Children's home run by Reamcare Limited in Kingston upon Thames

Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 1 SC481369 Registered provider: Reamcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to five children and young people. The home is registered to accommodate children and young people who have learning and/or physical disabilities on a permanent or short-break basis.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 12 to 13 December 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 2

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home is outstanding because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff are highly ambitious for young people and work diligently to understand them and help them to meet their potential.  Parents and professionals provide positive feedback on the care and support young people receive.  All young people make significant progress from their starting points.  Young people thrive as a result of the nurturing home environment.  Young people enjoy positive relationships with staff who know their needs very well.  A highly skilled registered manager, who is committed to achieving excellent care for young people, leads the home.  The resourceful and dedicated registered manager continues to innovate and drive the service forward. As a result, young people’s overall experiences and welfare are significantly enhanced.  Young people are at the centre of everything in the home. Their well-being is at the core of all thinking and decision-making.  Regardless of young people’s communication difficulties, staff ascertain their

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Key findings from this inspection

views and act upon them.  The exceptionally committed staff team strongly advocates for the young people’s rights.  Exceptional inter-agency and partnership working ensures that young people have access to all the services that they require to maximise their progress and outcomes.  Wide-ranging and established links in the local community enable all the young people, irrespective of their needs, to take part in activities that they enjoy.  The registered manager has exceptionally high expectations of the staff team. Bespoke staff training and regular quality of care monitoring, as well as regular feedback questionnaires, further improve the service.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development: None.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 3 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2016 Full Outstanding 15/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 24/11/2015 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Due to their positive experiences in the home and trusting relationships with staff, young people make exceptional progress from their starting points. Young people’s key workers help them gain a sense of belonging, identity, and self-esteem. Staff expertly consider every aspect of young people’s social, emotional and physical development.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

An independent reviewing officer summed up the impact of the staff’s dedication to young people, ‘[X] is making outstanding progress in this home as he continues to receive a highly personalised and individual care package from a skilled and committed staff team.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff ensure that progress targets are measurable, achievable and within young people’s capabilities. Individualised support programmes underpin each young person’s progress. The staff’s recording of young people’s successes and achievements is meticulous. Progress can be made in small ways, but for many young people these small steps are significant ones. For example, with staff encouragement and support, a young person has successfully progressed from tandem cycling with staff, to achieving his wish to cycle independently. A health consultant discharged a young person from a specialist service stating, ‘There is therefore very little for us to add to the excellent management already put in place by the home and we will discharge [X] from the service.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff celebrate young people’s successes. Young people’s achievements include improved sleep patterns, better waiting skills, learning how to use cutlery, a reduction in self-harm and challenging behaviour, improved communication skills, learning how to ride a bicycle, engaging well with activities, eating healthily, interacting with other young people and developing self-care skills, such as dressing themselves. Professionals and parents praise the staff’s commitment to young people, which promotes their impressive progress. A parent said, ‘We have found that [X’s] confidence has grown and he seems to be happier to mix and have closer contact with his peers and other young adults.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people are very well prepared for their futures. Young people engage in independence skills training. They learn to make their beds and do their laundry and they help to wash up. Young people are successfully encouraged to access the community. Examples include going shopping, using public transport and visiting the barber’s. This enhances young people’s life skills and they gain confidence in their own abilities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive outstanding support from staff to make choices and participate in decisions about their daily lives and futures. The resourceful staff team skilfully uses different forms of communication, including picture exchange systems and signing. The highly effective use of social stories provides young people with an understanding of the plan for their day. If daily routines change, the proactive staff immediately update young people’s social stories. Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 5 All young people, including those with non-verbal communication styles, attend or contribute to their care review meetings. The home promotes advocacy for all young people, thus ensuring that their wishes and feelings are integral to decision-making. Staff value young people, listen to their views and act upon their requests. Staff challenge plans for young people when these are not in their best interests or do not

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

represent their wishes and feelings. For example, the innovative registered manager adapted a young person’s professional assessment format. The young person was then better able to contribute to, and challenge, the transition plan that was proposed by their local authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff consult young people. The staff team welcomes young people’s ideas and actively listens to them. Young people routinely choose their favourite foods and activities. Regular young people’s meetings cover a wide agenda and all young people contribute their opinions. Decisions about the development of the home’s sensory garden were made as a direct result of young people’s contributions. Young people also participate in the recruitment of new staff and their views are central to the appointment of candidates.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff’s creative use of additional resources and adaptations significantly enhances young people’s overall experience in the home. ‘Emotion cushions’ and ‘sound boards’ increase young people’s sense of security. Personalised bedrooms, professional pet therapy, home visits and changing the colour of a young person’s bedroom walls all help young people feel settled.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit from a wide range of activities to suit their individual preferences and needs. When young people express an interest in doing something, staff facilitate this. Visits to the swimming pool, zoo and theatre take place regularly. Young people enjoy the home’s annual residential summer holiday. Each young person receives a very impressive, individualised photo album for every year they are living in the home. Activities can also be spontaneous. During the inspection, the enthusiastic staff team, responding to the young people’s wishes, supported them to visit the nearby Christmas lights.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The staff encourage young people and their families and friends to have meet at the home’ This enables young people to maintain important relationships in their lives. Additionally, staff ensure that existing peer relationships are maintained away from the home or school. Staff support the young people to meet up with their friends in their favourite places, such as parks or cafes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All young people receive education that meets their needs. Staff work in partnership with the young people’s schools and colleges. Shared strategies for care provide young people with consistent structures that support their development and progress. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Excellent communication between the placement and the school exists which is essential for consistency in caring for [X].’ A parent added, ‘I have never had a meeting where the staff haven’t attended, which is most helpful as we can all then follow the same page.’ Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 6 Parents and carers praise young people’s care and support. They say, ‘We thank you and your staff for the work and commitment you have shown [X]’; and, ‘Everything is geared around [X’s] needs and choices, what suits him and what makes him happy’; and, ‘We are so lucky to have this home in our lives. [X] is getting the opportunity to become a

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

teenager and that is thanks to you and your team. You really are a beacon of light.’

