Children's Home run by Westgate Lifestyle Project Limited in Hounslow

Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 1 SC409851 Registered provider: Westgate Lifestyle Project Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to care for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. A private provider owns and operates the home.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 to 21 February 2018

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 11 December 2017

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not judged Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 2

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

A notice to suspend the registration of the home was served on 25 August 2017. The notice was lifted on 21 November 2017.

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Key findings from this inspection

This children’s home requires improvement to be good because:

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Key findings from this inspection

 The home has made some progress in meeting the concerns of the previous inspection. However, shortfalls remain, chiefly with regard to the high level of staff turnover.  Agency staff use is high. The most experienced non-management staff member has only been in post since August 2017. The current staff team is lacking key training in safeguarding and first aid.  The home is lacking a registered manager and succession planning is poor. Ofsted has not received an application for the post of registered manager.  Managers are lacking key safeguarding training such as guidance on the management of allegations.  The managers record-keeping is poor and key documents, such as records of supervision, are missing.  Recruitment is not safe and lacks formal verification of references and exploration of gaps in employment.  Young people are making progress in their education. However, one young person played his games console for an extended period of time during school

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Key findings from this inspection

 Despite the fact that they only arrived in the home on 12 and 19 January 2018 respectively, two young people have settled well and made progress.  Young people are happy in their home and offer positive feedback; key professionals support their views.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/12/2017 Interim Not judged 22/08/2017 Full Inadequate 26/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 3 25/05/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 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

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

In particular to the high staff turnover and consequent lack of consistency for young people. (Regulation 13(2)(a)(d)(e)) 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to previous employment history. (Regulation 32(3)(d)) 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and 01/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 5 skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

In order to ensure that staff have access to safeguarding and first aid training. (Regulation 32(3)(b)) Employment of staff

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

receive practice related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(b)) 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home. (Regulation 27(1)(a)) 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving the educational potential and are helped to do so.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets as recorded in the child’s relevant plans

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally. (Regulation 8(2)(a)(i)(v))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this refers to the lack of consistent support provided for young people to support their progress in education. 01/04/2018

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Requirement Due date

The procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect must, in particular—

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Requirement Due date

describe how and to whom staff are to report without delay, any concern about abuse or neglect of a child. (Regulation 34(2)(f))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the lack of training for managers in the handling of allegations. 01/04/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 6

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Recommendations

 Demonstrate every effort to achieve continuity of staffing to prevent disruption to children’s attachments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 51, paragraph 10.1)  Ensure the provision of support to sustain or regain confidence in education and engagement in suitable structured activities. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 27, paragraph 5.5)  Ensure that no more than half of the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)  The registered person should monitor and review the patterns and trends of turnover of staff, whether agency or directly employed, and be able to understand and where possible address any trends. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.19)

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improvement to be good

Young people’s attainment in education is mixed. One young person has improved his attendance from zero to 52%. Teaching professionals refer to positive communication and support with the staff team. Staff incentivise progress in education effectively. Incentives include young people being able to plan a day riding motor cycles, if their progress continues. Staff push placing local authorities for access to laptops and tutorial support where young people are not in education. Staff proactively seek out internet- based learning materials and confirm young people’s attendance at college on a daily basis.

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improvement to be good

Less positively, one young person was observed during the inspection to be playing on a games console during the middle of the school day for a prolonged period. His daily planner evidences extended periods of ‘free time’ with just one education worksheet on his case file. On the second day of the inspection, the young person engaged well with his school work with staff support.

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improvement to be good

Despite only being in the home for a short period of time, young people offer positive feedback. One young person commented, ‘It feels like a real family home, I like it, I feel much better now.’ Young people get along with the staff, and begin to form positive relationships with them. This enables young people to discuss their previously difficult lives with the staff. Young people also start to settle into daily routines.

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improvement to be good

The young people’s allocated social workers support this view. One commented, ‘His [young person] attendance at college has improved significantly. He really thrives on the Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 7 routine the home provides for him. He has made comments about being woken up every day at the same time and having a cooked breakfast each morning.’

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from living in an improved home environment, and say they are proud to invite their friends to the home. The home now offers comfortable and well- equipped areas in which young people can socialise, such as a ‘den’ style television room.

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improvement to be good

Activities are now on offer more widely. Staff offered activities such as bowling, going to the cinema and going to a local shopping centre during the recent week-long school holiday.

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improvement to be good

Young people understand behavioural expectations and report that staff enforce boundaries consistently and fairly. Young people understand the complaints procedure and engage with residents’ meetings. There is no use of restraint in the home; staff have begun to use their knowledge base of young people to understand behaviours and take preventative action where appropriate.

