Children's home run by Herman Allen

Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 1 SC067810 Registered provider: Lily House

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care and accommodation for up to seven young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. In addition to having two other children’s homes, the company is also a registered education provider.

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 good

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 14 February 2018

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Improved effectiveness

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/02/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 07/06/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 09/02/2017 Interim Declined in effectiveness 30/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 2

p.1

Recommendations

 Ensure that young people continue in full-time education, an apprenticeship or traineeship, or a combination of education and training or apprenticeship, while they are of compulsory school age. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.16)  Ensure that young people develop skills to have positive relationships with others, including those outside the home, and learn to resolve conflict positively. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.6)  Ensure that the workforce development details the process for managing and improving poor performance as well as the process and timescales for supervision of practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people receive good individualised care from staff and managers who understand their needs. As a result, young people have positive experiences and make good progress from their challenging starting points. A good admission planning process ensures that only young people whose needs can be met by the staff team are admitted to the home. Consequently, there has been a significant reduction in the number of placement disruptions since the last inspection. Staff and managers support the young people in line with their care plans. Plans are reviewed regularly to evaluate the impact the home is having on the young people. Young people are in good health and any health concerns are addressed. Young people’s emotional well-being is well supported by staff and managers who utilise the in-house psychologist to find ways to engage the young people. Young people also have access to specialist services, such as the child and adolescent mental health service. Staff and

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

managers are finely attuned to the young people’s emotional needs and help reduce disruptive outbursts in the home. Young people subject to youth offending referral orders are actively supported by the staff team to engage with the terms of their order. A youth offending officer stated that he has no concerns about a young person completing his order with the staff’s support. Young people benefit from meaningful key-working sessions that focus on helping them understand the value of making good decisions in important areas of their lives. Young people build positive relationships with the staff and managers, who encourage them to develop their self-awareness and self-esteem. Young people are supported to learn coping skills and cultivate their resilience. Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 3 Young people’s education attendance and attainment progress have been mixed, although recent improvements have been made. School professionals state that there is

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

good collaboration with the home to support the young people’s emotional and learning needs. Plans are in place to meet the needs identified in the education, health and care plans. However, there is room for improvement in helping young people improve their attendance and preparing them for their next stage of education or training. Contact with family members is managed in such a way that promotes positive experiences for the young people. They are appropriately supported to have safe and meaningful contact with those who matter to them. Careful consideration is given to situations where restrictions around contact are necessary to promote the young person’s well-being. Young people know how to complain. Complaints are adequately handled in line with the appropriate procedures. They are properly investigated with a clear outcome, and reflect a child-centred approach to resolving the identified issues.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are taught independent living skills. Their achievements are celebrated. They are treated with dignity and empathy, and their cultural identities are respected. The views of social workers, an independent reviewing officer, schools and other professionals are largely positive about the home’s partnership working and the level of support provided to the young people. Young people have a say in their care planning. A young person stated that there was nothing he wanted to change about the home.

p.3

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

Young people are helped and protected from harm by staff and managers who understand their vulnerabilities. A young person stated he felt safe in the home and was able to identify trusted adults he could speak with. Young people’s risk and health assessments are routinely updated. Staff and managers work to the support plans stemming from these assessments. As a result, young people are kept safe and helped to reduce their risk-tasking behaviours. Incidents of young people going missing from the home have decreased since the last inspection. When young people do go missing, staff consistently follow agreed procedures. Return home interviews and strategy meetings take place, and any emerging factors that may increase the young person’s vulnerability are assessed and discussed by the whole staff team, which takes effective action. Staff make efforts to raise young people’s awareness of the risks of cannabis use and its

p.3

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

potentially negative impact on their health and emotional well-being. Staff have also carried out appropriate room searches and sought intervention from the local police and the community substance misuse service. A professional from the drugs service stated that one young person ‘engaged well’ with his programme and eventually stopped using cannabis as he came to recognise its impact on his health and his sporting achievements. On the whole, staff and managers work to the home’s behavioural management strategy, which is child-focused. As a result, since the last inspection there has been a Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 4 substantial reduction in the use of restraints and in police attending the home to manage challenging behaviour. Staff are suitably trained in the use of physical intervention and only use restraint when absolutely necessary. Restraint recording is good and includes a

p.3

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

debriefing with the young people concerned. Managers review these records to ensure that practice remains appropriate. The home promotes positive behaviour through rewards. The home strives to effect change through building secure relationships to sustain the improvement made. Young people are encouraged to develop positive behaviour in and out of the home. However, there is room for improvement in helping them to develop a deeper understanding of the impact of anti-social behaviour and to be able to resolve conflict constructively with others outside of the home. Investigations into serious incidents or allegations of harm are shared with the appropriate agencies and are handled robustly in line with the statutory guidance. Social work professionals, including the designated officer, and parents stated that they have no safeguarding concerns about the home.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed effectively by an experienced permanent manager who leads by example and models strong, consistent leadership. As a result, the home is achieving its aims and objectives as set out in its statement of purpose. Safe recruitment procedures are in place, and the home is sufficiently resourced to meet the young people’s needs. Staff who do not have a level 3 qualification or the equivalent are currently enrolled on an appropriate course. The registered manager’s evaluation of the home’s strengths and areas for further improvement is underpinned by the quality standards and informs the overall development plan for the service. The registered manager makes accurate assessments of the young people’s needs and ensures that the care plans reflect the support required. Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal, which they describe as helpful to enhancing practice. Staff are challenged on any gaps in their performance. Feedback

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

from the young people is incorporated into staff appraisals. Staff have access to a range of training which keeps their skills up to date. The home’s workforce development plan is comprehensive. However, it does not detail the process for managing and improving poor performance as well as the process and timescales for supervision of practice. This has not had a negative impact on the staff and managers’ understanding of the expectations placed upon them. Staff and managers maintain a homely environment. They work in partnership with families and professionals to promote good outcomes and positive experiences for the young people, and are committed to supporting the young people as any good parent would be. Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 5

p.4

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.5

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: SC067810 6

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor, 172 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, London E17 4QH

p.6

Inspector

Linda Kim-Newby, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC067810 7 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.

p.6

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.7

Inspector

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

p.7

Inspector

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

p.7