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

Staff’s knowledge of young people is excellent. Highly detailed risk assessments, combined with staff vigilance and awareness, ensure that young people are kept safe. Clear plans are in place that guide staff to help minimise risks. Carefully assessed staffing levels ensure that young people receive appropriate support and supervision, both inside and outside the home, according to their needs. A parent said, ‘I always feel [X] is safe and protected and this also includes when out in the community.’

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

Comprehensive care plans address in detail how staff meet young people’s needs. Decision-making about young people coming to live in the home is excellent. Prior to any placements, the staff not only make visits to young people’s schools and homes, but also gather young people’s information from all of the professionals involved in their lives. Young people benefit from a very effective induction process into the home. The flexible and comprehensive induction enables young people to become more confident about interacting with their new peers and staff f. When a young person struggled with new school transport arrangements, a staff member travelled with the young person to and from school, thus providing the young person with continuity and reassurance. Meticulous matching processes ensure that the home meets young people’s needs, while considering the newly referred young person’s compatibility with young people already in

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

placement. This ensures young people’s stability.

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

Staff understand very well how to respond to young people’s needs and behaviours. Highly innovative work with young people’s individual behavioural support plans helps reduce challenging behaviours. Staff use effective redirection and motivation strategies. For example, a favourite DVD or a walk to the park to feed the ducks successfully de- escalates young people’s challenging behaviour. Young people receive effective help with managing their feelings and behaviour. All staff receive accredited training in de- escalation and restraint techniques. Any physical intervention used in the home is appropriate. Any restraint use is clearly recorded, including the verbal or non-verbal response of young people.

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

Robust staff recruitment processes are in place. The registered manager is unequivocal in the high expectations she sets for all staff. Candidates attend trial shifts and young people’s feedback is integral to the recruitment process. All staff have up-to-date safeguarding and child protection training. The staff’s mandatory training also includes awareness of the risks of child sexual exploitation, e-safety, radicalisation and bullying. Staff understand the home’s safeguarding procedures and know how to report any concerns. Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 7 Managers ensure that the home is maintained to a very high standard. The home’s premises are appropriately secure, offering a safe environment for young people. Safety equipment is in place and there is evidence of regular and compliant checks and fire drills. Every young person has a personal emergency evacuation plan so that staff know

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

how to help them in the event of a fire. Young people participate in regular fire drills. This ensures that young people are familiar with the procedures should an emergency occur.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager leads this service with a vision of delivering outstanding standards of care. During the inspection, the registered manager said, ‘The home is always looking at ways to develop and improve. We always aspire to create an inspiring and nurturing environment that encourages young people as individuals.’ This is very evident in the running of the home. For example, in addition to young people’s written contributions to their care reviews, the registered manager is actively planning to enhance the process through the use of video recordings. Videos capturing the young people’s views and progress will add to parents’ and professionals’ overall knowledge and understanding of the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager very effectively supports a fully staffed team to meet her expectations of outstanding standards of care. She prioritises the home’s continuing development and continuously drives the service forward. The home is currently undergoing assessment for specialist care accreditation. This will further enhance the services offered to young people in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Thorough monitoring processes ensure that the registered manager has substantial oversight of the home and the care it provides for young people. She welcomes feedback from parents, carers and professionals. The registered manager meets the young people on a regular basis to seek their feedback. Regular quality of care reviews and the independent visitor’s monthly reports add to the registered manager’s quality audit. She is quick to action any recommendations. Examples range from a young person’s request for marshmallows with his hot chocolate, to the independent visitor’s suggestion that the presentation of the home’s quality assurance file could be changed. The registered manager responded dynamically and in equal measure to both.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers invest in the staff team. Bespoke training is given prominence and focuses on the needs of the young people who are in the home. Additional specialist training enables staff to provide exceptionally tailored care that meets the complex needs of young people. For example, during a recent team development day, staff were challenged to engage in a team task without using verbal communication. As a result, staff gained a real and meaningful insight into the communication experiences of the young people who live in the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff receive regular supervision. Staff value their performance management discussions, as well as the opportunity to have time for individual reflection. A member of staff said, Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 8 ‘I love it here so much, when I am not here working, I miss it.’ Another member of staff said, ‘We work as team, morale is high, we develop relationships with the young people that are meaningful, and always look out for their best interests.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Professionals and parents regard this as an outstanding home. An independent reviewing officer wrote, ‘The staff are fully committed to the children and willing to go the extra mile ensuring their needs are catered for.’

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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: SC481369 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 361 Ewell Road, Surbiton, Surrey KT6 7BZ

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Inspector

Victoria Jones: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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