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

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged outstanding 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 registered manager describes the home’s approach as, ‘We see ability, not disability’, and this is evident in the young people’s excellent progress in all aspects of their lives.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team completes detailed needs and risk assessments prior to young people coming to live in the home. This ensures that all aspects of the young people’s welfare are supported by the staff team on arrival. Risk assessments also consider the impact that a young person may have on the young people already living in the home. This ensures that the existing young persons’ group stability in the home is prioritised.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has moved on since the last inspection. Proposed future care planning is informed by the staff team completing detailed behavioural analysis reviews, risk assessments and behaviour support plans. This essential information provides other professionals, parents and carers with the necessary knowledge to determine alternative care provision and thus improve the chances of smooth transitions for young people.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people benefit from high levels of supervision and personalised and innovative care that meets their individual needs. Staff successfully encourage the young people to contribute to all appropriate aspects of their care planning, such as through the use of social stories and picture exchange communication systems. This includes meal planning, holiday activities and attendance at school.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people living in the home long term and those receiving shorter respite care are provided with informative children’s guides. The guides are individual to the young people in their preferred communication format. This approach ensures that young people are able to gain a sense of what to expect when staying at the home in a way that they understand.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Individual care objectives for the young people are monitored daily and reviewed monthly. Using photo symbols to choose a snack, improve personal care skills, attend weekly swimming sessions or progress to independent bicycle riding are some of the examples of tailored progress objectives and achievements. A social worker complimented the staff for ‘the progress that a young person has made in his communication skills from being non-verbal to now saying a few words’. A parent thanked the home ‘for support, love and dedication’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff celebrate the young people’s achievements. Photographic montages on the home’s walls evidence the young people’s enjoyment of an extensive range of activities both inside and outside the home. One young person communicated that he likes living at the home and his ‘favourite friend lives at the home’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people’s independence training is dove tailed with their pathway plans. An independent skills record tracks progress and builds on the young people’s existing abilities. Preparing breakfast or attending a local youth club to support socialisation skills are examples of activities that help the young people to progress their life skills towards semi-independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Comprehensive behaviour support plans ensure that the young people are safely supported. Staff use effective communication techniques with the young people to help them to manage their behaviours and emotions in a safe way. Staff regularly review the young people’s records to identify any patterns of challenging behaviour and adapt the type of support if and when required. Vigilant staff practices ensure that young people do not go missing. The use of physical restraint is appropriate and rarely used.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team work well in partnership with professionals outside of the home. One said, ‘Communication with the home is good.’ A teacher said, ‘Activities at school are replicated by the home.’ This provides the young people with a consistency of support and care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team members are committed advocates for the young people in the home. Staff team meetings and external meetings, such as care plan reviews, provide the forum for staff to discuss and prioritise the young person’s care needs. One young person’s behavioural challenges following contact were analysed by the staff team, and requests for further support and advice from other professionals were agreed. The increased knowledge enabled the staff team to adapt the young person’s care and support needs so that good-quality contact could be maintained for the young person.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A robust approach to staff recruitment ensures that only those adults deemed appropriate to care for young people work at the home. The 12-week induction of new staff includes mandatory training along with needs-led training specific to the young people living in the home. This includes picture exchange communication systems and moving and handling training. A new member of staff said that the staff team members are ‘supportive of each other’ and observed that staff ‘genuinely care for the young people here’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and staff team explore imaginative and resourceful ways to continue to provide outstanding care to the young people. The registered manager secured the voluntary services of a local bicycle company to provide a young person with adaptations to his bicycle. This enabled the young person to continue his progress in learning to ride a bicycle independently. Questionnaires sent out to the local neighbourhood have provided the home with suggestions and further opportunities for the young people to broaden their experiences in the local community. Signs and symbols for ‘word of the month’ are displayed in the home. For example, the sign for ‘Christmas’ was displayed in December. This encourages the young people to informally practise their communication skills on a regular basis. An internal audio doorbell in the home provides the young people with the ability to directly express themselves to staff. Pressing the button ‘I want to go for

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

a walk’ provides the young person with an immediate and innovative way to express their needs to which staff respond.

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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 five children and young people. The home accommodates, on a permanent or short-term basis, children and young people who have a learning or physical disability.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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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 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 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

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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