Children's Home run by Reamcare Limited in Kingston upon Thames

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’s provision is outstanding because:

 The home is making a significant difference to young people‟s lives. By working in partnership with young people, managers and staff deliver individual and measurable programmes that support young people to take positive and confident steps to live happier lives.  The home has an inspirational manager who has empowered young people and staff to effect dynamic and innovative change in the home.  Young people thrive in the setting, develop strong familial attachments, and secure relationships with each other and the staff team. Staff are highly nurturing and work to a model of positive parenting that gets to the heart of young people‟s needs for secure, long-lasting relationships.  Staff support young people extremely well to learn effective ways to manage their feelings and impulses. Young people demonstrate an unquestionable confidence and trust in staff, who help them to explore new experiences that

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

increase their participation in the community and in shared activities with each other.  The staff team displays an extremely astute understanding of young people‟s needs and plans, engaging them in learning activities to progress their experiences. This results in young people becoming highly competent.  Staff have high aspirations and value education for all young people. They have highly effective professional working relationships with educational colleagues. Consequently, barriers to learning, such as safety and inconsistent support, do not impede young people‟s ability to access appropriate education or training.

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Information about this children’s home

The service is a privately owned children‟s home that provides care and accommodation for up to seven children. The home accommodates children who have a learning and/or physical disability on a permanent or short-break basis.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2015 Full Good 29/01/2015 Full Adequate 04/09/2014 Full Good

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Outstanding

The overall experiences of young people are outstanding because they make exceptional progress in the home. The home excels in the life-enriching opportunities it offers to young people. As a result, they flourish and know that their unique and individual personalities are valued in a secure and trusting family environment, which supports them through to adulthood. Young people refer to „our family‟ when speaking of both peers and the staff, and comment: „l feel close to X (staff member) as I help him to understand what life is like for us as special young people.‟

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Outstanding

Managers and staff are highly skilled at providing a warm, nurturing environment. They demonstrate high levels of confidence and competence in their ability to remain positive and supportive when young people show anxiety or distress. This means that young people become attached to staff and the routines of the home. They speak of the love and support the staff give to them, which is important to their happiness and welfare. One young person said, „They help me to understand who l am, what makes me a good person and how well l am doing. This never happened before l came to live here.‟ During the inspection, all young people on returning from education were observed immediately greeting staff, giving a hello „hug‟ and speaking of how their day had gone.

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Outstanding

Leaders and managers are keenly aware of how young people‟s disabilities and past experiences have affected their development. Staff are highly aspirational for young people and provide excellent individualised („my plans‟) care plans. Through positive examples and role modelling, in line with individual capability and understanding, young people are creatively helped to make sense of their past and to make positive decisions for their futures. For example, one young person was supported to make a short video speaking about his childhood experiences and his hopes and dreams for his future. As a result, he has been able to make sense of who he was and the impressive progress he has made into successful young adulthood. For others, the use of picture storybooks helps them to share past experiences, reflect on their progress and development, and allows them to communicate their preferences for their futures.

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Outstanding

Young people are valued for who they are and their unique potential. Most have never experienced this level of unconditional regard, positive routines, structure, and a 24-hour learning programme. They thrive on this warmth and understanding of their needs and vulnerabilities and the appropriate challenges they receive in the home. All the young people in the home use verbal communication, and staff are excellent in supporting them to take the lead in all aspects of their care and ensuring that their views, wishes and feelings are at the forefront of their care plans.

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Outstanding

Young people contribute to health, education and care plans by daily participation, by choices that they make and by reactions to any changes. They take responsibility for devising the rules that all members of the home live by. For example, apologising for poor behaviour, no bullying and no hurtful words to be used in the home. As a result, young people take ownership for their behaviour and the behaviours of their peers. A young person commented: „I feel safe in this home because there are no bullies.‟ Young people view themselves as „brothers‟ not just a group of people living together. Staff skilfully support them to use research, reflection and role-play to overcome any setbacks and to calm feelings of anxiety. For example, a young person researched and presented to his peers a report on what bullying feels like. Another young person researched questions and prepared a simple questionnaire on what to say and how to behave should a

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Outstanding

stranger approach them on the street. As a result, young people‟s self-esteem and confidence in their abilities increase and their emotional awareness and understanding improve. More importantly, with many of the young people gaining increased independence through attendance at college, they develop a greater awareness on keeping safe.

