Children's Home run by London Borough of Hounslow in Hounslow

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:

 Staff support young people to make safe and positive decisions, resulting in commendable outcomes.  Young people build secure and stable relationships with adults in the home who listen to and value the young people. Young people call the unit their ‘home’ and the staff are their ‘family’.  The home is warm, comfortable and welcoming. Young people are encouraged to take ownership of the home and personalise their living space.  Risk assessments include static and dynamic factors. Practical strategies are in place which are regularly reviewed. Staff consistently follow their safeguarding policy and procedures.  Staff and managers practice good record keeping. Information contained in files is clear and comprehensive.  Young people benefit from clear and timely communication by the staff to social workers and other professionals as well as with their birth family and former carers.  Managers demonstrate aspirational leadership. They lead by example with a

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The children's home provision is good because:

clear understanding of what constitutes exceptional progress for each young person in the home.  Managers promote a culture of accountability as well as going above and beyond to help young people achieve their potential.  Recruitment processes are robust and an active workforce development plan is in place to promote learning and professional growth.  A stable and familiar staff team contributes to the overall consistency of the operation of the home.  Staff know the young people very well and are finely attuned to their needs.  Young people’s positive behaviour, however small or significant, is recognised and reinforced.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Review self-harm incidents taking into account any patterns of behaviour or unusual behaviour as well as the frequency of the incidents and their cumulative effect to render a judgement about notifying Ofsted. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.9– 14.11)

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. A local authority provides this service.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 15/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2015 Full Good 18/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/01/2015 Full Good

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Good

The home provides a warm and positive environment for young people where they feel that they are listened to and well looked after by the staff and managers. Young people’s wishes and feelings are taken into account and a range of activities are offered to enhance their experiences. Young people can make written requests in the outcomes diary for trips to the beach or to spend time with their birth family or former foster carers. A good system of rewards is in place to reinforce positive behaviour, which the young people subscribe to and feel good about their achievements. Young people attend and contribute to the weekly residents’ meeting in which they voice their thoughts on the menu, activities and other matters that directly concern them. Young people feel heard and valued in the home. Young people have individualised care plans that assess their needs and strengths as well as desired outcomes from their looked after children reviews, personal

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Good

education plans and pathway plans. Key work sessions cover ‘what is important to you at the moment’ in addition to progress made towards personal targets and the issues addressed in the care plan. Agreed actions are recorded and followed up in the next session, showing progress for most of the young people. For example, one young person has improved her college attendance to 100%, despite some conflict with her peers and birth family, while another young person has received contraceptives in line with her risk management plan. All of the young people in the home attend school or college except for one young person. The home supports young people in education and has close links with education professionals including the designated teacher and the virtual head. As much as possible, the home prepares young people for independence. Young people have a comprehensive semi-independence programme designed to meet

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Good

their individual needs with clear goals and a support plan to achieve the set targets within reasonable timescales. For young people whose prognosis for life after care may be challenging due to issues beyond the control of the home, the managers work closely with the social worker and professionals to arrange a specialist assessment. Handover meetings are effective in ensuring that detailed information about each young person from the previous 24 hours is shared with a focus on how to promote positive outcomes for each child. This includes what interventions have worked on resolving conflicts, any risks and what to look out for, and how they can be mitigated. Relationships between staff and young people are positive. As one young person stated, ‘I love the manager. She really looks after me.’ Another young person said, ‘They’re like my family.’ This positive relationship between staff and young people

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Good

continues after the young people leave the home. They come back to say hello, and to visit with the staff and managers. One former resident of the home wrote in the compliments book, ‘I love the staff. They are helpful. They annoyed me a lot while living here but now looking back I needed that kick up the backside.’ Another former resident wrote, ‘This house and these staff helped me so much along my life and I can’t thank you enough.’ The staff and managers of the home strive to ensure that young people make good progress in their health, education and relationships with peers and adults. The home helps young people to make the most of opportunities offered and to enhance their skills to lead independent lives.

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Good

Staff update the health and risk assessment for each young person including any risks associated with self-harming, misusing drugs or alcohol, going missing and child sexual exploitation as well as physical health. Assessments are clear, current, detailed and informative with expectations and preventative actions as well as appropriate levels of interventions to respond to any increased risks. Evidence of reduction of risks for some of the young people is apparent. The home has good relationships with placing social workers and partner agencies that report excellent and timely communication from the staff and managers. When young people go missing, the home consistently follows its procedures. Return home interviews take place and staff interventions have helped to reduce the number of incidents of going missing. For example, when a young person went missing with a new boyfriend, her key worker reported this to the police, the local

