Children's home run by Virgin Care Limited in Camden

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff continue to provide good quality short breaks for young people. Staff are nurturing and demonstrate a good understanding of young people’s needs. As a result, relationships between staff and young people are good. Staff understand the importance of these relationships and, where appropriate, keep in touch with young people who have left the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The deputy manager has competently led the home in the registered manager’s absence. The deputy manager is submitting an application to register with Ofsted to ensure that there is a registered person in day-to-day control of the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good action has been taken to address the three requirements from the last inspection. As a result, staff are scheduled to complete necessary mandatory training, supervision of senior staff who work in the home is now taking place regularly, and records pertaining to physical intervention are more detailed to describe why the intervention was necessary. A previous recommendation relating to providing a gender balance in the staff team has been reinstated. Although, work has taken place to review the job title in an attempt to attract additional applicants to the role, the staff team remains solely of one gender group.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Visits by the independent person have become more rigorous. As a result, the independent person is challenging the managers and staff team to reflect more on their work and drive forward improvements. The team takes good action to address recommendations that the independent person makes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff provide good help and support for young people who are starting to visit the home and for those who are moving onto adult placements. Transitions are carefully planned and carried out at the pace of the young person and their family. As a result, young people develop confidence and moves are successful.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff are providing good support for young people’s educational needs. Although this responsibility remains with families, the staff in the home are visiting young people’s schools regularly to spend time with them in class, and to share important information about young people’s needs. Staff are currently supporting a young person to integrate back into school. The family are complimentary about this support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection staff have sought formal feedback from families about the quality of care provided in the home. Those who have responded are exceptionally positive about their child’s experiences. This feedback was echoed by those families who took part in this inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Overall the environment provided to young people is suitable. Bedrooms are nicely personalised and prepared with young people’s favoured items before they arrive to stay. Young people make good use of the large garden and array of play equipment. Currently, young people cannot access the garden without asking staff as the door into the garden is locked with a key. Staff have been asked to explore alternative options of securing the door to enable young people to develop greater independence. During the inspection, confidential information about young people’s needs was accessible in a communal area. Action was taken during the inspection to remedy this weakness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff respond well when young people feel anxious and/or become unhappy. Staff de-escalate situations well and make good use of alternative communication systems to help young people to say how they feel. Sanctions are not used and physical intervention is used rarely. On two occasions staff used physical intervention to help a young person to release their hand from pulling a member of staff’s hair. Records about these incidents demonstrate what happened and why staff responded as they did. On one occasion both staff members who were involved carried out the debrief discussion with each other. In addition, the record relating to the incident was monitored and ‘signed off’ by the manager who was also involved. To ensure more independent oversight, it is recommended that staff who have not been involved in the incident carry out these tasks.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Following serious incidents staff promptly amend young people’s individual risk assessments and behaviour support plans. However, if incidents do not happen then these documents, along with care plans, are not reviewed regularly enough. Some plans were produced and last reviewed in 2015. It is not evident that staff have made certain that the information recorded remains correct.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff make a record, and take action, in response to seeing a mark with an unknown cause on a young person. There are clear guidelines in place so that should staff have safeguarding concerns about the mark, then the child protection policy must be followed. Staff spoken with confirmed that they know this policy and follow it. However, the records that staff keep do not clearly demonstrate how staff determined that, in one instance, a mark was not a safeguarding concern before they took the action they did.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have good opportunities to talk about safeguarding concerns as they receive formal supervision with a designated child protection lead every three months. This time is used well, and enables staff to talk about their work with young people and to develop their understanding of child protection processes.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people have good opportunities to develop their skills during their visits because they each have individual targets. Following a recommendation by the independent visitor, staff have made the targets more specific so that they can better measure the progress young people make.

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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 and/or learning disability and/or sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/10/2016 Full Good 03/11/2015 Full Inadequate 22/09/2014 Full Good 23/07/2014 Full Inadequate

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must ensure (a) that staff– (v) understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that records pertaining to marks seen on children clearly evidence the decisions staff have made to determine the course of action they take in response. 31/03/2017

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 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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Recommendations

 The design of the home should, where appropriate, enable children to develop independence skills within the supportive environment of the home. This relates specifically to reviewing how the door into the garden is secured to enable young people to go into garden more independently. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 17 paragraph 3:25)

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Recommendations

 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. In particular, ensure that the monitoring and debriefing of incidents is carried out by staff who were not involved in the incident. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 49 paragraph 9:59)  Children should be encouraged by staff to see the home's records as 'living documents', supporting them to view and contribute to the record in a way that reflects their voice on a regular basis. This relates specifically to reviewing care plans, behaviour support plans and risk assessments more regularly. ('Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards', page 58 paragraph 11:19)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference that adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition, the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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