Children's home run by Virgin Care Limited in Camden

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 This short-break service provides good quality care and support to 16 children and young people who have diverse and complex needs. Up to three children and young people can stay overnight, and careful consideration is given to achieving good compatibility. Staff are positive and nurturing and know the children and young people really well. Many have attended for several years and the majority of staff have worked in the setting for many years. Families feel that they know the members of the staff team and feel confident that they will care for their child appropriately. One parent said; ‘Staff are incredible and seem to really understand my daughter’s needs. I feel really confident that my child will be kept safe and will have an enjoyable time.’  Children and young people benefit from an enthusiastic and creative staff team which provides an extremely interesting range of activities. For example, staff use themes from which to explore opportunities for children

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

and young people to enjoy stories or be creative, such as baking and crafting, and having trips away from the home to places of interest. Staff have also run a sports achievement programme, which has helped individuals to develop their dexterity and achieve sporting success. The home’s environment is very child-friendly, packed with stimulating toys and interactive games. The garden is a particularly strong feature. It is spacious and well equipped and its safe boundaries provide children and young people with opportunities to explore and enjoy a sense of freedom while still being closely supervised by staff. These factors contribute to children and young people having positive experiences during their visits and enjoying opportunities they might otherwise not have.  Social workers are positive in their comments about the service. One said of a young person who has been visiting the service for several years: ‘She

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

gets a lot from it and has made really good progress, especially in the last year. The staff have worked very well alongside her school and have achieved some important targets in this way, in terms of behaviour and communication.’  Communication with children and young people is excellent. Staff explore a variety of ways to communicate effectively with children and young people, many of whom have little or no verbal communication. Staff communicate with young people by exchanging pictures, signing and using social stories and objects of reference. Approaches vary with each individual according to what works well. In this way children and young people are able to have meaningful day-to-day experiences, by being able to exercise choice and also contribute to regular house meetings. A really thorough piece of work has been the creation of menus, using picture images, from which children and young people can choose what they wish to eat at each mealtime.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 At the time of this inspection the registered manager was absent from the home. Good arrangements had been put in place for the smooth running of the home in her absence. The members of the senior team at the home have mostly known each other for several years and work together effectively.

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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

32: Fitness of workers In order to meet this regulation, the registered person must ensure that all staff have the appropriate experience, qualifications and skills for their work. In particular, refresher training in mandatory areas must be provided in a timely way. (Regulation 32 (3)(b)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

33: Employment of staff In order to meet this regulation, the registered person must ensure that all employees receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. Particular attention must be given to staff who are acting in a more senior position. (Regulation 33 (4)(b)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records In order to meet this regulation, the registered person must ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes details of the behaviour leading to the use of the measure and the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure. In particular, specific details of the exact behaviour that made a physical restraint necessary must be included in the record along with evidence of the manager’s oversight which should give details of lessons learned and how practices can be further improved to benefit children and young people. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(vii)) 31/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should seek to establish a diverse staff team. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 52, paragraph 10.6)  Whenever possible, staff in day-to-day contact with children should include staff from the different gender groups. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.22)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately operated by a nationwide organisation, which also has other homes in the area. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children at a time. Children and young people may have a physical disability, learning disability and/or sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/12/2015 Full Good 03/11/2015 Full Inadequate 22/09/2014 Full Good 23/07/2014 Full Inadequate 06/11/2013 Interim Good progress

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Good

Children and young people benefit from having trusted and secure relationships with staff who care for them. They also benefit from the good relationships their parents have with staff and the effective communication that exists between them. Parents feel confident about the care and support their child will receive. They feel their child’s personal care needs are met sensitively and that any concerns are shared and appropriate action is taken.

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Good

Excellent consideration and attention is given to helping new children and young people feel welcome and settled. There are no hard and fast timescales: each individual is given the time and support they need to feel confident visiting this setting. In this way, children and young people are supported to form and sustain positive attachments and to build emotional resilience so that they can enjoy overnight stays.

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Good

Staff are effective in engaging children and young people in day-to-day decision- making. A wide range of communication techniques are used to enable everyone to feel included and to be able to participate in making choices. Staff use established techniques and also personal approaches to communicate effectively with the children and young people in their care.

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Good

Children and young people enjoy access to a good range of social, educational and recreational opportunities in and outside of the home. The use of current themes, such as The Great British Bake Off, along with book of the month and sports challenges provide children and young people with exciting activities at home as well as trips outside of the home. There are attractive displays exhibited on the walls and these, along with photograph albums, provide visual stimulation and the chance to chat about previous activities and outings enjoyed together. Children’s sporting achievements are celebrated during social gatherings, with families being invited to share in celebrations.

