Children's home run by Children Assisted in a Real Environment Ltd in Hammersmith and Fulham

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 improved effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Six young people currently use this service. Three young people live at the home full time, one young person has shared care between the home and his family, and two young people come to stay for regular short breaks. All of the young people have been attending for over a year and some for over two years.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make consistently good progress in this home and experience stability of placement and care. Staff know the young people and work well together to meet their needs. Members of staff are experienced and have excellent knowledge about the triggers and patterns in the young people’s behaviours. This allows staff to pre-empt situations before they arise and help young people manage their feelings and emotions.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

No young people have left the home since the last inspection in October 2016, but one young person has transitioned from short stays to full-time care. Although the transition happened quickly, the young person had an opportunity to increase stays at the home before moving in full time. The home, parents and school worked well together to prepare a social story, accompanied by photographs, which helped to prepare the young person for the changes ahead. This young person received help from everyone involved in his care to understand the change. The staff team worked closely together to ensure a smooth transition. He has settled well and continues to make good progress in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Other areas of marked improvement for young people are the ability to self- regulate emotions, learning independence skills, establishing better routines, using an Oyster card independently and improving communications. These small, but significant changes have a major impact on what young people can do for themselves and for their families when they spend time at home or go out with them in the community. Learning simple new skills improves self-esteem and confidence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Since the last inspection in October 2016, there have been a low number of recorded incidents in the home. Restraint is not routinely used at the home. Given the young people’s level of need and understanding, this would not be appropriate. On three occasions, guiding or holding techniques have been used. Although these incidents are clearly recorded, they have not always been correctly recorded to show that a physical intervention has been required. In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that all incidents, which are likely to be considered serious, affecting the welfare of a child, are notified to the regulator. This allows the regulator to monitor what is going on in the home and take action if necessary.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

An independent person visits the home once every month to review the quality of care provided. This person seeks feedback from young people, professionals and families who use the service and provides a report to the leaders and managers. The recommendations made within these regular monitoring reports have been minimal, but where made, leaders and managers have acted upon them promptly, showing that they listen to and respond to feedback on how the home can be improved. Overall, these reports have been very positive, indicating a good quality service for young people living at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Members of the staff team working at the home are all offered adequate support and training to help them to do their jobs effectively. All staff hold the NVQ level 3 qualification or are registered to complete this training within the required timescales. In addition, there is a good training matrix scheduled for the year ahead to ensure that staff receive necessary training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Leaders and managers have worked hard to improve services. The registered manager provides a six-monthly review of the quality of the care provided at the home. This review informs a clear action plan, which the leaders and managers use to develop and improve the home. These reports have improved significantly over the past year, showing where progress has been made and indicating proposed changes for the management team to work towards.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The leaders and managers have addressed the two recommendations made at the last inspection. First, they have written a safer caring policy for staff, parents and professionals to understand how the young people’s personal care needs will be managed while retaining full dignity and respect for privacy. Second, all staff have now received training in the prevention of radicalisation, allowing them to understand and recognise the risks and signs of this in young people and/or their families.

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Information about this children’s home

This private children’s home provides care and accommodation for to up to five children and young people who have learning disabilities. The manager of this home also manages another home owned by the same company.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 13/10/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 19/11/2015 Full Good 26/03/2015 Full Adequate

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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

 Ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. In relation to restraint recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the registered person notifies Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(e) occurs. Examples of incidents that are likely to be considered serious affecting the welfare of a child include a serious illness or accident. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10–11)

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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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