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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 1 SC050124 Registered provider: Park Lane Residential Home Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children‟s home provides care and accommodation for up to five young people. The home caters for young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and/or learning difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 September 2017

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 23 January 2017

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Declined in effectiveness

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

 Young people receive good-quality support from caring and competent staff.  Young people experience feelings of stability and belonging. Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 2  Staff do not judge young people and are skilled at reassuring them that their views and feelings are valued.  Staff help young people to adopt more positive and safer behaviours.  Risk management practices are effective, collaborative and reviewed regularly.  Young people who go missing receive good help to stop behaviours that put them at risk.  Staff practices around safeguarding young people from sexual exploitation are particularly strong.  Young people have stopped reoffending and engaging in illegal activities.  Young people receive effective support to develop a positive attitude towards learning and engage in their education.  Young people have healthy lifestyles.  Staff support young people to continue to develop safe and constructive

p.1

Key findings from this inspection

relationships with their families and friends.  Young people develop practical skills and the maturity necessary for independent living.  The interim management arrangements are effective at helping young people to continue to make progress and achieve positive outcomes.  Independent monthly monitoring reports confirm strengths and identify weaknesses and improvement priorities.

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

The children‟s home‟s areas for development:

p.2

Key findings from this inspection

 The home does not have a registered manager.  The statement of purpose does not accurately describe this children‟s home.  The six-monthly review of care is overdue.  The annual review of the location assessment has not been completed on time.  Placing authorities have not consented in writing to the surveillance used in the home.  One young person‟s written care plan was not comprehensive.  The staff recruitment information is not always clear.  Records of some staff supervision meetings are not available.  One staff member‟s file did not evidence induction to their role.  Staff appraisals have not been completed on time.  Not all staff members have received training on safeguarding young people from radicalisation and extremism. Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/01/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good 02/03/2016 Interim Declined in effectiveness 02/09/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 4

p.3

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.

p.4

Requirement Due date

Statement of purpose The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it; and notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(a)(b)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that the statement of purpose accurately describes the service provided. 01/12/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

Monitoring and surveillance The registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if— the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children; the child‟s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance; the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child‟s need for privacy. (Regulation 24(1)(a)(b)) 01/12/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

Appointment of manager The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children‟s home if— there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a)) 01/11/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

Employment of staff The registered person must— ensure that each employee completes an appropriate induction. (Regulation 33(1)(a)) 01/11/2017 Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 5 Employment of staff The registered person that all must ensure employees— have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 01/12/2017

p.4

Requirement Due date

Review of quality of care The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months. In order to complete a quality of care review, the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating— the quality of care provided for children; the feedback and opinions of children about the children‟s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”) the registered person must—

p.5

Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed. (Regulation 45(1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(3)(4)(a)) 01/12/2017

p.5

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 51, paragraph 10.11). In particular, the registered person should ensure that staff receive training on safeguarding children from radicalisation and extremism.  Effective care planning and strong working relationships between the staff of the home and the placing authority are essential to the success of placements („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 56, paragraph 11.2). In particular, the registered person should ensure that each child‟s care plan is clear and comprehensive.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for

p.5

Recommendations

maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 6 supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 59, paragraph 13.1). In particular, the registered person should ensure that the recruitment records clearly evidence that they did everything they could in order to obtain a reference from the prospective staff‟s most recent employer. The staff recruitment files should include more detailed information about the last update disclosure and barring service check that the registered person carried out before employing a member of staff to work in this home.  A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with

p.5

Recommendations

regulation 33(4)(b) („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.3).  When establishing the home, the registered person must ensure that it is suitably located so that children are effectively safeguarded and can access services to meet needs identified in their relevant plans (see regulations 12(2)(c)). Under regulation 46, the registered person should review the appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home at least once a year („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 64, paragraph 15.1).

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people talk very positively about their relationships with staff members and the home as a whole. They describe the home as a good place to be. One young person who experienced several placement moves comments that this is the best place that they knew. Parents, social workers and other professionals talk positively about the impact of the home on the young people. One mother said about the home: „Staff are kind-hearted people and the services are perfect.‟ Young people receive good-quality support from caring and competent staff. Young people say that staff members provided them with all the help and advice that they need. Young people report feeling valued, listened to and helped effectively. One young person says that the best thing about the home is that staff never judged young people. Staff help young people to write their curriculum vitae in ways that highlight the young person‟s strengths, qualities and capabilities.

