Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2500044 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home provides care and accommodation for up to two children aged between 10 and 17 years at point of admission. Children will have emotional, behavioural and/or social difficulties. The home is owned and operated by a private company. The manager was registered by Ofsted in December 2018, and she has the required qualification for registered managers.

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

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: this is the first inspection of this home since registration.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: 2500044 2

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making good progress in all areas of their development. They are confident and have improved self-esteem. In a very short space of time, children have developed positive relationships with staff. One child has developed a far more mature and positive outlook on life. Children present as happy, settled and content. The manager and staff understand the importance of good education for children. Both children attend education provision. They are maintaining good attendance and they are making progress. One child now attends school full time. This is evidence of very good progress given his disrupted educational history. He now enjoys school and has aspirations for his future. Staff are ambitious for both children. Children’s views are valued by the manager and staff. Children are consulted over the day-to-day running of their home and, where possible, their ideas are implemented. Children’s meetings take place regularly and the manager always provides her comments

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

on the ideas and views put forward by children. Children know how to complain if they are unhappy with any aspect of their care. This builds children’s confidence because they know their views are seen as important. The health and well-being of children is a high priority for the manager and staff. Children are registered with primary healthcare professionals and attend routine appointments. One child has made very good progress in giving up smoking tobacco and cannabis. Children enjoy a balanced diet and have regular exercise through energetic activities, such as boxing and dance. Children benefit from very regular individual meetings with their key workers. Staff talk to children about important issues and things that matter to the children. Staff provide children with reassurance and they support children to develop coping mechanisms when they are faced with difficulties. Additionally, these sessions further strengthen the

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

good relationships between children and staff. A social worker commented on the ‘consistent support from a stable staff team’ and the benefits to the child.

p.2

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

Staff are able to keep children safe. Staff are vigilant and have a good grasp of the potential risks facing children and the children’s vulnerabilities. Risk assessments are well written and in-depth. The manager assures herself that each member of staff understands these assessments and works in strict accordance with the strategies developed to keep children safe. Staff manage children’s behaviour well. Incidents of negative and concerning behaviours have decreased overall. Staff talk to children about the impact of poor behaviour on others. Sanctions are used in response to poor behaviour and a restorative approach is used. Good behaviour is rewarded through incentives and is celebrated by staff. Children are making better choices. One child’s social worker spoke about him no longer assaulting staff and making threats, but instead being helpful and thoughtful. This is Inspection report children’s home: 2500044 3

p.2

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

very good progress. When children have gone missing from the home, staff have responded appropriately. Staff search the nearby areas, contact the police immediately and try to retrieve children without delay. Staff support children to return to the home when found and provide them with reassurance and compassionate care. Staff try to learn lessons to prevent any reoccurrence through debriefs with children to understand why they went missing. This practice has helped to decrease the number of incidents of this nature and, overall, children are safer and more settled. Staff undertake a range of training to help them to keep children safe. This includes safeguarding training, understanding self-harm and managing behaviour. Safeguarding training is also underpinned by effective management oversight and analysis of all incidents and how staff have responded. Managers have quickly developed a culture where the safeguarding and protection of children is well established across all areas of

p.3

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

care practice. The manager ensures that children are safe through the effective vetting of prospective new staff. Before new staff are able to work with children, the manager undertakes a comprehensive range of checks to ensure that the risk to children from staff is minimised. The manager ensures that new staff receive a thorough induction, including safeguarding and behaviour management training, to equip them appropriately for this challenging but rewarding role.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has established a permanent and stable staff team that is providing effective, safe care. The manager is supported by an experienced and committed deputy manager and together they provide good, effective management oversight. The staff team is motivated. Staff enjoy their work and enjoy spending time with the children. Staff report that they feel well supported and their views and ideas are listened to. Managers have implemented many new and positive changes since opening this home. Staff recognise and record positive events in children’s lives that show their achievement and accomplishments. Children now have individualised progression files that demonstrate the progress that they have made from when they arrived at the home and how well they are doing. Memory books chart the positive experiences children have while at the home, so that children will be able to understand their time at the home and

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

see their own progress positively. Staff receive good-quality professional supervision. Supervision sessions are well structured and pay attention to the safeguarding and welfare needs of children. The manager praises staff for good work, but also raises any concerns she may have over the staff performance. This means that staff receive good oversight and direction, and are also accountable in their work with children. Children receive care and support from managers and staff who understand the importance of continuous professional training. The staff are all enrolled on, or have completed, the level three diploma in residential care. Many staff members have undertaken additional training and development to improve their knowledge and skills. Inspection report children’s home: 2500044 4 The manager promotes training and development because she understands the value it brings in providing the best possible care to children.

p.3

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager provides strong and decisive leadership. She has developed very good relationships with the children and has an in-depth understanding of their care needs. She will advocate on behalf of children, if she believes other agencies are not acting in a timely manner or in the child’s best interests. The manager has a child-focused approach and this ultimately benefits the children.

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.4

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: 2500044 5

p.4

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

p.5

Children’s home details

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

p.5

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

p.5

Inspector:

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2500044 6 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.

p.5

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.6

Inspector:

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

p.6

Inspector:

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

p.6