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Outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress from their starting points. They make excellent educational progress. At the time of the inspection, all young people were engaged in full-time school or college education. This is due to the tenacity and robust advocacy of managers to ensure that the individual needs of all young people are met. A deputy headteacher said: „The staff have made exceptional progress with a young person who has highly complex needs and have broken through these. They have worked in tandem with us to help the young person, who previously was unable to access education or friendships with his peers. I cannot illuminate enough to you how “big a deal” it is that he is accessing college. They have collaborated, worked in partnership and listened to us. This is an exceptional home, which puts the child first and advocates tirelessly on their behalf.‟ Another headteacher stated: „The staff used the child‟s “my plans” to show

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Outstanding

how the young person had settled into the home and to chart the holistic progress made by him. This is the first time l have seen such a comprehensive report from a home. It is a proactive, not reactive home, which works professionally and in partnership to minimise challenges and ensure good outcomes.‟ Young people enjoy and are enthusiastic about their learning. They spoke of, and fully understood, the training they are enrolled on. These range from skills for retail, to social care and sports education. Level 2 mathematics and English are an integral part of each young person‟s learning. Older children spoke of their wishes and dreams for their future and how they wish to advance once they achieve their qualifications. The positive environment that young people live in has helped them to understand that they can achieve many of their ambitions. A parent commented: „My son has changed so much and made such progress, he communicates well with

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Outstanding

me and takes part in conversations. The staff team cares about him, he is safe and many of his anxieties have decreased, and he now enjoys life. As a family we now feel that by the time he reaches 18 we are more confident that he can return to the family home.‟

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Outstanding

All young people spoke of the wide range of planned activities they enjoy, often drawing staff into conversations to talk of shared interests, such as football, indoor rock climbing, preparing meals, attending teenage dance clubs and arranging parties for special events. They have enjoyed numerous skill learning, developmental and fun activities in the community. In the home, they have access to a range of activity-based resources. Part of the home‟s garden has been developed into a fruit and vegetable garden. The young people use much of their home-grown produce in their healthy menu planning. A parent commented: „When l visit my son he has taken part in so many activities, many of which he had never experienced before. The staff encourage me to take part in these and l just enjoy having fun with my son and hearing him laugh aloud. The social worker wishes a fostering family for him. He sees the staff and children here as part of his family.

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Outstanding

The progress he has made in this home means that l am strongly advocating for him to stay where he is happy, making fantastic progress and wants to live. I hoped for, but did not expect, such love and care for my son from a home.‟

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Outstanding

Staff are consistent in maintaining close contact and communication with parents and health professionals such as general practitioners, the child and adolescent mental health service and specialist therapists. This ensures that young people receive the support required to meet their current physical and emotional health needs and address any needs that may arise as young people develop. Staff receive appropriate training to ensure that young people‟s medical and therapeutic needs are safely met by the home. Healthy lifestyles are a central feature of the home. Young people play a lead role in menu planning and staff ensure that meals are culturally appropriate as required. For some young people, healthy living has had a significant impact on their physical and emotional health. They have been supported to set realistic goals and targets and are exceedingly proud of the impressive progress they have made. In some cases, medication has ceased, self-

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Outstanding

esteem is high and they have achieved a level of confidence in their ability to make changes in their lives. A parent commented: „My son is a changed child. In some respects, unrecognisable as the same person who he was a year ago. He is now active, loves taking part in sport and keen to continue his improvement. This change is something we had not thought possible due to an obsession around food.‟

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Outstanding

Young people learn to develop resilience, confidence and self-care skills appropriate and necessary for adulthood. Staff work meticulously on transitions with placing authorities and advocate to ensure that alternative provision can meet the needs and expressed wishes of young people. For example, managers recently advocated for a young person, where the adult placement did not meet his needs or his wishes and views. As a result, his new placement allows him to live in the community he knows and enables him to have independence in line with his capabilities. This will ensure a successful move and a positive introduction to the next stage of his life. Young people benefit from the productive and valued life storybooks and visual memories. These provide an overview of their life in the home, helping them to recall memories and understand that stage of their life journey.

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Outstanding

Young people are safe and feel secure because caring and knowledgeable staff prioritise their safety and help and protect them. They benefit from staff who foster opportunities and help them to enjoy new experiences. For example, some young people safely make short journeys from the home to access the local shops. For others, independent learning objectives require more innovative and creative work that does not have an impact on their development or safety. These range from practising personal road safety to enabling young people to start their journey with staff following at a safe and discreet distance. Comprehensive risk assessments identify individual risks and young people‟s understanding of these risks. Revisions occur on a regular basis, charting progress and achievements. This increases opportunities for young people to enjoy new experiences, learn from their successes and errors and enables individual independence in line with capability

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Outstanding

and understanding. For example, a young person due to move on to adult living, travels to and from college independently and has his own key to the front door.

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Outstanding

Staff are committed to ensuring that young people have fun and control over much of their daily lives and their relationships with others. Understanding of keeping safe, both physically and sexually, is woven into all aspects of the support and care for young people. This involves careful recording of the small details that are important to young people, such as a new girlfriend, independent travel to choose a new hairstyle and expectations of what they can or cannot yet do independently.

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Outstanding

Effective behaviour management systems ensure that young people are safely supported to manage anxieties and challenges. Young people‟s input into these plans gives them the lead voice on how they wish to be supported in understanding and managing their individual behaviours. Staff are insightful and use their comprehensive knowledge and understanding of young people to recognise quickly the importance of change in demeanour, emotional state and communication as possible indicators of challenging behaviour or harm. This enables staff to use their skills to reduce anxieties and frustrations. However, staff are also adept at taking a lead role to ensure that young people remain safe and relaxed. Diversion techniques and activity choices are often used to encourage positive behaviour and to reduce any challenges.