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Good

authority and spoke with the young person upon return and met with the boyfriend to obtain his full identity and contact details. The key worker explained the rules of the home and expectations of its residents as well as their friends in the interest of the young person’s safety and well-being. The young person has had no further incidents of going missing since the key worker’s intervention. There have been four incidents of restraint since the last inspection. An analysis of the effectiveness of the intervention is recorded in the log, and all incidents include a review by the manager. Recording of incidents of restraint is good. However, there is no separate section for young people to complete, and the critical incident form is not always completed. Staff use good de-escalation techniques and avoid criminalising the young person. Young people receive appropriate levels of support in all serious incidents, including alleged sexual assaults. Staff adhere to the home’s

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Good

policies, which have been updated, on child protection, anti-bullying, e-safety and the risk of child sexual exploitation. Notifications of restraints and critical incidents are cross referenced. Outcomes are recorded such as a referral to the child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS). In one serious incident of self-harm, when the young person was taken to hospital, the manager considered this as not serious and did not notify HMCI. The deputy manager completes a six-monthly monitoring report of all health and safety activity in the home, which he supplies to the senior managers. Regular monitoring ensures that the home is a safe environment. Good joint working by the deputy manager and the council’s health and safety adviser has resulted in more efficient planning and implementation of health and safety policies in the home such as window restrictors and high resolution CCTV. New admissions are given a warm welcome and made to feel at home by the staff

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Good

and managers who quickly learn the young person’s individual needs, interests and strengths. For example, staff have helped a young person to successfully transition from a highly structured and restrictive placement to the home. The young person’s parent commented that he is very settled in the home and how well the staff have helped the young person manage the change. The young person was able to keep his lizards in the room which was a part of helping him to settle in the home . The home promotes positive behaviour, both verbally and in writing through the use of the positives book where the staff recognise young people’s achievements, however big or small. This leads to young people feeling valued and appreciated, and helps to build the assumption of positive intent within the home. The location risk assessment contains a good level of detail and evidence of consultation with relevant persons to gain an accurate picture of the local risks.

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Good

The assessment also includes local resources including health, leisure and education as well as demographics and local crime figures. The home provides a protective environment for young people.

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Outstanding

The registered manager has been in post for over six years and has extensive experience of working with children and young people who are looked after. Young people say that they trust the manager and can talk to her about many things. They say that she is very caring. Two of the young people have referred to the manager as their ‘Mum’. The manager is influential with the young people, staff and partner agencies. The manager’s energy and commitment to providing young people with high-quality care is palpable. The manager’s aspiration for young people is evidenced in the progress that they make in preparing for their future. The manager’s self-evaluation of her strengths and weaknesses is honest and thoughtful. Her evaluation of the home’s strengths and areas for further improvement, which is well-informed and balanced, contributes to the internal monitoring reports and the workforce development plan. The manager makes

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Outstanding

accurate assessment of the young people’s needs and ensures that care plans reflect the support required with desired outcomes. She knows what significant improvement for each young person looks like and strives to deliver the right level of service to make this happen. The home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. The manager displays genuine positive regard for everyone in the home. She champions development of professional expertise and models robust practice leadership. For example, the registered manager has encouraged a member of staff with experience in autism to take the practice lead in key working with a young person with autistic traits and sharing her knowledge with the team. In team meetings, the registered manager and deputy manager share their knowledge on up-to-date research and practice issues and encourage staff to do the same. The manager is proactive in her relationship with professionals, family and former

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Outstanding

carers, which the staff model to ensure the best possible care and experiences for young people. The registered manager and deputy manager work closely with each other supporting senior and residential care staff. When conflicts arise, the registered manager proactively works to resolve the issue through open dialogue, seeking consultation from others and if necessary training. For example, bringing in managing conflict training to resolve conflicts within the team. The majority of the staff have worked at the home for several years. They are a dedicated group of adults with extensive experience of working with children and young people in care. The registered manager said, ‘I love this house. I’ve worked here for so long, it’s like my second home. We haven’t had any resident trash this house. The ethos is that the young people value this as their home.’ The registered manager delivers timely, comprehensive and analytical internal

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Outstanding

monitoring reports, which link directly to the quality care standards. She has ensured that the statement of purpose is of high quality and updated to reflect any substantive changes to the home. The training matrix is accurate, covers all relevant training subjects and is regularly updated. Staff are clear about the code of conduct, standards of practice and expectations of the managers. Staff supervision is regular and recordings capture feedback, learning from audits and reflective practice discussions that challenge the staff to develop their practice further. Recognition of good work by the staff and the value added to the young person’s care are recorded in supervision notes. Young people contribute to staff appraisals through written feedback. Young people describe staff as ‘kind’, ‘friendly’ and ‘caring’. An independent visitor’s regular reports reflect the progress made on the actions from the previous visit as well as the openness of communication between the

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Outstanding

visitor and the staff and managers. Feedback is regularly sought and is used to inform and improve individual practice and overall service delivery. The registered manager proactively ensures that the home meets all regulatory requirements. The manager promotes taking collective responsibility to provide good care to young people who are looked after by the local authority.

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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 looked after children 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 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, 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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