Children's home run by Progress Care and Education Limited 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’s provision is good because:

 Young people who live in this home receive a high standard of care, which is tailored to meet their individual needs. As a result, they make good and, at times, outstanding progress.

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

 Young people receive their care from staff who know them well and have a good understanding of their needs.

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

 Staff take time to communicate with young people in a meaningful way so as to increase their opportunities to make choices in their daily lives.

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

 Staff strongly support young people to gain daily living and social skills, which increases their independence.

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

 Risks to the health, safety and well-being of young people are carefully considered and well managed.

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

 Staff are confident in safeguarding practice and are able to recognise and report concerns in an effective manner.

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

 The registered manager ensures that the rights of young people unable to consent to their care are consistently upheld.

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

 The home benefits from effective leadership. Staff feel confident in the registered manager and are well supported.

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

 An open and transparent culture exists, within which young people feel able to express their views or raise concerns. Reflective practice is encouraged, which supports the service to constantly improve.

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

 The registered manager ensures that safety and quality across the service is consistently monitored and that opportunities for improvement are recognised and addressed.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation:  Records of restraint must be kept and should enable the registered person and staff to review the use of control, discipline and restraint to identify effective practice and respond promptly where any issues or trends of concern emerge. The review should provide the opportunity for amending practice to ensure it meets the needs of each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.59)

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

21/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

02/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Good

Young people who live in this home receive good-quality, individualised care. They make good and, at times, outstanding progress as a result of the care they receive.

p.6

Good

Observations of young people interacting with staff and receiving support show that staff have an excellent understanding of the young people in their care and the care and support they require. Young people appear content and comfortable in the presence of staff and interact with them in a natural and relaxed way.

p.6

Good

Much consideration is given to young people’s individual methods of communication and clear information regarding this area is included in their care plans. Staff were observed taking time to communicate with young people in a way they could understand, for example through the use of symbols or objects of reference. Staff attempt to maximise young people’s opportunities to make choices in their daily lives through the use of picture choice boards. This helps to support young people’s autonomy and independence.

p.6

Good

Young people are supported by a stable staff team. This means that the young people benefit from care that is provided by people who know them well and understand their needs. A parent commented, ‘They know [X] so well. They can tell if something isn’t right or if she is unwell. That’s so important because she can’t tell them.’

p.6

Good

Staff support young people to access healthcare and specialist services, such as occupational therapy or speech and language therapy. Young people’s care plans provide evidence of positive joint working between staff at the home and community professionals. This helps to ensure that young people’s health and specialist care needs are met.

p.6

Good

Each young person has an individualised menu in place, which has been devised in accordance with an assessment of their sensory needs. Pictorial menus are in place which help to enable young people to make choices about what they eat. Staff support young people to eat a nutritious diet and monitor their intake. For one young person, there are particular challenges in monitoring their weight in traditional ways. As this young person has experienced some weight loss in the past, a care plan should be developed to outline alternative ways in which this can be monitored to help support their health and well-being.

p.6

Good

Staff at the home work closely with education professionals to ensure that young people’s education programmes in daily life skills, such as self-care, are supported in the home environment. Staff identify whether a young person requires additional support and work with young people’s schools to ensure that it is provided. For example, changes to one young person’s timetable and additional support from the home’s staff at key times have been arranged in line with one young person’s individual needs. This effective partnership working helps to ensure that young people’s learning is constantly supported.

p.6

Good

Staff support young people to achieve as much independence as possible through well-planned care and support. Examples of excellent outcomes include those for one young person who is now able to use the toilet throughout the day, sit down to eat a meal and sleep in a bed. These are all aspects of daily life that the young person was unable to manage on their admission to the home. Another young person has been supported to develop effective coping strategies to manage changes of environment, such as from home to school, which were previously very difficult for them.

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Good

One young person has recently left the home and moved on to adult services. Staff at the home strongly supported this young person’s move. They worked with the young person’s new carers providing training in how to meet the young person’s needs. Staff at the home were involved in developing the young person’s care plan for their adult service and assisted in ensuring that the new environment was suitable for the young person. Staff at the home remain on hand to provide support and guidance to the new carers. This support has helped to ensure that the young person’s move to adult services is successful and as least disruptive as possible.

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Good

Staff support young people to engage in fulfilling and enjoyable activities. A parent was extremely complimentary about this aspect of support, commenting, ‘They encourage [X] to try all sorts of new things, things I would never think of.’

p.7

Good

Much consideration is given as to how young people can be supported to benefit from new activities. Risk assessments are completed and any aspects of a new environment or activity that a young person may find difficult are carefully thought through and planned for. For example, arrangements were made for a young person to start visiting a venue for an activity while it was closed. This gave the young person the opportunity to become familiar and comfortable with the surroundings and gradually build up their confidence. The young person now enjoys regular attendance at the venue when it is fully open. This piece of work demonstrates that the individualised care provided to young people increases their opportunities to engage in enjoyable activities. Judgement grade

p.7

Good

The registered manager and staff have a very good understanding of the needs of young people in their care and carefully consider risks to their safety and well- being. This helps to ensure that young people are protected from harm.

p.8

Good

Each young person has a range of risk assessments in place in areas related to health, behaviour, the environment and activities. When it is identified that risks are present, there is very clear guidance in place for staff about the measures required to maintain young people’s safety and well-being. Staff demonstrate good knowledge of these measures and are able to confidently describe how they provide safe and effective care.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that young people’s risk assessments are constantly reviewed. Any changes in a young person’s circumstances or new information is promptly included. This helps to ensure that young people’s safety and well-being is maintained in line with their changing needs.

