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

Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 1 SC481369 Registered provider: Reamcare Limited

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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 who have learning and/or physical disabilities. This includes permanent placements and short-break stays.

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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

The registered manager was registered by Ofsted in October 2014.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 12 December 2017

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/12/2017 Full Outstanding 07/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 14/09/2016 Full Outstanding 15/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people make exceptional progress. A doctor described one young person’s development as ‘flabbergasting’. Progress is evidenced by the excellent outcomes that young people achieve, such as a recent development for one young person who made such outstanding progress that they were able to move on to supported housing. Such a move was highly unlikely to be achieved at the point when the young person moved in.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

There is a genuinely warm and convivial atmosphere in the home. Staff strive to create a sense of community, where young people’s needs are of paramount importance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Behaviour management is extremely effective. Staff’s expectations of young people’s behaviour are clear and meaningful. Staff use the close relationships that they share with young people to intervene promptly when young people display challenging behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people learn a broad range of new skills. These range from significantly expanding their vocabulary to sharing a meal together. Staff support young people with compassion and perseverance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Educational progress is highly prioritised. All young people engage and make excellent progress. Teachers comment on young people’s huge improvements in their self- confidence, concentration levels and behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Communication with young people is of paramount importance. Staff make excellent use of modern technology such as ‘voice boards’ to ease communication including bringing humour to the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Independence work is outstanding. Young people have individual goals and targets that allow them to learn and develop vital skills, such as tying shoelaces. Their progress is a source of real pleasure and excitement for both staff and young people.

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

Care plans and risk assessments are extremely detailed. Assessments allow young people to take safe, managed risks under close supervision. These include supporting young people to address issues such as spitting and toileting.

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

Staff are extremely aspirational and understand each young person’s complex needs. Staff assess young people and propose new strategies and techniques. Currently, staff are supporting one young person to diversify his diet, where previously it was considered unachievable.

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

Young people do not go missing from the home. This is despite some of them having long histories of absconding from their family homes and previous placements. One Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 4 placing social worker said that the positive change in young people’s behaviour is a source of amazement.

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

Work undertaken with parents is highly effective. Staff provide parents with comprehensive advice and guidance on improving the quality of direct contact with their children. One parent commented, ‘They [staff] are like a lifeline, I don’t know what would happen without them.’

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

Staff are extremely proactive. For example, on realising the importance of purchasing bubble mix from a shop for one young person, they liaised with the shop owner to bulk buy the item to guarantee the young person was able to enjoy her favourite item each time she visited. This resulted in the young person maintaining her shopping routine without disrupting her emotional well-being.

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

Multi-agency work is highly effective. The home is supported by a nationwide charity for autistic young people. The charity helps to support a wide range of effective, specialist interventions.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The management of the home is excellent, with managers placing the needs of young people at the heart of practice. The registered manager has been in post since the opening of the home in 2014. One staff member described her as being the ‘lifeblood’ of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff morale is very positive. Staff feel that managers value their professional development and go over and above to support them. For instance, managers provided a staff member with English language lessons to support his report writing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Training is extremely effective. Staff report that the training they receive is very helpful and adapted to ensure that they can meet the needs of young people. Staff commented on a recent course on ‘intensive interaction’ which offers new techniques to engage and support young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The high quality of management audit and oversight drives service improvement. Managers value the importance of consistency from all professionals. Recently, this involved meeting with a young person’s taxi driver to inform him of a new behavioural management approach.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Admissions to the home are handled very carefully. Managers ensure an in-depth assessment and introduction prior to each admission. This ensures that young people are matched in an excellent way, which further promotes their well-being and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is maintained to an extremely high standard. Managers continue to review and evaluate the home environment. They research and purchase the latest support tools and equipment for young people. Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 5

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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 6

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC481369 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 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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