Children's home run by Q Plus Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1269565 1 Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home was purpose built in 2014 and is situated on the site of Queensmill School, a co-educational special school for children with autistic spectrum disorder. The home was registered in January 2018. It provides care for up to four young people who may have a learning disability. Young people stay on a short-break basis. At present, this ranges from one to three nights per week. Many of the young people using the home attend Queensmill School or have previously attended the school.

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Information about this children’s home

Judgement at last inspection: Requires improvement to be good

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Information about this children’s home

Date of last inspection: 14 November 2018

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Information about this children’s home

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Four requirements and four recommendations resulted from the initial inspection of the home. The home has succeeded in addressing three of these requirements and three of the recommendations. The remaining requirement and recommendation are repeated for this inspection. Two additional requirements are added following this inspection.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback from key professionals continues to be positive. One class teacher informed the inspector, ‘She loves coming here, we work so well together and talk all the time.’ Inspection report children’s home: 1269565 2 In January 2019, the home recruited a deputy manager. She is an experienced individual who provides good levels of support to the registered manager, particularly regarding on-call support to staff.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

One young person has exceeded the statutory number of overnight stays permitted in the short-break provision. The home is due to make an application to Ofsted for an amendment to the conditions of its registration. The young person concerned is settled and making progress.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home environment is safer. Plug guards are now fitted in all rooms. The home is suited to meet the complex needs of the young people who use the service.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Ofsted has received a management monitoring report from the home. The report outlines the progress and achievements of the home in addressing the concerns outlined in the initial inspection. However, the home continues to lack a workforce development plan.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The admissions process to the home has improved. The registered manager now reviews each referral carefully and considers the capacity of the staff team to meet the complex behaviours of the referral and the resulting impact on the other young people in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Supervision and appraisal arrangements continue to be poor. Despite the introduction of supervision contracts, formal supervision or an initial performance appraisal has yet to occur.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Restraint practice has improved. The home now benefits from an evaluation form to be used following each incident. The form prioritises the importance of ascertaining the wishes and feelings of young people.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children’s home: 1269565 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 ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

(a) undertake appropriate continuing professional development; (b) receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 01/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

(c) have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33(4)(c)) 01/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

In the circumstances set out in paragraph (2), these Regulations apply in relation to a child with the modifications set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5.

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Requirement Due date

(2) The circumstances are that— (a)the child is not in the care of a local authority; and (b)the child is placed in a series of short term placements within children’s homes ("short breaks"), and— (iii)the short breaks to date do not exceed 75 days in total in any twelve-month period. Regulation 52(2)(b)(iii)) 31/03/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20) (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report children’s home: 1269565 4

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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

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 1 Askham Road, Shepherds Bush, London, Middlesex, W12 0NW

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Inspector

Barnaby Dowell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1269565 5 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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