South Southall children's centre group and locality

South Southall children's centre group and locality

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Greenfields Children's Centre, Recreation Road, Southall, Middlesex UB2 5PF

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This inspection: Good 2

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected Access to services by young children and families Good 2 The quality of practice and services Good 2 The effectiveness of leadership, governance and management

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Summary of key findings for children and families

 The group is fully inclusive, with a successful focus on raising families’ aspirations and encouraging personal development. The Greenfields centre is the hub of the community and the Havelock centre is now developing rapidly, with good practice being shared across the centres.  The group is led by a committed and passionate manager who has built a strong and effective senior management team. They are well respected by staff and partners and supported by an effective and well-chaired governing body. There is a clear and shared vision for the group.  The group is good at building effective partnerships with a wide range of other agencies, including local community groups. This means that a wide range of relevant activities, support, guidance and information is available to families. There is a strong focus on learning for both adults and children.  The management team has a very good understanding of the high level of complex needs in the

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Summary of key findings for children and families

area and has been successful in reaching most of the families living in the locality.  The group has built trusting relationships with high numbers of families from most of its priority groups, such as those without jobs and families from different ethnic groups.  Children’s well-being is given the highest priority. The group works well with partner agencies in this respect and timely information sharing means that vulnerable families are well supported.

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It is not outstanding because:

 The universal ‘Stay and Play’ sessions at the centres are popular but only small numbers can attend sessions at Greenfields. The ‘first come, first serve’ system means that some priority families that would benefit from attending may not get a place.  The local authority has not agreed specific health targets with the group in order to drive improvements in breastfeeding and immunisation rates.  ‘Stay and Play’ sessions are well organised with good quality resources. Families are fully engaged and enjoy the activities available. Observations are carried out, but next steps for learning are not clearly identified or linked into planning records.

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Information about this inspection

The inspection of this children’s centre group was carried out under Part 3A of the Childcare Act 2006 as amended by the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009. The centres that form part of this children’s centre group are Greenfields and Havelock.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one additional inspector.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors held meetings with the group manager and senior management team, the local authority children’s centre strategic manager and strategic lead for children’s centres and the chair of governors. They also spoke with parents, members of the advisory board, staff, workers and partners including community, housing, education, health, social care and early intervention professionals.

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Information about this inspection

They observed the group’s work and looked at a range of relevant documentation, including the group’s self-evaluation, improvement plan, data, monitoring and evaluation records, case files, safeguarding procedures and planning.

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Inspection team

Penny Fisher Her Majesty’s Inspector, Lead Inspector Deavon Baker-Oxley Her Majesty’s Inspector Anthony Mundy Additional Inspector Michael Ferguson Her Majesty’s Inspector (shadow)

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Information about the group

In December 2012, Ealing realigned its children’s centres into eight locality areas. Greenfields and Havelock Children’s Centres, designated in 2005 and 2007 respectively, formed a group within the South Southall locality of Ealing.

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Information about the group

Although Ealing is considered a relatively prosperous borough, South Southall sits within the top 20% most deprived wards nationally and has high levels of income deprivation affecting children, unemployment and housing issues such as overcrowding. The use of illegal occupied outhouses is a growing problem in the area. In the most deprived areas, children are starting school at levels below those expected for their age.

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Information about the group

The locality is home to a richly diverse community and many languages are spoken. The majority (62%) of of residents are of Asian and Asian British heritage which is above the Ealing average. The locality is characterised by a combination of large areas of industrial use, parks and open spaces and high density housing. The locality is bounded by a major railway line, main arterial roads and the Grand Union Canal.

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Information about the group

The centre identifies teenage mothers and pregnant teenagers; lone parents; children in workless households; children with disabilities; Somali and Eastern European families; and children involved with children’s social care services as its priority groups.

