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

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

The home has been without a registered manager since May 2015. The interim manager has recently been appointed by the local authority as manager for the home. Ofsted have received an application for her to be registered as manager for the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Twenty-seven children and young people access the home for short breaks, while two others live there permanently.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

While the interim manager is awaiting registration, she has made some progress against the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection. However, not all of these are fully completed. For example, some young people’s case records are still not being signed by the author. The receipt by HMCI of the independent person’s report has not been consistent. The six-month review of the quality of care has yet to be completed, while the children’s guide is not fully updated and is not a sufficiently accessible document for all of the children and young people who access the home’s service.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The workforce development plan has been completed as required. However, the statement of purpose does not include the staffing structure and qualifications of the staff team. The interim manager conducts staff supervision on a regular basis as outlined in the workforce development plan. Regular supervision supports the staff in meeting the needs of the children and young people. Supervision includes discussion around meeting the needs of the children and young people. However, staff do not receive formal supervision during the summer holiday period. This is contrary to the workforce development plan and does not ensure staff receive regular formal supervision.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home’s location risk assessment has been completed. However, there is no evaluation of the risk to the children and young people posed by a very busy road or the safeguarding measures in place to reduce risk and keep them safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home continues to provide good age-appropriate independence opportunities and moving-on support to the young people. One young person accessing the home for short breaks has moved on to an adult short-break service since the last inspection. Staff worked in partnership with the new service to plan and support the young person’s gradual transition. Staff used their knowledge of the young person to recommend specific equipment to support his daily living arrangements. This provided the young person with time to settle into his new environment and helped to reduce any emotional impact of change.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team encourage children and young people to learn age-appropriate independence, such as supporting their independent travel, including to and from full-time college courses and shopping trips. Children and young people living in the home long term benefit from a kitchen area where they have the opportunity to prepare meals as part of their independence skills training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person said that the home is ‘good’. She can talk to staff about ‘anything’ and enjoys her trips to a local youth club or ‘just chilling in my room’. Staff and children and young people eat their meals together, which supports socialisation skills and builds confidence. The staff enable the children and young people to experience many different appropriate activities. This includes trips to the circus, community days out and birthday parties.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s and young people’s needs are assessed prior to admission to the home so that their needs can be met. When appropriate, staff request advice from health professionals regarding specific nutrition and mealtime routines prior to admission. This provides the children and young people with the correct diet and mealtime support and guidance. In addition, furniture is re-arranged if required to provide safe arrangements for children and young people as a result of their mobility needs.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children and young people are kept safe. Where there are safeguarding concerns, the home informs all relevant parties including Ofsted. Managers and staff take appropriate steps to minimise any further risk. For instance, when a young person was considered to be at risk of sexual exploitation through his use of social media, the home informed the placing authority and the young person’s family members. The home updated the young person’s risk assessment and took appropriate advice from the local authority’s exploitation and vulnerability coordinator. The staff also used various age-appropriate child-friendly books with the young person in order to help him keep safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There have been three recent incidents when staff have used appropriate physical intervention to keep children, young people and others safe. The staff record all incidents of physical restraint. However, the records do not always identify the duration of the restraint. Risk assessments and behaviour management plans are updated after these incidents. The staff follow up these incidents with parents and agency partners and request professional meetings in order to further inform care plans.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Weekly staff meetings provide training in crisis and aggression limitation management and positive behaviour strategies. This provides the staff with the skills to de-escalate challenging behaviour, which keeps children and young people safe and reduces the need for physical intervention.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is active in engaging and supporting parents in the care of the children and young people. The home encourages parents to visit the home and attend in- house training workshops. When children and young people are not accessing the short-break service, the staff team remain involved in a supportive caring role. A young person needing medical intervention at hospital was visited by a staff member. The parents complimented the staff on their support.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children and young people are provided with a pleasant and safe environment. The interim manager says that she is ‘passionate’ about the children and young people who stay at the home. She has recently enlisted a local building firm to provide voluntary services in order to upgrade the outside grounds, internal decoration and flooring. It is hoped that this will provide an enhanced experience for the children and young people who stay at the home.

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides a short-break service and full-time care on a permanent and emergency basis for up to six children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and a sensory impairment.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 09/08/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Good 25/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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

13: The leadership and management standard In particular the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to- Lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers outcomes, set out in the home’ statement of purpose; this relates specifically to ensuring staff receive regular supervision during summer months. 30/5/2017

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Requirement Due date

16: Statement of purpose The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. In particular details of the experience and qualifications of staff, including any staff commissioned to provide education or health care. (Regulation 16 (1)) 30/5/2017

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Requirement Due date

35: Behaviour management policies and records (3) The registered person must ensure that— (a) 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— (i) the name of the child; (ii) details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure; (iii) the date, time and location of the use of the measure; (iv) a description of the measure and its duration; (v) details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure; (vi) the name of the person who used the measure (‘the user’), and of any other person present when the measure was used; (vii) the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and (viii) a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure; (b) within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered

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Requirement Due date

person, or a person who is 30/5/2017 authorised by the registered person to do so (‘the authorised person’)— (i) has spoken to the user about the measure; (ii) has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and (c) within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(a)(b)(c)) 36: Children’s case records The registered person must maintain records (‘case records’) for each child which include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child; are kept up to date; and are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36(1)(a)(b)(c)) 30/5/2017

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Requirement Due date

44: Independent person: visits and reports The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once a month. The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to HCMI. (Regulation 44(1)(7)(a)) 30/5/2017

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Requirement Due date

45: Review of quality of care The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for the children (‘a quality of care review’) at least every six months. The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45(1)(5)) 30/5/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  The children’s home must provide a children’s guide available for all permanent looked after children. This should give a full explanation of the care they can expect to receive while living in the home. The guide must be age appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’ , page 24, paragraph, 4.21)  The registered person should review the home’s premises location risk assessment. The review should include the identification of any risks presented by the homes location and the strategies for managing these. (Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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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 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 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 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

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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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