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

In line with the local authority‟s plans, staff support young people to continue to develop safe and constructive relationships with their families. One young person‟s father said that the home helped him to get his daughter back in his life. From having no contact for many years, this father and daughter now often spend time together. They recently celebrated Eid together and were looking forward to a family birthday party. The renewed contact is a source of great joy for both of them. Some young people have been reunited with their families after being successfully placed in this home for a period of time. This evidences the effectiveness of the placements. Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 7 Young people develop positive attachments with staff members. They experience feelings of stability and belonging. Young people are motivated to build positive relationships and a positive atmosphere in the home. Young people‟s social presentation

p.6

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and communication skills have improved significantly. For example, one young person‟s swearing has dramatically reduced. The young person is committed to stopping swearing completely. Staff helped the young person to express themselves better and to expand their vocabulary. The young person learned new words each day. Young people engage in the day-to-day activities in the home. They contribute willingly to the planning and management of these activities. For example, young people help with menu planning and food preparation, and keeping the environment clean and tidy. A young person said about the home‟s environment: „The space makes me feel relaxed and takes (difficult) thoughts out of my mind.‟ Staff encourage young people to eat nutritious food and lead healthy lifestyles. Young people attend their health appointments regularly and have access to specialist services when they need them. Staff support young people to be physically active. For example,

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

one young person goes to a gym regularly and plays football and netball. Another young person recently joined a boxing club as this was something that interested them. This young person had recently stopped smoking cigarettes and they said that they were drugs-free since moving into the home. None of the current young people are known to misuse substances, although they did so in the past. Learning and education are highly valued in this home. Young people receive good support to develop a positive attitude towards learning and so engage in their education. Some of the home‟s staff have teaching qualifications. Those staff are particularly effective in helping young people to develop motivation, confidence and good learning skills that they need in order to engage in formal education. As a result, young people who have histories of limited engagement in education have rekindled their love for learning and a wish to succeed in life. For example, a young person who refused to

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

engage in education for three years prior to coming to live in this home is now happily working towards obtaining a vocational qualification and is also in part-time employment. Another young person, who had refused to engage in education previously, said that they could not wait for their social worker to sort out their education. Meanwhile, they enjoyed learning with staff members at the home and in the local library. One of the things that this young person recently learned was about diplomacy and effective communication. Young people are looking forward to their futures with confidence, ambition and excitement. Leaders, managers and staff follow a structured programme to help young people to develop the practical skills necessary for independent living. One young person was just about to move to a semi-independent living scheme. In less than 10 months, this young person has made excellent progress in many spheres of their life. This young

p.7

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

person talked about being „all over the place‟ when they came to live in this home. They are leaving the home and care as a mature and successful young person.

p.7

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

Leaders, managers and staff protect young people from any form of harm, intimidation and coercion. They help young people effectively to have a good safeguarding Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 8 awareness, build healthy confidence and engage in safer behaviours. The young people who have significant histories of behaviours, that put them and others around them at risk, have become much safer. For example, the young people who have histories of assaulting others have not engaged in violence since living in this home. A young person who attempted to take their own life on two occasions in the past has not shown any self-harming tendencies since moving into this home. Leaders, manager and staff manage risks and any safeguarding concerns and incidents well and in close collaboration with other professionals. In particular, staff practices around safeguarding young people from sexual exploitation are effective. For example,

p.7

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

staff worked closely with the local authorities and the police to safeguard a young person who was missing overnight regularly and was putting themselves at a high risk of child sexual exploitation. With staff‟s support, and as time progressed, this young person went missing less often and then completely stopped going missing. As a result of the progress made, the police have closed their child sexual exploitation case linked to this young person. Another young person said that, before moving in, they had been planning to run away. After meeting the staff, this young person decided not to run away. Two weeks into their stay, this young person rang their social worker and requested to live in this home until they reached independence. This young person has never gone missing from this home. Positive relationships between young people and staff underpin the effectiveness of safeguarding in this home.

