Children's Home run by London Borough of Hounslow in Hounslow

Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 1 SC032600 Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides a short-break service and full-time care on both a permanent and emergency basis for up to six children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, physical disabilities, learning disabilities and sensory impairment.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: Sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people make good progress in the home, despite their challenging starting points.  Young people experience positive transitions to and from the service. Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 2  Staff and managers understand young people’s complex needs and are committed to providing a safe and comfortable service.  Risk assessments are comprehensive and add value to the overall care planning process.  The range of activities provided for the young people help them to feel included in the community.  Young people who have significant challenges with the spoken word are supported to express their views. Consequently, they feel heard and valued.  Young people benefit from good communication by the staff with professionals and family members.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/08/2016 Full Good 08/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 27/10/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 3

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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

(1) The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month. (4) The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out the independent person’s opinion as to whether— (a) children are effectively safeguarded; and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. In particular, the independent person should make a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding and provide a copy of the report to the regulator. (Regulation 44(1)(2)(a)(b)) 01/10/2017

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s safeguarding policy includes detailed information on the arrangements for the safeguarding of young people from radicalisation, female genital mutilation and e-safety. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 44, paragraphs 9.19 and 9.22)  Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)  The behaviour management policy should list sanctions that are prohibited in behaviour management. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)  Ensure that a review of quality of care, under Regulations 45, focuses on the quality of the care provided by the home, the impact the care is having on

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Recommendations

outcomes and improvements for the children. The registered person should also consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. The review should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, pages 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people experience a good quality of care in the short-break service and full-time accommodation. They make good progress in relation to their health, education, and emotional and social well-being. Individual care plans include the young people’s needs and strengths, as well as desired outcomes, which they are supported to achieve. For example, young people are able to cross the road safely, use public transport and enjoy meals at the table with others at the home. Young people develop self-care skills and experience a decrease in aggressive or self-harming behaviour. A social worker stated that her young person has made ‘marked improvements in his behaviour and emotional presentation’ since being placed at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people with limited verbal abilities are supported to communicate with the use of the picture exchange communication system and Makaton signing. Young people are encouraged to express their views on a daily basis, from choosing their clothes to identifying activities that they would like to participate in. Consequently, the young people feel heard and valued.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people also feel empowered when they participate on the panel to interview staff. They are supported to draft and ask questions, and have a voice in appointing staff. This also helps young people to build positive relationships with adults and develop a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Regardless of their disabilities, young people are offered a wide range of activities that enhance their life experiences. From visiting the library, restaurants and places of worship to football matches and summer camps, young people enjoy a variety of opportunities to be a part of the community, as well as to develop their social and cognitive skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are well supported by staff who are trained in managing such needs. This includes giving feeds via a gastrostomy tube, for example. Staff and managers are adept at preparing young people for a hospital procedure, advocating for their needs and educating parents on how to best support the young people before, during and after the procedure. This alleviates young people’s and family’s anxiety and promotes partnership working with professionals to ensure positive outcomes for the young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people attend school or other educational provision. They make good progress in line with their education, health and care plans. A young person who is accommodated at the home received a positive report for the academic year. According to his school, his attendance was 96% and he ‘has made good overall progress’. He ‘shows signs of maturity, flexibility in adapting to changing conditions’ and ‘has a sense of belonging to the school and community’. Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 5 The registered manager ensures that a good admission planning process is in place. This includes impact analysis, meetings with partner agencies and a series of tea visits with the young person and family before overnight stays commence. This allows for a smooth transition for young people, as the staff are able to implement a good support plan. One social worker praised the pre-admission assessment and support provided to her young

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

person, as this ensured a smooth transition to the home. Given the young person’s challenging starting point, she felt that he had made ‘significant progress’ in his physical appearance, emotional well-being and behaviour during his stay.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When young people leave the service, the home shares their risk assessments, behavioural management plans and all other relevant information with the new providers in an effort to work in partnership. Staff and managers also create visual transition plans for young people with complex needs. As a result, young people are less anxious and more prepared to adjust to their new environment, and this leads to positive outcomes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people leave the home in a planned way, which strengthens their future chances of success beyond residential care. This involves ensuring that young people are taught independent living skills. A young person who has moved to semi-independent accommodation since the last inspection shared how she was supported to develop self- sufficiency skills. The young person learned to budget, shop for groceries and travel independently, which she found helpful, and is now managing well on her own.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

An independent reviewing officer stated that the service is ‘exemplary’ and that ‘transitions are sensitively managed’. The officer added that young people make good progress with the help of committed staff who understand their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know how to complain. The home has a clear, child-focused complaints policy. The children’s guide includes young people’s rights and the complaint procedure. Staff and managers are finely attuned to the young people’s complex needs. With young people who have limited verbal skills, they use close observation and appropriate communication tools to understand and solicit young people’s feelings. To enhance the existing staff training in this area of practice, the registered manager is in the process of procuring specialist training from the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. No complaints have been made since the last inspection.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people new to the home are given a warm welcome by the staff and managers. They are treated with dignity. Their achievements, however big or small, are celebrated.

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

Young people are helped and protected by the staff and managers, who have a good understanding of their vulnerabilities. Staff and managers regularly update the health and risk assessment for the young people, and this includes risks associated with self- harm, going missing and child sexual exploitation, and physical health Young people benefit from updated assessments that include strategies to minimise the risks. A young person who was discharged after four years here stated that she felt safe at the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 6 One social worker stated that the staff and managers place young people ‘at the centre of everything’ and ensure that they are appropriate safeguarded.

