

12/04/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

15/05/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Good

The overall experiences and progress of young people living in this home are good. Each young person living in the home has a clearly written placement plan, which clearly identifies their needs and how these are to be met. The plans also assess the risks to that young person, and the risks that they may present. These plans are appropriately reviewed in collaboration with health professionals, social workers and teachers. When pathway plans are not in place for children looked after, the staff rigorously remind placing authorities of their responsibilities in this regard. This demonstrates that the staff act as strong advocates and supporters of the young people placed. Each young person is linked to a key worker and a deputy key worker who provides back-up support when a key worker is absent. Key workers demonstrate a high degree of knowledge of the needs of their nominated young person. They coordinate links to families and schools well. One parent told the inspector, ‘My son

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Good

has made great progress both socially and educationally since he’s been at the home. The staff are great. Key workers know how all of his needs are to be met, and when he has set-backs, and they send me a report by email every week to tell me how he is doing. Great communication.’ A young person commented, ‘ I enjoy living here. They help me with the things I like to enjoy, like my music. They have arranged guitar lessons for me. I get asked what I like to eat, wear etc. I do feel safe here.’ Key workers also help young people to understand how they can have a voice in their own care and day-to-day living arrangements. Key workers go through the children’s guide with them and explain how they may raise complaints if they are unhappy with their care. Establishing and maintaining good and supportive relationships with young people helps them to feel valued and included and enhances their self-esteem. Although all of the young people currently living in the home are above mandatory

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Good

school age. The manager has employed the services of an education agency, the teachers of which develop individual programmes of study for young people. An education adviser from this agency works closely with care staff to deliver these programmes in the home. The programmes include both life skills and preparation for the move into more independent living, and mainstream education. One young person, who is over the age of mandatory school attendance, has progressed so well with the programme in the home that they will be taking GCSE examinations next summer. This demonstrates the home’s commitment to the educational needs of the young people placed. The young people are all registered with general practitioners, opticians and dentists, and routine check-ups are carried out. Staff are well trained in first aid and in the administration of medication. The home works closely with psychiatrists, other mental health professionals and specialists in learning disability to ensure

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Good

that young people’s emotional needs are monitored and that medication is reviewed when necessary. All of these measures help to maintain young people’s good health.

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Good

The way that young people living in the home are helped and protected is good. Children’s and young people’s case files contain comprehensive and clearly written placement plans and care plans for children looked after, when these are relevant to the status of the young person placed. These case files also contain clearly written risk assessments. These plans and risk assessments are subject to review on a regular basis, and this is done in collaboration with placing social workers, health professionals and families. Key workers demonstrate a good knowledge of these documents, and this ensures that all staff working with young people know how their needs are to be met. Clearly written policy documents on safeguarding children, missing young people, physical restraint, behaviour management and dealing with complaints are in place, and staff demonstrate a good understanding of these policies This, demonstrates

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Good

that staff know how to keep children and young people safe. There have been no complaints about the home since the previous inspection. High staffing ratios mean that young people are accompanied and well supervised when outside of the home, and they rarely go missing. The home has an effective working relationship with the local police, and a clear protocol is in place in this regard. Similarly, incidents in which young people need to be physically restrained are few in number All staff have been trained in a method of behaviour management that emphasises the importance of de-escalation and positive reinforcement, and the methods of physical restraint applied from the training are such that they minimise the likelihood of harm to the young people. The manager debriefs staff and young people after every such incident, and this reduces the likelihood that it will occur again. Sanctions are rarely used, as the home deems that these are inappropriate

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Good

for this client group. Young people told the inspector that they feel safe and are safe in the home. Regular health and safety checks of the premises and electrical and gas appliance checks are conducted. There are regular fire evacuation drills conducted both in the daytime and evening. There is a policy in place for checking the safety of the home’s people carrier, and staff that drive it have to inform the home if they commit any driving offences. The home conducts and annually reviews a locality risk assessment which clearly identifies the dangers of the immediate locality. All these measures result in the physical environment being safe and secure and protecting young people from harm. The manager of the home has effective links with the local authority designated officer, who confirms that there are no recent or current safeguarding concerns about this agency. All staff working in the home are carefully selected and vetted

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Good

on a regular and ongoing basis, and this helps to prevent unsuitable people from being recruited and having the opportunity to harm young people, or to place them at risk.

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Requires improvement

The impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers require improvement. The registered manager is required to have attained the appropriate management qualification by July 2017, and the frosted glass over young people’s bedroom windows must be removed. The rear garden should be better tended, and at least 80% of the care staff should have completed the appropriate qualification training by October 2017. The registered manager effectively audits and monitors the quality of planning and recording in the home. Individual case files of young people are well ordered, comprehensive and up to date, as are staff files and key records and policy documents. An example of this effective monitoring was the identification by the manager that a placing authority had not provided a pathway plan to assist a young person’s move to independence. The registered manager informed the placing authority of its responsibility in this regard. This demonstrates the way that

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Requires improvement

the home acts as a good advocate for the young people placed. Aside from the need to increase the number of staff members who have the appropriate qualification for their role, the home inducts, trains, supervises and supports staff well. Staff said that they feel well managed and supported. All managers and staff undertake an annual appraisal, which identifies their training and development needs. The home works in close partnership with health professionals, social workers and teachers in the forming of care and placement plans and their reviews. Fellow professionals commented on the good quality of care provided by the manager of the home. With regard to a particular child, one professional stated, ‘The home provides excellent and supportive care, and he could not be better placed. The manager has visited him in hospital every week and has a good understanding of his needs and progress.’ The statement of purpose is reviewed annually and clearly describes the aims and

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Requires improvement

objectives of the home. The children’s guide is also reviewed annually, is produced in a user-friendly format and provides young people with all necessary information about the home. This includes how to make a complaint about the home or their care if they are unhappy. Key workers go through the guide with young people to ensure that they understand it. There are good systems of internal monitoring in place. An independent visitor to the home conducts monthly visits and reports on the same, and makes recommendations about any necessary improvements. The registered manager conducts a six-monthly review of the quality of care of the home, in consultation with fellow professionals, placing authorities, families and young people. The report thereby produced also contains recommendations for service development and improvement. The recommendations from both of these reports have been seen to be fully implemented. The home sends copies of these reports to the regulatory

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Requires improvement

body as required by regulation. The home also notifies the regulatory body of all significant events occurring in the home.

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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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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