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Information about the group

Greenfields Children’s Centre shares a site with a nursery school and childcare provision both also known as Greenfields Children’s Centre (URN 101862 and EY280837). These provisions are subject to separate inspections. The Havelock Children’s Centre is linked to Waterside Pre-school (URN 152931), which is also the subject of a separate inspection. Inspection reports can be found at Ofsted’s website www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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Information about the group

The group fulfils its core purpose by offering a range of activities and services on a full-time basis, working with a range of partner agencies. The group is serving approximately 1,915 children under the age of five years. The group is managed by Greenfields Children’s Centre (nursery school) on behalf of the local authority and is governed by the nursery school governing body. A joint advisory board is in place.

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What does the group need to do to improve further?

 The local authority and children’s centre group should consider ways to ensure that priority families have access to universal ‘Stay and Play’ sessions at the Greenfields centre.  The local authority should, in partnership with the children’s centre group, agree precise and measurable targets to improve health outcomes in the locality, specifically breastfeeding and immunisation rates.  The group should ensure that observations clearly outline children’s next steps in their learning and that these are used to inform planning.

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Access to services by young children and families Good

 The group is reaching the very large majority of the families in the locality. The overall volume of children and adults using the centres is increasing and there has been a significant growth in the number of families accessing services at the Havelock centre since the transition to the group.  The centre is reaching the very large majority of users from priority ethnic groups. The group has established trusting relationships and effective links with many community groups, including members of the Somali, Polish and Traveller communities, which has led to good numbers of families from these groups attending the centres.  The group has identified priority families appropriately based on data from the local authority and the staff’s local knowledge of the locality. It is reaching increasing numbers of lone parents and fathers and adapts services based on parents’ views, for example the introduction of one-to-one

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Access to services by young children and families Good

support for teenage parents. The attendance of families is carefully recorded and the non- attendance of priority families is followed up appropriately.  The range of services is good, well balanced and well matched to the high levels of need in the community. The group is highly proactive in making bids to fund further developments. Many services, such as legal advice on immigration issues, benefit and employment advice and functional skills training, are delivered by partners who highly value the support they receive from the group.  Universal services such as ‘Stay and Play’ and child health clinics are popular and well attended. However, only small numbers of families can attend Greenfields ‘Stay and Play’ due to space and staff capacity. This means that those that would benefit from this service the most cannot always attend. Provision at the Havelock centre is accessible, but some families are reluctant to travel the

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Access to services by young children and families Good

short distance to attend.  Local authority data show that all three- and four-year-olds in the locality take up their entitlement to nursery places. The local authority has placed 40 funded two-year-olds in the provision linked to the Greenfields centre and partnership working to increase the sufficiency of good quality provision in the locality is ongoing. Those families that have already taken up places praise the high level of support they receive from the group.

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The quality and impact of practice and services Good

 There are good opportunities for adults to take part in family and adult learning. Many families wish to learn English, as an additional language, and the group has worked well in partnership with a range of providers to extend these opportunities both within the centres and in the local community. Attendance and success rates are good and progression is tracked effectively.  Jobcentre Plus services are delivered sensitively to meet the needs of the local community and encourage employability skills, for example providing support with written applications. Well-attended weekly drop-in sessions also provide advice on benefits. This has led to improved financial stability for some families.  Family support work, including joint work with children’s social care teams, is effective. However, the good quality of the work is not always fully reflected in case recording. Cases show positive outcomes for families, such as improvements in parental mental health and the prevention of family breakdown.

