Children's Home run by Heartwood RSW Ltd in Redbridge

Inspection report children's home: SC461865 1 SC461865 Registered provider: Heartwood RSW Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for five children or young people, irrespective of gender, who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Enforcement action since last inspection

None Inspection report children's home: SC461865 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are thriving. Person-centred care planning clearly details their individual needs. Young people make significant progress in relation to their starting points. This positively impacts on their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Extensive, consistent key working is aspirational and enables young people to maximise their potential. Young people are self-determined and set themselves goals, which enables them to take responsibility for their lives. They learn the practical and emotional skills needed for independent life.

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Key findings from this inspection

 All young people are enrolled in or attending some form of education. This is a significant development, as some young people have been out of education for extended periods of time. They enjoy informal learning and enhancing their skills and knowledge.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people engage in a range of activities which develop their talents and interests, and offer them a new experience. They also make a positive contribution to society through fundraising for charities.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people influence decision-making, actively sharing their views in house meetings. The home is currently being refurbished, and young people helped with choosing the colour scheme, tiles, flooring and general décor.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people benefit from the home’s effective safeguarding arrangements. They learn the importance of personal and internet safety and healthy, positive relationships.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff can refer young people to the organisation’s behavioural specialist. As a result, young people receive personalised support with anger management. They learn to develop alternative options to expressing their anger.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people enjoy working towards individual rewards, which recognise their good behaviour. Staff rarely need to implement sanctions or use physical interventions. The number of incidents have decreased.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is minimal police involvement. Young people generally enjoy spending time at the home, seeing it as a place of warmth and security. They do not go missing from the home. There are no child sexual exploitation concerns, and there have been no child protection allegations since the last inspection.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is a marked improvement since the last inspection. The new manager is making a significant impact. The introduction of a clear structure, direction and enthusiasm brings a renewed confidence to the staff team. There is good Inspection report children's home: SC461865 3 quality assurance and a clear service development plan.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people do not receive the necessary support to help them stop smoking.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not consistently record all young people’s meals. Therefore, it is difficult to monitor if all young people are eating a nutritious and balanced diet.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is a high turnover of managers and staff. Senior leaders have not evaluated this problem and the need for staff retention to provide a stable staff team for young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Although staff are competent, some do not have the appropriate vocational qualifications for their role. In addition, they do not benefit from specialist training to meet the complex needs of children.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not benefit from regular supervision or annual performance appraisals.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff do not accurately maintain the children’s registers.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The statement of purpose has not been fully updated to reflect the current staffing arrangements.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 13/07/2016 Full Requires improvement 08/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/09/2015 Full Good Inspection report children's home: SC461865 4

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that –

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to —

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13((1) and (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to vocational training and training in working with children with harmful sexual behaviours. 01/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose is kept under review and where appropriate revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)) 01/08/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; this relates to maintaining all required information in the children’s register. (Regulation 37 (2)) 01/08/2017

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Recommendations

 Ensure staff help children understand and where necessary work to change negative behaviours, specifically use of tobacco. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.18)

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Recommendations

 Ensure children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and turnover of staff, and be able to understand and, where possible, address any negative trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19) Inspection report children's home: SC461865 5  Ensure staff receive regular supervision which allows them to reflect on their practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 Ensure all staff have their performance and fitness to carry out their role formally appraised at least once annually. This appraisal should take into account, where reasonable and practical, the views of other professionals who have worked with the staff member and children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people highlight that this is the ‘best’ place they have lived in. A young person confirms that staff ‘look after you, and they care’. The encouraging atmosphere motivates and values each individual young person. This enables them to make significant progress in relation to their starting points. Their progress positively impacts on their self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth. A young person states they are grateful for this opportunity, noting that it is ‘not the end of the world being in care’. Person-centred care planning clearly details young people’s individual needs. Extensive, consistent key working is aspirational, and enables young people to maximise their potential. Young people are self-determined and set themselves goals, which enables them to take responsibility for their lives. During regular meetings with their key worker, they actively focus on issues and meaningfully discuss their feelings. Young people