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Good

Personal care and health needs are given good attention. Staff are mindful of the particular vulnerabilities of the children and young people in their care. Detailed records are maintained and information is appropriately shared. Arrangements for managing medication are safe and effective. Any errors are quickly followed up and lessons learned to improve practice. Healthy meals are provided with really good attention given to helping young people to make healthy choices. The large garden, equipped with play-on toys, a road track, trampoline and swings, provides children and young people with daily opportunities to enjoy exercise and fresh air. Judgement grade

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Good

Staff take appropriate action to support and protect children and young people in their care. They have a good understanding of the particular vulnerabilities of children and young people with disabilities. They benefit from a wide range of safeguarding training and group supervision. Staff are knowledgeable about procedures they must follow and share child protection concerns appropriately.

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Good

Each child and young person has a written plan of care that is highly personalised, comprehensive and informative. Their care files are well organised and information is easily accessible. They provide staff with clear instructions about what is needed to ensure that the young person has a safe and enjoyable stay. There is evidence of close liaison with parents, to ensure that important routines, such as bedtime routines, are similar. Each young person has personal targets and really good attention is given to reviewing outcomes.

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Good

Careful child-centred decision-making is made in relation to managing behaviour and the impact of other children and young people. Staff plan well to anticipate issues, taking account of known behaviours and vulnerabilities. Staffing arrangements provide for one-to-one support, with additional support provided where necessary. Some physical restraints are used. These are low level and many relate to staff releasing themselves from young people, for example if their hair is being pulled. Records are generally satisfactory. However, not all records detail the specific behaviour that has led to the physical restraint. The explanation that the young person ‘displayed physical aggression’ or ‘targeted staff’ is not adequate. The record needs to explain clearly why, as a last resort, staff were compelled to restrain the young person. While the manager reviews and signs off these records, more opportunities need to be taken to reflect on the quality of practice, what

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Good

lessons have been learned and how practices can be further improved to benefit young people.

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Good

There have been no missing from care incidents since the last full inspection and sanctions are not used. Instead, staff praise and reward good behaviour and, where appropriate, ignore unsociable behaviour. Staff help children and young people to be respectful and kind to each other. They are mindful of behaviours that have an impact on other young people and take appropriate action to protect all young people. Staff work with parents, social workers and schools to provide a well thought through and consistent approach to managing behaviour positively.

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Good

Staff are carefully selected and vetted to ensure that unsuitable people are not recruited. Thorough checks take place, including verification of references and clarifying gaps in employment.

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Good

The home provides a safe and secure physical environment. Risk assessments, including a fire risk assessment and location risk assessment, are in place. Fire safety procedures are carried out, with regular testing of alarms and practice drills and each young person has a personal evacuation plan.

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Good

At the time of the inspection, the registered manager was on sick leave. The inspector was aware of this and the responsible individual had put in place suitable arrangements for the management of the home. The manager was due back at work within a few days of the inspection.

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Good

The deputy was taking responsibility for the day-to-day management of the home and had ensured its smooth running. The manager and deputy have worked together for several years and have a strong working relationship. While the deputy had been in regular contact with her line manager (the responsible individual) she had not met with him for a formal, practice-related supervision since starting to manage the home six weeks before, although one was arranged for the week following this inspection.

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Good

The home has a good staffing structure. It has an experienced and well-qualified team that works together effectively. The manager, deputy and team leader are registered learning disability nurses. There are also five shift supervisors. Staff are supported to achieve professional residential childcare qualifications, either a level 3 diploma or level 5 diploma for senior staff. All staff have at least level 3, except the three most recently appointed care and support workers who are working towards it. Leaders and managers are aware of the expected two year timescale for all staff to have these qualifications and do not envisage any problems.

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Good

Staff feel well supported through regular supervision, team meetings and ongoing training opportunities. Staff training records have recently been revamped and provide a clear picture of what training has been completed and what training is due to be refreshed. The majority of staff are fully up to date, with just one member of staff needing to complete additional training in the management of behaviour and another in paediatric first aid. Leaders and managers are aware of these shortfalls, which relate to sickness, and are identifying suitable dates. The staff team provides excellent continuity due to the very low turnover it experiences. A key worker and team around the child approach is used, which is highly thought of by parents and professionals alike. While staff come from different professional and educational backgrounds, the whole team is currently made up of female staff. This has not been a planned outcome and managers have

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Good

tried to secure male staff. They appreciate the benefits that a mixed gender team will give to young people who visit the service, the majority of whom are male.

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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

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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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