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improvement to be good

Staff actively seek the wishes and feelings of young people. Staff offer a monthly questionnaire which allows young people to express their views on important issues such as the weekly menu or extra facilities for the garden, such as a new football goal.

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improvement to be good

Staff ensure that young people have access to healthcare services, and promote the importance of sustained engagement. Young people recognise this and participate well. Staff make referrals to child and adolescent mental health services in a timely fashion.

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improvement to be good

Young people benefit from positive routines and understand the value of regular exercise. Staff accompany young people to the gym and support them to make healthy and nutritious meals. Staff help young people to understand the benefits that can result from attaining a healthy weight, such as improved self-esteem.

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improvement to be good

Recruitment practice is not safe. One staff file does not evidence formal verification of references or a full exploration of their recent ‘year out of employment’. This is of particular concern given that a previous inspection raised this matter, and one manager recently attended training that specifically related to safer recruitment.

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improvement to be good

The staff have not had sufficient training in safeguarding and first aid The management team is still to attend training on the handling of allegations and new staff arrivals are still to access basic safeguarding training. This presents a possible risk to young people and to staff themselves.

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improvement to be good

Despite the weaknesses highlighted above, young people report feeling safe in the home and there are no reports of bullying. Young people say they received a warm welcome, Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 8 and appreciate ‘always having someone to talk to’. Young people benefit from improved admissions procedures, and say that they get along well with each other and have similar interests. Admissions documentation evidences a full assessment of the individual needs of young people prior to their arrival in the home.

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improvement to be good

Risk assessments are improved, and benefit from better-quality case records. They identify specific areas of concern, the impact of past histories and inform behaviour management techniques.

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improvement to be good

Young people reduce their risk-taking behaviour. There have been no reports of young people going missing from the home and, despite the fact that they arrived with concerning patterns of criminal behaviour, there have been no reports of arrest or contact with police. When young people leave the home they remain in phone contact with staff. Staff are attentive to their whereabouts and aware of the young people’s relevant social circles. Staff understand missing procedures and the actions required.

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improvement to be good

Placing professionals report high levels of communication with staff. Staff share concerns and observations quickly with allocated social workers and, where appropriate, parents. Staff pursue placing social workers to provide background information and ensure that all staff are fully informed.

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improvement to be good

Advocacy provision has improved. Staff have sourced independent advocates for both young people. Social workers report that staff secured an appointment with a psychologist to support an assessment of a young person. This helped to inform decision-making and ensure that the young person received the specialist support he required.

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improvement to be good

Staff are proactive in engaging with local shopkeepers to inform them of the age of young people, in order to ensure that they do not illegally sell them cigarettes.

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improvement to be good

The young people have use of the internet at the home. E-safety provides parental controls and filters which protect the young people from online risks.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager for a period of more than 26 weeks. The responsible individual resigned her post as registered manager on 25 May 2017. Initially, the plan was for her to reapply for the position; however, Ofsted has not received an application. There is no explanation for the delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Succession planning is poor, as presently the home does not have a deputy manager The responsible individual is acting as the ‘interim manager’ and continues to be supported by a business development manager and a head of service. Consequently, management of the home lacks direction at a vulnerable time.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The responsible individual recognises the poor recent inspection history, and is eager to Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 9 ‘put things right’. She recognises that the home is on ‘a journey which is going to be difficult’. The head of service and the business development manager are presently completing their management qualifications and aim to finish these by May and July 2018 respectively.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Staff turnover is excessive. Of the four staff members recruited during the recent suspension period, only two staff members are currently working in the home. This results in high use of agency staff and a lack of consistency for young people. There is little evidence to show that formal supervision sessions take place with the staff concerned, or that exit interviews are offered so that the reasoning behind any departures can be fully assessed.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Despite the high staff turnover, staff report that morale has improved. One staff member commented, ‘We now have much more guidance; the role play sessions in training really helps to put things into context.’ Staff report they are eager to progress while learning from the mistakes of the past.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Managers have taken steps towards addressing the requirements and recommendations of the previous inspection, and have liaised well with the allocated inspector during the intervening period. Following a revision of the statement of purpose, it now accurately reflects the services offered by the home. The host local authority recognises the improvements that have been made in the home. Managers actively seek the advice, guidance and training offered by the designated officer for safeguarding. One commissioning social worker commented, ‘Things in the home are now much better.’ These improvements continue to be supported by the ongoing scrutiny of the independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There is evidence of stronger management oversight of care plans and risk assessments. There is also now clear evidence of regular key-work sessions. Such improvements in case records allow closer monitoring of the progress of young people.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 10 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: SC409851 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Westgate Lifestyle Project Limited

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell: social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC409851 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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