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Outstanding

Young people live in a safe and comfortable home. The environment is planned well to meet individual interests and contributes to the excellent progress made by the young people. High levels of staff supervision mean that staff are confident in their ability to support and care for young people. A highly nurturing staff team excels in using the familial model of parenting. A member of staff commented: „This is first and foremost the young people‟s home, we are just lucky to be able to care for and support them.‟ Due to the exceptionally supportive and safe care they receive from skilled staff, young people are able to relax, respond positively and are confident in their interactions with staff. As a result, young people recognise and use their individual skills and abilities, particularly to reduce any frustrations and anxieties. High levels of staff supervision, a sense of belonging and a safe environment mean that young people do not go missing. Good risk management

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Outstanding

plans ensure that staff are aware of what to do in such an event.

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Outstanding

Managers have built positive relationships with the police, who visit the home on an interactive and social basis. This encourages a positive view of the police for young people, who are comfortable in speaking with them on any matter.

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Outstanding

Recruitment practices follow strict safeguarding protocols. This means that only suitable people work with young people. Managers are aware of the broader risks to young people, including internet abuse. Computers have safety controls, which protect young people from unsuitable sites. Managers prioritise the safety of the premises, and a comprehensive range of risk assessments, together with a common sense approach to safety, supports this.

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Outstanding

The leadership and management of the home are outstanding. The manager is ambitious for the young people. She offers strong, decisive and inspirational direction and has a dynamic vision for excellence. This enables staff to grow and develop, and to offer exceptionally high quality care to vulnerable and complex young people. Young people are at the forefront of the service. The manager has created an atmosphere and culture that celebrate the young people‟s successes and outcomes. She leads by example and demonstrates an unquestionable commitment to the highest quality care for young people. A social worker commented: „The manager is extraordinarily robust in advocating for young people, for her, “only the best is good enough”, and she is tenacious in ensuring we deliver for the young person.‟ Without exception, professionals and parents spoke in glowing terms about the exceptional impact the home has had on the

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Outstanding

development, safety and emotional well-being of young people.

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Outstanding

The manager has a relevant management qualification. She has good experience in understanding the needs of young people with disabilities. Since the last inspection, she has sought to improve her knowledge, understanding and the development of the service. A good example of this is her recent completion of a level 7 qualification in strategic management. She has used this knowledge to review systems in the home to improve the quality of safe and nurturing care. An experienced and competent deputy manager supports her. Together they provide exceptionally strong leadership and are respected by colleagues and young people. A young person commented: „I love them both (the manager and deputy), they are fun and like talking to us, they never shout or tell us off.‟ Managers are very visible in the home, and they know and understand the young people and what makes them unique as individuals.

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Outstanding

Managers ensure that staff benefit from appropriate training and are beginning to learn and understand the practice of reflective supervision, which enables them to question the effectiveness of their interventions and to stretch and challenge their care practices. Managers‟ continual professional development has provided opportunities for improved staff appraisals that enables them to reflect on the impact of their work with young people for their emotional well-being and resilience. Staff all say that the support and challenge they receive from managers mean that they are continually growing and developing. A staff member commented: „The manager challenges us to continually develop and improve, not just to provide better and more effective care for our young people, but to also improve our confidence that we can and are offering the best possible care for them.‟ New initiatives, such as improved „my plans‟ to further young people‟s

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Outstanding

engagement in their care planning, improved risk management structures and greater understanding of theoretical approaches to disability, mean that young people benefit from an increasingly skilled staff team which supports them to manage and reflect on their anxieties, impulses and choices. This enhances their safety and welfare.

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Outstanding

Excellent and comprehensive care planning, together with professional partnership working, means that young people are supported to grow and develop across all aspects of their lives. Managers and staff work hard in supporting young people to develop increased social understanding and healthy routines and to promote family contact when it is safe and appropriate to do so. Managers have introduced new recording systems to ensure that key workers further improve the way they report and record the progress and achievements of young people and that they share this with relevant professionals and parents

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Outstanding

Independent monitoring of the home provides comprehensive child-focused reports, highlighting areas of strength and constructive advice for improvements. Internal monitoring systems are extensive and led by the views of young people, parents and professionals.

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Outstanding

The home‟s statement of purpose is detailed and comprehensively outlines the ethos, aims and objectives of the service. The children‟s guide is individualised to meet the needs of young people and provides a creative summary of the service provided.

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Outstanding

Managers are confident in their approaches to meet the needs of young people with disabilities They are determined that young people should be fully integrated into the community and society, while understanding the risks for them and to the community. They have a clear vision for the service. A detailed and realistic developmental plan sets out the steps to achieve this, with the aim to continue to offer a service of excellence where young people make outstanding progress in all areas of their lives.

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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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