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The quality and impact of practice and services Good

Concerns for children’s safety and well-being are identified and acted upon swiftly.  The group is working well with early years settings, such as Waterside Pre-school, and local primary schools to enhance the quality of provision and aid transition and reduce inequalities. The 2013 Early Years Foundation Stage achievements in the locality are in line with those found nationally. Observations and assessments are carried out for those that regularly attend ‘Stay and Play’ sessions, but these are not clearly identifying children’s next steps in their learning in order to inform ‘next step’ planning.  Tracking shows the group is effectively narrowing the gap for the most vulnerable children in the locality. The proportion of children living in the most disadvantaged areas within the locality that achieved a good level of development in 2013 was above the national average, and the achievement gap shows a narrowing trend. There is good identification, support and provision for children with

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The quality and impact of practice and services Good

disabilities and special educational needs.  Parents have access to a sufficient range of parenting programmes across the locality. Both centres offer a rolling programme of targeted ‘family links’ parenting courses. Retention rates on these courses are good and parents are overwhelmingly positive regarding these programmes and the impact they have had on improving family life and well-being.  The group delivers a wide range of good quality family health information, advice and guidance to families through both universal and targeted service provision, covering subjects such as oral health, healthy cooking and healthy weight. The latest data show a reduction in the child obesity rate in the locality, which is now in line with the Ealing average. However, there is more partnership work to do, both strategically and operationally, to improve breastfeeding and immunisation rates in the locality.

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Good

 The group manager is a dedicated and passionate leader, who has established a senior management team that shares her drive to raise aspiration in the locality and improve outcomes for families. The group has a good knowledge and understanding of the complex needs of the locality and provides an appropriate balance of activities to match needs. Importantly, the group is collaborating with Southall Community Alliance in a Southall-wide research project to locate ‘invisible’ families and develop an action plan of support.  The safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults is given the highest priority. Policies and procedures are sound, understood and implemented across the group. A named social worker is attached to the group. Close liaison with the group is valued by children’s social care in cases where there is a higher level of need, such as those with child in need and child protection plans. Family

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Good

support work and the use of the Common Assessment Framework procedures are delivered through a range of Ealing early intervention services. The group works well with staff from these agencies and takes the lead professional role when appropriate.  The annual satisfaction survey shows that almost all parents feel very well treated and very safe at the centres. Parents feel respected and valued and told inspectors of their increased personal well- being. One described the centre as ‘a lifesaver’ and another said ‘the centre has been the biggest help’. The centres provide a highly inclusive environment, which promotes community cohesion successfully.  Partnership work is well established with a wide range of agencies and providers including the Traveller education service, the Coram legal advice service and the Paiwand advisory and advocacy service. The quality of services, including those delivered by partners, is monitored and evaluated

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Good

effectively.  The governing body provides strong and effective challenge and support to the group and approves the group’s priorities and improvement plan. The strong chair of governors has good oversight and understanding of the performance of the group. Detailed consideration is given to the group’s budget, which ensures good use of resources.  The advisory boards for the two centres have merged and there is good representation from a range of partners and parents. Information sharing between the advisory board and the governing body is effective. Parents have good opportunities to give their views and are consulted regularly, for example regarding the management of the Havelock centre and the design and delivery of services for teenage parents.  The local authority, governing body and senior management team have worked closely together during the transition to a children’s centre group. The quality of local authority data available to help

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Good

the group to understand the needs of the area and their priority groups continues to improve and protocols with health and children’s social care have been agreed. The local authority has set generally challenging targets for the group, but these do not currently cover some health outcomes which need improvement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding Practice consistently reflects the highest aspirations for children and their families and as a result inequalities are reducing rapidly and gaps are closing. Grade 2 Good Practice enables most children and their families to access good quality services that improve children’s wellbeing and achieve the stated outcomes for families. Grade 3 Requires improvement Performance is not as good as it might reasonably be expected to be in one or more key areas. Grade 4 Inadequate The needs of children and families in its area are not being met and/or the leaders and managers are not providing sufficient challenge to bring about improvement to the quality of services.

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Group details

Unique reference number 80148 Local authority The London Borough of Ealing Inspection number 146641 Managed by Greenfields Children’s Centre on behalf of the local authority

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five in the reach area

Centre leader June McHugh Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 020 8813 8079 Email address head@greenfieldschildren.com

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

 Greenfields Children’s Centre  Havelock Children’s Centre guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

(Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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This group consists of the following children’s centres:

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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