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

proudly record their progress and achievements. A social worker states that their young person has ‘made an investment in this placement’, and they had ‘never done this before’. A young person describes the care as ‘excellent’. Young people develop positive relationships with their key workers. A social worker highlights this as ‘a strength of this placement, and to be commended’. A young person describes their key worker as ‘like an older sister’. This young person also states that they ‘like and respect staff’, highlighting that they have ‘made me a different person… this means so much to me.’ Meticulous management oversight ensures that the objectives which matter to young people are addressed effectively. Young people receive encouragement to lead a healthy lifestyle. Exercise is part of their routine, which includes going to the gym and kick boxing. A young person highlighted that exercise helped them to ‘release stress’ and reduced their ‘anxiety levels’. Young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

people learn the importance of eating a nutritious diet and they take pride in being able to cook dishes ‘from scratch’. One young person who spends agreed time away with her family does not have their food choices consistently recorded. Therefore, it is difficult to establish whether this young person is receiving a balanced, nutritious diet. Young people receive good support with their general and sexual health. There is effective liaison with a wide range of health professionals. This ensures that young people attend hospital appointments and have regular visits, as required, to their doctor, Inspection report children's home: SC461865 6 dentist and optician. Staff educate young people on the dangers of alcohol and substance misuse. An ongoing issue in the home is the number of young people who smoke cigarettes. Although young people know the health concerns, they continue to persist with this habit. Staff acknowledge that young people would benefit from more

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

assistance with managing their feelings of stress in more appropriate ways, and in doing so decrease their dependence on nicotine. All young people are enrolled in or attending some form of education. This is a significant development, as some young people have been out of education for extended periods of time. Young people express pride in their college attendance and the completion of their exams. They enjoy informal learning, and enhancing their skills and knowledge. Weekly routines include going to the library, using the computer and completing ‘bite-sized’ learning programmes. This informal learning is particularly important for those young people who are not receiving a full-time education. Staff are strong advocates, and recognise the importance of education. A social worker appreciates that staff ‘are fighting’ for their young person’s educational needs. Young people contribute to collective and individual activity planning. They engage in a

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

range of activities which develop their talents and interests, and offer them a new experience. Examples are trampolining, mini golf, going to the theatre, attending a young driver’s course and participating in an outdoor adventure course. They enjoy general activities, for example eating out, going bowling and going to the cinema. They also enjoy going further afield to theme parks, and within the home they watch movies, play games and have pampering nights. Young people influence decision-making. Staff support them to actively share their views in house meetings. The home is currently being refurbished, and young people helped with choosing the colour scheme, tiles, flooring and general décor. Alongside contributing to menu choices and general food shopping, young people also proposed the introduction of a cleaning rota. Young people learn the practical and emotional skills needed for adult life. They express

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

pride in their new cooking skills, and they gave examples of making popcorn chicken, pizza and a prawn dish. Young people learn how to budget, for example by purchasing ingredients to cook a particular dish. They undertake their own laundry and take responsibility for cleaning their rooms and communal areas. Staff help young people revise for their driving theory test. Young people receive assistance to obtain a work placement, and with job applications. Staff help them live in a culturally diverse society by challenging racism. Young people also learn to contribute to society though charitable activities, an example being a cake sale. Young people say that there ‘is always a person you can come to’. They gave an example of another young person leaving, which made them feel that their ‘family unit’ had been disrupted. Staff took the time to discuss loss, which they will go on to encounter throughout their lives. A social worker praises the high level of ‘emotional and

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people benefit from the home’s effective safeguarding arrangements. Staff raise Inspection report children's home: SC461865 7 their awareness of the dangers of social media and exploitative relationships. Young people learn the importance of healthy, positive friendships. An example of this is a young person admitting that their peer was a ‘negative influence’. Young people learn to resolve conflict and maintain harmonious relationships with each other. Bullying is appropriately addressed, and young people say incidents are ‘managed well’ and they ‘feel safe’. Young people living in the home can present with complex and challenging needs. A social worker highlights, ‘The placement takes on board the concerns and staff work with the social worker to improve the outcome for the young person.’ Staff use a wide range of strategies to help young people manage their emotions and take responsibility for

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

their actions. A social worker confirms that incidents are ‘handled very well’. Young people have the opportunity to reflect, attending one-to-one meetings, mediation sessions or debriefing meetings with their social worker. Staff can refer young people to the organisation’s behavioural specialist, which results in the production of detailed behavioural support plans. These provide a variety of strategies to manage individual needs. A social worker praises the ‘firm and consistent boundaries, which is exactly what [their young person] needs’. Young people receive personalised support with anger management. They learn to develop alternative options to expressing their anger. Examples are deep breathing, exercising, listening to music and practising a hobby. A popular activity is going out with staff on a drive. Young people enjoy working towards individual rewards, which recognise their good behaviour. Staff rarely use sanctions, preferring a positive approach to behaviour