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Good

Young people who live in this home have complex needs and behaviours. There is a positive approach to the support of young people’s behaviours and clear support plans help to ensure that young people receive positive and consistent care. The registered manager has recently introduced daily meetings for staff to enable them to discuss any incidents that have occurred. This process further supports a consistent approach and also provides an additional opportunity for staff to share any concerns that they may have about a young person’s behaviour, or how they have been supported.

p.8

Good

Following any incidents when a staff member has been required to physically intervene in a situation to safeguard a young person or those around them, all staff involved are provided with a debrief on a group and individual basis. Ensuring that each staff member who has been involved in a physical intervention, or has witnessed one, writes an individual account, will further help to safeguard young people against any inappropriate practice.

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Good

Safeguarding practice is strong at this home. Staff are all fully trained in how to recognise and respond to abuse. There are clear procedures in place providing guidance for staff on how to report concerns and the role of other agencies, such as the local authority, in investigations.

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Good

Staff report confidence in the organisation’s whistleblowing procedures. All staff feel that the registered manager would address any concerns in an effective manner and support them in the event that they raised such concerns. A recent incident did result in a concern being raised with the registered manager and this was addressed in a prompt, robust manner. Effective safeguarding practice helps to protect young people from abuse.

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Good

Incidents of young people being missing do not occur in this home. Because of their needs, young people who live in this home require constant supervision and are not able to leave the home independently. The registered manager demonstrates a good understanding of the rights of young people who require constant support and supervision but do not have the mental capacity to consent to this. The registered manager has worked closely with external professionals to ensure that the rights of young people in this position are upheld.

p.9

Good

The registered manager has systems in place to help ensure that young people are provided with safe accommodation. Regular safety checks and audits are completed in all areas of the home and of equipment within it, such as fire safety equipment. Robust recruitment procedures mean that all prospective employees are required to undergo a range of background checks prior to being offered employment at the home. This helps to ensure that young people receive their care from staff of suitable character.

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Good

The home is managed effectively by a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager. The registered manager demonstrates commitment towards child- centred practice and ensuring that standards of care within the home are consistently high. The registered manager reports a good level of support from the organisation and confirms that adequate resources are provided to manage the home in a safe, effective manner.

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Good

The registered manager ensures that the home is centred on the needs of young people. For example, despite there being a vacancy at the home, a decision has been made not to admit a new young person until other planned changes to the group have taken place. This is so that the disruption to young people is kept to a minimum.

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Good

The registered manager works positively with external professionals, such as education and healthcare workers. Records demonstrate that the registered manager is proactive in involving external agencies in young people’s care. Young people’s care plans show that advice from professionals, such as speech and language therapists or behavioural specialists, is incorporated in their daily care. This helps to help ensure that young people receive well-planned and coordinated support.

p.9

Good

The registered manager champions young people’s rights and is able to demonstrate that she challenges other services when they are not effective. An example of this is ongoing dialogue with an external agency which has failed to plan effectively for a young person approaching a move towards adult services.

p.10

Good

There is a well-established and stable team in place. The registered manager ensures that any staff who work in the home on a casual basis are from a small core team which is familiar with the young people who live in the home. This means that young people benefit from consistency and receive their care from staff who know them well and understand their needs.

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Good

The staff team benefits from a comprehensive training programme. In addition to core mandatory training, courses are provided in line with the needs of young people who live at the home in areas such as autistic spectrum disorder and positive behaviour support. Over half of the staff team hold nationally recognised qualifications in caring for young people, and the remaining staff members are in the process of obtaining these qualifications. This positive approach to training helps to ensure that staff have the necessary skills and knowledge to care for young people in a safe, effective manner.

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Good

Staff are well motivated and feel well supported. There have been recent changes to the organisation which has resulted in an unsettled period. Staff are positive about the way in which these changes have been managed and feel that they have been well supported. A staff member commented, ‘I think morale was a bit low at first but it is much improved now.’

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Good

Arrangements are in place for the ongoing supervision and appraisal of staff. The registered manager recognises situations where staff may require additional support and records demonstrate that this is provided. A staff member commented, ‘I find supervision really helpful. The manager lets you come up with your own ideas as well. She is a brilliant manager and so easy to talk to.’

p.10

Good

The registered manager speaks of the importance of creating an open and reflective culture. To support this, she has recently introduced an enhanced handover process, in which all staff meet and have additional time to reflect on the day’s events. They discuss incidents and any observations that they have made about the young people. This is a valuable opportunity for staff to share ideas on a daily basis and constructively challenge each other in a safe forum. Staff are very positive about this process. One person commented, ‘It is a time to think about what difference you have made that day and if you could have done anything differently.’

p.10

Good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the strengths of the service and potential areas for development. A number of processes are in place, and these enable her to formally monitor quality and safety across the service. Evidence is available to demonstrate that appropriate action is taken when areas for development are identified.

p.10

Good

The registered manager demonstrates a positive approach to feedback and an open and transparent manner when dealing with concerns or complaints. Any issues raised with the registered manager are dealt with in an effective way. It is evident that the registered manager views complaints or adverse incidents as an opportunity to learn and improve the service. All investigation reports include a clear account of positive changes that have been made as a result of the issues raised, regardless of the findings. This demonstrates that the registered manager is committed to the constant development and improvement of the service.

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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 0300 123 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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