Children's Home run by Norwood Ravenswood in Barnet

Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 1 SC010415 Registered provider: Norwood Ravenswood

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides short breaks and long-term care for up to nine children who have a learning disability, physical disability or sensory impairment. One child currently lives long term in the home. A charity provides this service.

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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 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: 7 December 2016

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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: SC010415 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff really care for the children. A social worker said, ‘Staff are warm and enthusiastic and have a very positive way of interacting with the child.’  Children look forward to attending, feel secure in their routines and enjoy trying new activities. A parent said that their child ‘is always happy when he arrives there, and I find him happy also when I come and pick him up’.  Parents trust the staff to keep their children safe. One parent said that the staff keep their child ‘safe, active, happy’.  Staff training is put in place to enable children with very complex health needs to attend the service. A parent said that the staff are ‘trained, have expertise and know what they are doing’.  Children have a good-quality experience in this child-centred home. A parent said, ‘I cannot fault their professionalism and the quality of their care all-round.’

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/07/2016 Full Good 22/12/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 20/08/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 3

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Recommendations

 Ensure that for the children’s home to be a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments.. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9) Specifically, attending to paintwork that is in need of refreshment and some small damage to some furniture in the lounge.  Make sure case records are up to date and signed and dated by the author of each entry. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Specifically, that risk assessments for moving and handling reflect current staff practice and there are behaviour support plans for those children requiring these.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy warm and affectionate relationships with staff. A manager describes this service as a ‘home away from home’, where children can have fun and try new things. There is a relaxed, calm atmosphere. Those children who are mobile move about freely, choosing where they want to play or relax. Those with impaired mobility are encouraged to choose what to do.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Parents describe how their children look forward to their stay and are happy to be in the home. One parent said that their child is ‘always very excited to go to and clearly loves the staff there’. Besides just enjoying their time in the home, some families see improvements in their children, including improved speech, better eating habits and an increase in confidence when staying away from their families.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some children require a lot of health and medical interventions. However, staff ensure that these have a minimal impact on children’s enjoyment of their time in the home. A parent said, ‘The staff are fantastic – both in terms of the relationships they build with my child, and adapting to their ever-changing healthcare needs without hesitation. A lot of needs have required the staff to have extra training and this has been organised very well.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children experience a wide range of activities. In the summer, children enjoy paddling in the paddling pool and playing with sensory toys in the garden. They have fun visiting parks, gardens and museums. A parent said that their child ‘has experiences that we wouldn’t be able to give her’. A member of staff said that the children ‘enjoy this as a fun place’. Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 4 Staff help children to manage change. Those who move on to adult services mark the occasion by celebrating with staff. Some children started to use this service following the closure of another home. Support to help children experience a smooth transition has been excellent. A team manager described the staff and manager’s approach to these children as ‘understanding, cooperative and being flexible, taking on board family’s anxieties and frustrations and making every effort to accommodate children and family’s

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is respect for children’s religious and cultural needs. Although this is a Jewish, kosher home, children of other faiths, or none, are welcome. Staff help children to participate in festivals and cultural events, for example, by creating artwork for display boards or baking. A relative states that their child’s Christian faith is respected and supported.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Positive behaviour management is reliant on the good relationships that exist between staff and children. Children feel secure as staff understand their needs and behaviours very well. Staff encourage and praise children’s efforts.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have a range of toys and facilities in the home and garden. There are appropriate adaptations to assist children. Supporters raise funds for the home and have made donations of useful new equipment to enhance children’s experience. The building is attractive overall but there are marks on the wall in a small area of the lounge and soft playroom and small pieces of fabric missing from two chairs which require improvement.

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

A child’s relative described being ‘very happy’ with the care given and trusts the staff to keep children safe. A parent stated, ‘The facilities and equipment are excellent, and the policies and protocols are clear and transparent so we know she is safe.’

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

There are high ratios of staff to children. The staff know children well, so are aware of any changes in their well-being which may indicate that they are unwell. Close staff supervision has meant that no children have gone missing from the home or while on trips out. Detailed handover meetings help to inform staff about children’s well-being and promote safety in the home.

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

Staff in the charity’s head office are responsible for staff recruitment but the manager has good oversight of this. The manager makes sure that head office staff have conducted all checks and that staff are suitable before they start to work in the home.

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

A robust complaints policy ensures that people can be confident of a thorough investigation into their complaint and an open and honest response. Numbers of complaints are low, with only three this inspection year.

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

Staff regularly check systems and equipment to make sure that the building is in a safe condition for children using the service. There is a robust approach to fire safety; each Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 5 child has an individual plan for staff to follow in the event of a fire or emergency. Families are content with how the building looks and the facilities it offers their children, although some feel it is unfortunate that the location is so close to a busy road.

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

Staff usually manage medication very well. They follow quite complex routines with medication to ensure that children receive this regularly. Medication is stored and recorded well. In this inspection period, there has been one medication error. However, this did not affect a child’s health adversely and staff were open and honest about their mistake. A social worker stated that staff ‘immediately reported this and we were informed immediately and the correct procedures were followed’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A parent said that the staff and management team ‘have consistently provided high standards of care, together with a warm and loving approach. They are very fond of the children that they look after and they take pride in looking after them in the best possible way.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from a stable management team. The registered manager and her deputy have worked in the home for many years. They are very ’hands-on‘ and lead by example. Staff report that managers arrange sufficient supervision, team meetings and training to support them in their work with children. Newer staff members find the staff team and managers ‘welcoming and helpful’ and their induction useful in preparing them to work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home benefits from regular monitoring visits by an independent person. The visitor looks at what is going on and sometimes make recommendations to help the service improve. Their reports are now more succinct and include more of their opinions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Communication with families and professionals is good. Families receive a written summary when their child has stayed for a short break. Parents feel welcome to visit or call the staff. A social worker said, ‘Interactions with staff have been extremely positive.’ Some staff say that occasionally there are ‘hiccups’ in communication. However, managers have identified this as an area to strengthen and will address this at a development day for staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s plans generally give staff simple, clear guidance on managing some of the children’s very complex needs. However, on one file, managers have not updated instructions for moving and handling a child, so this does not reflect what staff are currently doing. This has the potential to confuse new staff or those who have not been on shift for a while. Also, on another file, managers have not written a behaviour management plan for a child who requires this. Although staff manage this child’s behaviour well, a written plan ensures that all staff are working from the same guidance. Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 6

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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 difference 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: SC010415 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Broadway House, 80–82 The Broadway, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4HB

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC010415 8 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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