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

management. The number of incidents have decreased and staff rarely need to use physical interventions. Staff appropriately maintain restraint and sanction records, which are clear and accurate. There is minimal police involvement. Young people generally enjoy spending time at the home, seeing it as a place of warmth and security. They do not go missing from the home and any absences are authorised, enabling them to spend time with family members. There are no child sexual exploitation concerns, and there have been no child protection allegations since the last inspection. Staff benefit from a range of safeguarding and child protection training. This enables them to update their knowledge and keep young people safe. Training includes raising staff awareness of child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and gangs. There are efficient health and safety arrangements. These involve a suitable risk management system,

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

which takes into account individual and environmental risks. Certificates and regular checks confirm the safety of the building. Closed-circuit television monitors the external areas and hallways, offering additional protection. The location risk assessment confirms that young people live in a high-crime area. Staff are aware of the potential issues for young people. Staff usually go out with young people so they do not become victims of crime. Staff also positively divert young people from criminal activity.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Leadership and management arrangements are inconsistent. This results in shortfalls Inspection report children's home: SC461865 8 relating to training, supervision, staff appraisals, record-keeping and updates of the statement of purpose. There are appropriate plans in progress to address these issues. Shortfalls have not had a negative impact on the quality of care. Young people are thriving, and feedback from young people and professionals is positive. A social worker states they are ‘very impressed’, and they describe the care as ‘fantastic’. Leaders and managers have addressed effectively the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. Young people now benefit from improved educational outcomes due to the additional resources and informal learning opportunities. Their educational progress is closely monitored. Young people make a positive contribution to the wider community through their charitable work. They are

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

more aware of their rights through access to appropriate advocacy support. They also learn the importance of maintaining healthy, nurturing relationships. Staff have endured an unsettling time with the continual changes in management, but the majority remain resilient. Since the last inspection the former manager and a number of senior staff have left the home. Senior leaders have not evaluated the issues relating to the high staff turnover and problems with staff retention. The remaining staff are committed. They enjoy their work and bring a range of skills and personal qualities to their role. A social worker praises the ‘honest and genuine care’ of staff. Staff receive relevant training and have access to a range of online training to build on their knowledge. Vocational training has not started for those staff members who do not have the required qualifications for their role. In addition, staff do not have the specialist

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

training needed to meet the complex needs of children. For example, there has been a lack of training for working with young people who demonstrate harmful sexual behaviours. Staff members are keen to commence this training to develop their expertise. Some staff do not feel valued. Staff appraisals are overdue and not all staff have benefited from regular reflective supervision. As a consequence, staff do not receive the full support needed for their personal and professional development. Staff fail to keep accurate records. For instance, staff do not record all the required information in the young people’s admission and discharge book. The statement of purpose has been partially updated. However, it does not contain the current staffing arrangements. This does not impact on the care young people receive. There is a marked improvement since the last inspection. Although the manager has only been in post for approximately one month, he is making a significant impact. The

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

introduction of a clear structure, direction and enthusiasm brings a renewed confidence to staff and their practice. A social worker praised the changed format of the ‘weekly reports, which are now more child focused and require input from the young person’. Young people appreciate the culturally diverse staff team who reflect their ethnicities. They also highlight the positive changes the new manager is introducing. A young person describes him as ‘the best manager’, highlighting that he has ‘a passion for the job’. They appreciate that ‘he is sorting out the home’, and he ‘asks you what you need’. A staff member confirms that they ‘feel the place is finally moving in a right way’. Another staff member acknowledges that they ‘needed stronger leadership’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new manager has approximately eleven years’ experience of managing residential Inspection report children's home: SC461865 9 services within social care. They have proven themselves as the registered manager of good services regulated by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. They have an appropriate management qualification, and they are currently completing a higher level leadership and management course. The manager has a good understanding of the corporate parenting role. They wish to create a good service suitable for their own children. They also aim to ‘empower staff’. The manager has submitted their application to Ofsted to be registered. This is currently being processed. Young people benefit from a service which is continually reviewed. There is a clear service development plan. The independent visitor continues to provide constructive feedback, which focuses on improvement. Leaders and managers also complete their

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

own internal review of the home. Young people also provide written feedback which contributes to the quality assurance system. Young people receive protection from the updated location risk assessment that guides staff practice. Care practices, including young people’s documentation, incorporate the quality standards. Staff have an increased understanding of the quality standards. They highlight that they have ‘learned more’ and are ‘more confident’.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC461865 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 416 Green Lane, Ilford, Essex IG3 9JX

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Inspector(s)

Sharon Payne, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC461865 11 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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

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