Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 1 SC464759 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

A private company owns this home, which provides care and accommodation for up to four young people with ages ranging from 10 to 17 years. Young people have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The organisation believes that creating an atmosphere of understanding, honesty, learning and support is fundamental to bringing about stability for vulnerable young people.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 10 January 2018

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 06/09/2016 Full Requires improvement 12/07/2016 Full Inadequate Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 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

The registered person must notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement of purpose within 28 days of the revision. (Regulation 16(3)(b)) 24/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person may only— employ an individual to work at the children‟s home if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained- (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32(4)(b)) 24/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40(4)(c)) 24/05/2018

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Recommendations

 The registered person must specify the procedures to be followed and the roles and responsibilities of staff when a child is missing from care or away from home without permission and how the staff should support the child on return to the home. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 45, paragraph 9.28)

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Recommendations

 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) Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 4

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Educational attainment is fundamental to the culture and ethos of the home. Young people receive good quality help from staff to maintain their school attendance. Young people are making academic progress as a result.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living in a comfortable, spacious and very well-maintained environment. Young people enjoy and take pride in their home. Staff encourage young people to take care of the house. This helps young people to learn important self-care skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Good health monitoring remains central to care practice. Young people have regular health assessments. Those young people who smoke tobacco receive help to stop. Likewise, those who have experimented with cannabis and alcohol have received the help they need to make better decisions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the importance to young people of maintaining family relationships. They support young people to have positive and safe contact with their family and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to express their views on all aspects of the home through monthly meetings with staff. Additionally, there are regular individual key-work sessions between staff and young people. The young person‟s handbook is good. It provides comprehensive information on life at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people and staff develop and maintain very good relationships. Young people are positive about staff and describe excellent relationships. This helps young people flourish.

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

Young people have, over time, become far safer. Some young people no longer go missing from the home. Concerns over potential exploitation have subsided.

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

The behaviour of young people has continued to improve. The good relationships between the young people and staff mean that conversation, negotiation and compromise replace the need for punitive behaviour management. Following any incident of challenging behaviour, the staff carry out individual work with the young person. There is oversight and review by the manager, who seeks to learn lessons to prevent any future occurrences.

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

There is no reported bullying. The manager monitors young people‟s interactions closely for any indicators that bullying may be a concern. This means he can take action quickly if required. Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 5 Staff generally do all they can to minimise risks for young people who run away. When young people return, they receive good care and support. Additionally, staff work closely with the placing local authority to learn lessons from return interviews. However, care and management practice could be improved with concerted efforts to get to know the friends and associates of young people.

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

When young people have raised concerns about staff behaviour, the manager has taken swift and decisive action. The manager contacts all relevant agencies and takes the actions needed to keep young people safe.

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

Leaders of the service failed to notify Ofsted of a safeguarding concern. This prevented Ofsted evaluating actions taken by leaders in response to the concern.

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

A suitably qualified registered manager leads the service. He has a significant amount of experience in children‟s residential care. He has made many improvements since the last full inspection. However, further improvements are still required.

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

The manager has not ensured that Ofsted has received an updated statement of purpose. This hinders Ofsted in reviewing the service effectively.

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

The quality of record-keeping is variable. The manager had not ensured that an important plan for a young person was available, and struggled to locate some information.

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

The manager has not ensured that staff have attained the level 3 diploma in the required timescales. One worker, employed for three years, has not yet completed the qualification.

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

The staff team is now more settled. There are now fewer vacancies. Staff are motivated. They receive the support that they require through professional supervision. One young person stated, „I love it here; the staff are really nice and friendly. The manager is a really nice dude; he gets you making decisions and thinking things through for yourself.‟

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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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 6 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: SC464759 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Flat 17, Leeland Mansions, Leeland Road, London W13 9HE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspector(s)

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 8 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children‟s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children‟s services, and inspects services for 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)

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

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