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 and the staff team continue to provide outstanding and individualised care to meet the needs of the young people. As a result, the young people continue to thrive, and achieve good progress and outcomes. For one young person, being able to wear different-coloured clothes, taste different foods and go to the cinema and on walks with staff members is significant progress. Another young person has progressed to safely travelling to college on public transport without supervision.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A key strength is the staff’s abilities to forge and strengthen positive relationships with the young people. As a result, the young people enjoy excellent and trusting relationships with staff. The young people are proud of their home, which has a warm, welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Indeed, a young person was keen to provide a tour of the home and highlight its positive aspects. Personalised bedrooms and photos of the young people around the home add to the homely atmosphere. One young person said the home is ‘nice’ with ‘good food’. Another young person said the staff ‘listen to me’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people are made to feel welcomed to the home before they arrive. A personalised children’s guide to the home is provided prior to their arrival; this supports their transition. The children s guide includes photographs of the staff team. The guide is adapted to each young person’s individual communication needs, and can be personalised with their favourite cartoon or comic characters.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people learn to develop confidence. They contribute to their care plans by making suggestions as to what they wish to achieve and the help they may need in order to achieve their objectives. A weekly skills-learning plan is recorded and shared with the young people in their own age-appropriate format. One young person wishes to learn friendship skills as part of his progression to semi- independence. Six small, manageable steps were identified with him, and he was keen to show me his progress so far.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team is committed to the young people’s smooth transition to independent living. Young people are actively encouraged by the staff team to develop age-appropriate independence skills following specifically tailored independence plans. These include adult life skills such as budgeting, shopping, cooking, writing skills and learning to safely self-medicate.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff are effective advocates for the young people leaving their care. Staff challenge placing authorities when proposed independence arrangements do not meet the young people’s needs. For example, when a young person’s benefit claim was rejected, staff completed the necessary paperwork and successfully appealed on the young person’s behalf. This ensured that the young person received his financial entitlements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people’s wishes and feelings play a central part in the running of the home. Young people contribute to their monthly home meeting with discussions around menus and activities. In consultation with the young people, the registered manager has recently introduced ‘family night’ on Fridays. The young people arrange this evening activity. This might be choosing a special evening meal and a film for everyone to watch. This activity supports the home’s enhances the homes already secure and trusting family environment.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The young people enjoy many different stimulating and healthy activities. They contribute to their individualised activity timetables. The young people’s activity list is expansive and includes bowling, swimming, trampoline, football, and trips to the cinema, among others.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff team encourages the young people to express their emotions. For some young people, emotions can be difficult to articulate. The registered manager and the staff team have been innovative in providing the young people with ‘mood diaries’ and a ‘mood board’. This approach encourages young people to better identify their feelings. Exploration of their feelings during key-work sessions provides the young people with a greater emotional awareness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff have high aspirations for the young people in the home to reach their individual potential. At the time of the inspection, all of the young people were attending education, except for one young person who had very recently arrived at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff work in partnership with schools and colleges to ensure that young people have their learning needs addressed. College/home diaries provide the staff with written updates on the young people’s progress. In addition, staff update the college on the young people’s behaviours and anything else that is relevant to supporting their educational engagement and subsequent attainment. This integrated approach provides young people with consistent support. When young people are awaiting an educational placement, the staff team ensures that that they are actively and purposefully engaged during the day. The young people are provided with informal educational opportunities in the home; these are built into their daily routines. Staff rarely need to use physical restraint to de-escalate challenging behaviour. Physical intervention is used appropriately and only when necessary. Leaders and managers ensure that appropriate professionals are notified. After each incident,

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

the young person concerned and the staff member are fully debriefed to ensure that they have an opportunity to reflect on the situation. The registered manager and the staff team reflect on any incidents and consider whether there is a need for further training or training updates . When the need for further training is identified, the registered manager ensures that this is provided.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Despite the outstanding grade at the full inspection, the registered manager and the staff team aim to develop and improve the service further. The registered manager undertakes a regular review of the quality of the care in the home that evidences how the home is meeting the quality standards. Strengths are analysed and opportunities for development are considered. In collaboration with the staff, the young people are empowered to contribute to this quality review, which further enhances their understanding of the manager’s and the staff team’s investment in them.

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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 seven children and young people. The home accommodates children and young people who have a learning and/or physical disability on a permanent or short-break basis.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 18/10/2016 Full Outstanding 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 10/11/2015 Full Good 29/01/2015 Full Adequate

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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 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 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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