p.8

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

The home provides a safe, calm, stable, orderly and positive environment. Leaders, managers and staff believe that consistent boundaries give messages to young people that they are safe and that staff care for them. This approach, together with consistent praise and emotional warmth, has enabled staff to promote young people‟s safer feelings and behaviours effectively. Young people say that the home is a safe place. They note that the staff members help them to understand the consequences of their behaviours and to make better choices. One young person describes how they left a dangerous lifestyle behind. This young person has stopped associating with a gang, taking illegal drugs, drinking alcohol and engaging in challenging and offending behaviours. The youth offending officer said that this young person has undergone a tremendous transformation. While acknowledging the multi-agencies‟ contribution, this professional recognised that the support that the

p.8

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

young person received in this home was the main driving force behind the young person‟s excellent progress. Risk management practices are effective, collaborative and reviewed regularly. Leaders, managers and staff emphasise the importance of enabling young people to understand risks and engage in safer behaviours. They talk with young people to find out what they need to be safe and how staff can help them most effectively. They encourage young people to bring their friends to the home. Meeting young people‟s friends enables staff to ascertain better the type of influence that these young people have on the young people in their care, and to tailor their support accordingly. Comprehensive written policies and procedures guide staff‟s good safeguarding practices. Leaders, managers and staff reflect regularly on the effectiveness of their safeguarding practices. Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 9

p.8

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

Staff receive training on a wide range of safeguarding topics. However, many staff members have not had specific training on safeguarding young people from radicalisation and extremism. So far, there have been no concerns identified regarding radicalisation and extremism in this home.

p.9

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

The home does not have a registered manager. The last registered manager left in July 2017 without giving a handover to the responsible individual or other managers. At the inspection, the current leaders and managers were not able to locate some of the records that the last registered manager kept securely. For example, they were not able to access records of some staff supervision meetings. The dates of these meetings were written in the home‟s diary. The staff members confirmed that these meetings did take place regularly and were recorded and that they were supported and supervised well. The records of staff supervision meetings that took place in August 2017 were available. These records evidence good supervision practice. The last registered manager was also responsible for the maintenance of the staff recruitment files. The current leaders and managers were unable to explain why the home did not obtain a reference from one staff member‟s last employer and, instead,

p.9

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

obtained a reference from the university that the staff member attended. The last registered manager did not record the explanation on the staff‟s file. For those staff members who have signed up to the updated disclosure and barring service (DBS), the last registered manager performed DBS updated checks before allowing them to work in the home. However, the information that the last registered manager recorded on the files about these checks on the staff files is limited. The last registered manager had a password-protected online access to this information. They did not share these details with anybody before leaving their employment or afterwards. The lack of a registered manager has reduced the management capacity in the home. The current leaders and managers are aware of what needs to happen, but have failed to complete all necessary reviews on time. For example, appraisals of staff‟s individual

p.9

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

performance and the annual review of the home‟s location assessment have not been completed on time. In addition, the home‟s six-monthly review of care is overdue, while a review of the home‟s use of surveillance cameras in the communal areas is also overdue. The home‟s statement of purpose does not accurately describe the children‟s home. This document states that the home „may provide education‟ and „can provide cognitive hypnotherapy‟. This is not the case. The home does not provide either education or any form of therapy. The weakened monitoring has resulted in a variable quality of some records. These are some of the examples:  One young person‟s written care plan is not comprehensive and is not completed to the same standard as the others.  The young people‟s files do not evidence that their placing authorities have Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 10 consented to the level of surveillance used in the home.

p.9

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

 One staff member‟s file does not evidence that this person received an induction to the home. The home‟s senior worker has been acting as the interim manager for the home. The responsible individual and a part-time deputy manager have been supporting the interim manager. The current leaders and managers have focused on day-to-day management and on continuing to provide good-quality support to young people. There has been no negative impact as a result of the lack of the registered manager and the weaknesses that are highlighted in this report on the effectiveness of the staff‟s direct care practices. The interim management arrangements are effective at helping young people to continue to make progress and achieve positive outcomes. All staff are qualified to work with children and young people in a residential setting. Some staff have additional qualifications in relevant subjects, such as in teaching,

p.10

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

counselling, nursing, psychology and criminology. Their specialist knowledge enhances the strength of the team. A professional who is independent of the home carries out regular monthly visits. Their monitoring reports assist the current leaders and managers to confirm strengths and identify weaknesses and improvement priorities. The leaders and managers have an ambitious vision for their service and young people, and a strong commitment to both. Young people appreciate that they have been asked to contribute to the recruitment of a new registered manager for the home. Interviews were taking place at the time of the inspection.

p.10

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.

p.10

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: SC050124 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Park Lane Residential Home Limited

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 15 Brook Avenue, Wembley, Middlesex HA9 8PH

p.11

Inspector

Seka Graovac, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC050124 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, 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 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12

Inspector

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

p.12