Children's home run by London Borough of Hillingdon in Hillingdon

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 .

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home continues to provide a good standard of care for young people. The manager has made improvements to the service, and all requirements and recommendations arising from the previous inspection have been met. The fire equipment is now in place and all checks in relation to fire safety are completed in line with the home’s fire safety policies. There is a new policy in place to describe how CCTV is used to safeguard young people. Staff have completed training to ensure that they are alert to risks in relation to radicalisation.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has taken corrective action to improve the quality of care reviews undertaken by an independent visitor. They have employed a new person to carry out this role. Reports by the independent visitor are now completed within the required timescale. The manager of the home takes prompt action to address any shortfalls identified as a result of these visits. This enables Ofsted to regularly monitor the quality of care provided to young people.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The physical environment is not ideal, and does not create a homely feel. The provider recognises this and they are currently exploring options to relocate the home to a building that is better suited. The home is clean, tidy and kept in good order. One young person showed the inspector his room and told me that he was happy with the space provided for him.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home is run by a local authority and is close to a major airport. This means that it has a high demand for placements for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Because this local authority has a disproportionate demand on its services, many of these young people fall under the interim national transfer protocol for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Therefore, many of the young people admitted to the home arrive with a plan to quickly relocate them to other local authorities who have more capacity to meet their needs.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Under this scheme, local authorities are not obliged to take young people. This can sometimes result in delays to planned moves. The provider has an excellent child- centred approach to managing this situation. They access healthcare and assessment quickly and have effective links with local education providers. This means that if timescales for planned moves drift, young people are well cared for and are provided with healthy structures and routines. The home develops detailed care plans and undertakes immediate work to assess their needs, strengths and vulnerabilities. Because of this, young people can be well matched to their next placement. If a placement move does not take place, young people make a good start and make progress if they remain within the home.

p.2

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some young people are placed from the local community and have a variety of complex needs. The home undertakes a detailed matching exercise as part of the referral process. This takes into account the needs and presenting behaviours of the existing group of young people in the home. Young people will only be admitted to the home if it is assessed that staff can meet their needs and keep them safe.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Most young people engage positively in education, their attendance is excellent and they make progress in their learning. When significant barriers exist for some young people, staff work proactively with the virtual school and with education providers. They ensure that all young people have suitable education placements and constructive opportunities to learn. In one example, staff intervened effectively in partnership with a school to address bullying issues. This made a positive difference and the young person affected is now attending school.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are generally well behaved. They build positive relationships with staff and learn from mistakes. Serious behaviour incidents are rare and there have been no incidents when physical intervention was required. Staff use sanctions sparingly and promote positive behaviour by using praise and encouragement. When it is felt necessary to help young people learn consequences of behaviours, staff use minor sanctions, such as withdrawing privileges or making reparations to repay misspent monies. There have been no allegations of mistreatment or any significant complaints from young people.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person commented that he liked all of the staff. He said they cared for him well and always offered help to him. He went on to say that they supported him to follow his faith by providing a prayer mat, a Koran, and halal food for him to eat.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people are often admitted in an emergency and this can present a challenge for the provider to find relevant information to provide support and fully understand their needs. The provider offers increased staffing levels and supervision to manage this safely and to help young people settle. They regularly review risk assessments and, when safe to do so, they reduce monitoring. This ensures that interventions to keep young people safe are not unnecessarily restrictive.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff follow agreed protocols to manage risks in relation to young people who may be absent or go missing from care. These risks are assessed as part of the referral and admission process. This helps staff understand the vulnerabilities of each young person and to know what steps to take to keep them safe. Practice in this area is generally strong but on one occasion, information about an area where a young person was previously known to abscond to, was not clearly identified in the young person’s risk assessment. This presents a risk that staff may not have important information needed to ensure that the professional network is well informed when considering actions needed to protect her from harm. In practice, this young person has recently made a significant reduction in absconding behaviour.

p.3

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The provider has direct access to the local authority children and family service online records for young people. This places them in a good position to gather information about young people who come from the local area and often have a long history of engagement with family services. They make use of this information to provide well-informed care and support to young people. Partnerships with placing social workers are effective. One social worker commented that staff ask good questions, engage positively with young people and have good insight into their needs.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

In order to inform care plans and interventions, providers are expected to take all reasonable steps to find out information that is not known. Staff are generally proactive in seeking such information, but in one example this was not the case. A young person often went out after school and returned home in the evening. Staff were unclear about his whereabouts or the names of his peers. It was unclear whether staff had sought this information from the young person’s previous foster carers or his parent. In practice, the young person is engaging well with support, he returns home safely and does not go missing. Practice would be strengthened if staff made better use of the insight of previous carers and had closer contact with parents. There was also a missed opportunity to monitor his whereabouts by registering his oyster card.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people coming into the service since the previous inspection were appropriately placed. All young persons moving on did so in a planned way, in accordance with their relevant care plans. The records in respect of admissions and discharge, are not always up to date and do not always record information about where young people moved on to. This is an important record and is necessary in order to keep track of young people once they leave the service.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager of the service has been away from his post for several months. Two deputy managers have assumed additional responsibilities to provide management cover and ensure that there is a consistent quality of care for young people. One of the deputy managers has also been away from her post for several weeks.

p.4

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This places a significant burden on the remaining deputy to manage the service. She has coped well in these circumstances. She has the knowledge and experience to manage effectively and is suitably qualified. She reports that she has access to excellent support from her service managers. They have increased her support and supervision to help her with her increased workload and responsibilities. In order to maintain the high standards of care to young people, the provider needs to ensure that clear and consistent management arrangements are in place. They are aware of this and are taking steps to improve this situation.

p.4

Information about this children’s home

This home is operated by the London Borough of Hillingdon. It provides care and accommodation for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Most young people admitted to the home are unaccompanied asylum seeking children and are from outside the United Kingdom. Many of these young people stay for a short period and are moved on as part of the national transfer scheme for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. Some young people are from the local area. One bed is for 72-hour emergency placements, though, in reality, most young people are admitted in an emergency.

p.6

Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 06/09/2016 Full Good 25/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 03/08/2015 Full Requires improvement 06/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.6

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.

p.7

Requirement Due date

(1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (a) that staff: (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child; (b) that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. In order to meet this regulation, the provider must ensure that all significant information in respect of young people missing from care, is clearly recorded in their individual risk assessment for missing. In addition, the provider must improve their efforts to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to find information that is not known, in order to inform care planning and interventions.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, to seek information from previous placements and parents. 11/05/2017

p.7

Requirement Due date

37: Other records (1) Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home. (2) The registered person must: (a) maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; (b) ensure that the records are kept up to date. This refers to the register for young people. 11/05/2017

p.7

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’.

p.8

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.

p.8

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 .

p.8

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,

p.9

Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.9

Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.9

Information about this inspection

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

p.9