Children's home run by Park Lane Residential Home Limited in Brent

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has declined in effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous inspection highlighted a number of shortfalls, some of which have since been resolved successfully, while other issues remain unresolved. Four children are currently in placement at the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children feel safe and very much enjoy living at the home. Their overall progress and experiences are very good. One child comments, ‘I’ve been in other care homes, but this is the best.’ Another child, newly resident at the home, said, ‘My first impression was that the home was nice and that the staff like me.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children overwhelmingly give positive feedback about the staff team. One child comments, ‘Anita (the provider), she’s so funny, I love her.’ Another child said, ‘The manager is my key-worker. I look up to her as a mother. She’s really nice and cares about everyone. She’s strict, but has good boundaries with us.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children are aware how to make complaints, but do not feel the need to do so, preferring to speak with staff members instead if they are unhappy. Since the last inspection, the service has received no complaints.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children feel listened to and believe that staff take their views seriously. However, they do not have the opportunity to meet with the home’s independent visitor each month. Since the last inspection, there have been gaps in the monthly monitoring Regulation 44 visits. For example, the consultant did not conduct a visit during the month of December. In addition, staff have failed to forward independent monitoring reports to Ofsted as required. This is to ensure that Ofsted has a regular overview of the home’s operation and effectiveness from an independent perspective.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous inspection highlighted issues in staff’s recording of risk assessments and placement plans. Staff did not update these documents regularly. The review of children’s case files evidence that staff now keep these documents current. This is in order to reflect children’s changing needs and circumstances. Some files are yet to evidence behavioural management plans. This is also the case for records of important key-work sessions such as sessions that focus, for the first time, on children’s feelings about their birth families and form the beginning of life story work.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The previous inspection highlighted the need for the entire staff team to receive training in physical intervention. The registered manager comments that currently all staff either have received this training via the organisation or while employed elsewhere. In recognition of the benefits of the staff team receiving training collectively, the registered manager is seeking appropriate training in physical intervention for the staff team as a whole. The registered manager has revised the home’s restraint policies and procedures to reflect changes in practice.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The service has recently had an increase in the frequency of children going missing from the home or being absent without permission. While the staff team adheres well to local protocols in the management of children going missing, staff records of such episodes are sometimes incomplete and documented in duplicate on various recording tools. The manager is to review the home’s existing recording systems of missing or absent children. This is in an effort to make this process simpler, and provide staff with an efficient method to record pertinent information.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff’s partnership working with other professionals remains strong and effective. This is particularly the case for staff’s collaboration with local authority social workers and youth workers, the police, and educational professionals. These partnerships result in the effective coordination of children’s care, help keep children safe, and enhance their progress and experiences while in placement.

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of five children. The home caters for children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 19/07/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/09/2015 Full Requires improvement 06/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person 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 must comply within the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(1) an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. 01/06/2017

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Requirement Due date

13 The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard the registered person must ensure that:

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Requirement Due date

(7) the independent person provides a copy of the independent person's report to–

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Ensure that staff understand the home's behaviour management strategy. In particular, to ensure that staff devise behavioural management plans for each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 49, paragraph 9.34)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that there is effective care planning and strong partnerships between the staff of the home and the placing authority. In particular, that staff participate in placement planning meetings and that staff record decisions from these meetings on children’s case files. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.2)

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Recommendations

 Ensure that the home’s records on each child represent a significant contribution to their life history. In particular, to ensure that staff record sessions of life story work on children’s case files. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.5)

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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 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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