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

Staff treat young people with positive regard, and this results in young people with complex needs engaging with staff in a relaxed and comfortable manner. Staff and managers proactively engage with the young people to help their development. For example, staff helped young people to manage their incontinence successfully. Young people are also helped to improve their sleep patterns, and this affects their overall well- being. One young person’s social worker stated that the staff team updates the support plan with detailed strategies to ‘best support’ the young person who, consequently, is able to regulate his emotions.

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

The home has a robust ‘missing’ policy procedure in place. No young person has gone missing from the home since the last inspection. Staff are clear about and adhere to the home’s child protection procedures.

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

A clinical psychologist from a placing authority described the staff team as ‘really committed’ to young people, whose needs are thoroughly assessed. Where a young person struggles with separation from their carers despite careful planning, the staff and managers work closely with professionals and families to learn from the experience. The home then implements specific actions to ensure a positive outcome. For example, one young person’s key worker took time from his annual leave to help the young person on his first overnight visit, and this led to a positive result.

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

A parent stated that she was ‘very pleased’ with the service provided to her son and found the advice on how best to manage his behaviour at home to be ‘very helpful’. The parent stated ‘He loves to go there’ and that he has a ‘very special bond with the people looking after him’.

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

Another young person’s family member shared that the staff are good at communicating with the family about the young person and look after him well: ‘They treat him as an individual.’ Another young person’s parent stated not only that the home provides the family with respite, but that ‘the place is therapeutic’ for his son. He is described as ‘calm and happy’. The parent has seen a difference in him since using the service.

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

Detailed behaviour support plans are in place for the young people, in line with the behaviour management policy. However, this policy does not list the behaviour management sanctions that are prohibited. This limits the young people’s and families’ understanding of the home’s approach to behaviour management.

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

The systems in place for recording restraints and sanctions are appropriate. Young people’s views and presentations are recorded, and there is evidence of the manager’s review of the incidents. Records are clearly written, apart from a few where the descriptions of restraint holds need to give more detail.

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

The location risk assessment is thorough and fit for purpose. The safeguarding policy is comprehensive and meets the requirements of relevant legislation. However, it lacks Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 7 detail on the arrangements in place for e-safety and to protect young people from female genital mutilation. It mentions the recording expectations around radicalisation, but lacks detail on the risks and arrangements in place to protect young people from it.

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

Staff are clear about child protection procedures. The home has good links with professionals, who work together to keep young people safe.

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

One social worker stated that she is ‘very confident’ that the staff and managers are ‘effectively safeguarding’ the young people placed at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a permanent registered manager who began her tenure as a residential support worker at the home. She ensures that the home is properly staffed and that safe recruitment is in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the staff team works in partnership with families and professionals to promote positive outcomes for young people. The home prioritises coming to know the young people, and learning their likes and dislikes and their complex needs and vulnerabilities in an effort to provide good care and make progress in key areas of their lives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager promotes a child-focused service by seeking feedback from the young people, parents, carers and partner agencies individually and at review meetings. A parent stated that he feels involved in how the staff are looking after his child. Feedback from another parent about her child’s missing items of clothing led to the staff including labels in the welcome pack for parents and carers. Feedback from a young person led to the staff arranging for him to attend activities away from the home with other young people of a similar age and level of functioning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision that is focused on meeting the young people’s needs and receiving feedback on the quality of their practice. Managers are keen to promote accountability, and utilise supervision to challenge gaps in practice and implement improvement plans. Records are clear and evidence the steps that are taken to help staff to improve their practice. Staff members find supervision helpful, in that they receive appropriate support and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers’ and staff’s dedication to the young people is palpable and is borne out by the outcomes that the young people achieve. They understand their roles and the ethos of the home, and this is in line with the statement of purpose. One staff member stated: ‘I love what I do. The children are first, second and third.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager’s assessment of the home’s strengths and areas of improvement is thoughtful and considered, although there is room for improvement in the written report under regulation 45. The manager is able to underpin her evaluation by the quality standards and has a plan in place to ensure that her report contains her in-depth analysis of the service, as well a detailed action plan for the next six months. The manager is also keen to promote practice development through research and innovative Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 8 ideas.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home’s workforce development plan is comprehensive, and the training plan covers the required and supplementary areas for staff’s learning. Some staff have undertaken counter-radicalisation training, while others are waiting for that arranged for the autumn. Staff find the training that they have received so far to be helpful in their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The independent visitor’s reports are comprehensive. However, they sometimes lack a rigorous assessment of the home’s arrangements for safeguarding the young people and promoting their welfare. Also, the independent person’s reports are not consistently sent to the regulator. The registered manager recognises the importance of the independent visitor’s reports and their function of informing the quality review of the service. The registered manager has a plan in place to address the aforementioned issues.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers work diligently to maintain a homely environment. The home’s amenities, such as the sensory room, are well utilised to support young people’s needs. Staff and managers create an environment that fosters the normalisation of young people’s disability without underestimating their complex needs. Staff and managers provide consistency and stability, and this helps young people to achieve positive outcomes.

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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: SC032600 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 4DN

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Inspector(s)

Linda Kim-Newby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032600 10 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)

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