Children's Home run by London Borough of Hillingdon in Hillingdon

Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 1 SC032502 Registered provider: The London Borough of Hillingdon Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

 The home provides care for up to 13 young people.  The home specialises in mostly looking after unaccompanied minors seeking asylum and young people who have been trafficked into the country.  The home also accepts young people from the local authority.  In the Statement of Purpose, the provider states that the home accommodates young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/07/2017 Full Good 19/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 27/09/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people told the inspector that they understand that they will not be living in the home long term. Most move on successfully to foster care, to other children’s homes, to supported accommodation or sometimes to live with family. Young people are enabled to challenge placement moves which they do not agree with.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people spoke positively about the staff. An independent reviewing officer observed ‘welcoming and sensitive relationships’, while a social worker said, ‘Staff are great; they take young people to appointments, make sure they have a social life and provide a nurturing environment’.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff praise and reward young people’s efforts and achievements. Staff manage behaviour without using sanctions or restraint. Occasionally, staff have called police to assist in managing some young people’s challenging behaviour, but staff are reluctant to criminalise young people.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are encouraged to learn English to help them to settle and integrate. They are supported to learn to do practical tasks to help them become more independent, such as laundry or food preparation.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Some young people’s emotional well-being improves as they receive the support from staff and/or the medical input that they need. Staff make referrals for support for young people who misuse drugs or alcohol. They work creatively to get young people involved in their healthcare, for example by suggesting that professionals visit young people in the home. However, some individuals are not yet ready to engage with health and support services.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted. Arrangements with the local authority mean that young people access education quickly. However, for those young people excluded from school, progress and engagement with their alternative education are limited, despite staff encouragement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

While some young people prefer to socialise with their peers, staff do arrange some activities, such as bowling or trips to the cinema. The registered manager plans to offer a wider range of activities to young people, including in the holidays.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people like the home and garden. There is a programme of refurbishment, with major improvements planned for the future. Nevertheless, some aspects of the premises require more urgent attention.

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improvement to be good

Over the course of the last year, a very high number of young people have gone missing Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 4 from the home. While accepting that the home admits many very vulnerable young people, the police believe that more could be done to prevent some young people from going missing, such as removing phones from those who may have been trafficked into the country.

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improvement to be good

There are arrangements for someone independent to interview young people when they return from being missing. However, the outcome of such interviews has not been gathered. Therefore, potential opportunities to prevent further ‘missing’ episodes are lost.

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improvement to be good

Most young people commented that they feel safe in the home and in the local area. One young person said, ‘I feel settled. I like that the staff care about me.’ Due to external influences, one young person wishes to move elsewhere to improve their safety. They feel that they remain at risk while living in the home.

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improvement to be good

Staff recruitment is sound. Only staff who are appropriately checked are employed to work with the young people.

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improvement to be good

Staff are aware of current risks to young people’s safety and take practical steps to address these, for example by arranging for speakers to talk to them about the risks associated with knife crime and ‘county lines’.

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improvement to be good

Only one complaint has been made since the last inspection, and it was dealt with appropriately. Young people raise any concerns and give their views, for example at the residents’ meetings which young people chair.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

With little change to the staff and management team, young people have experienced consistency in those caring for them. Staff stated that they value the support and training that they receive, with a high number achieving the minimum qualification. The recruitment of waking night staff has improved the supervision of young people at night.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A member of staff said, ‘We love our job.’ Staff show passion and commitment towards young people and want to make a difference to their lives. Link workers support individual young people with their emotional needs and practical arrangements. Staff experience very busy shifts and say that, ideally, they would like more time to spend with the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring is effective in helping the service develop, although the reports by the independent person require a little more information. The registered manager has ensured the requirements and recommendations made at the last inspection were met, indicating the capacity of the service to improve.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The premises are kept safe. Staff make regular checks, as they are aware of the many exits and entrances to the building. The registered manager confirmed that all checks of systems and equipment are up to date. Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 5 Staff work effectively in partnership with other professionals. For example, a social worker stated that staff are ‘consistently responsive to our emails and communication and supportive of our involvement’.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The Statement of Purpose and the young people’s guide have been updated, but do not include all the information required by regulation. In addition, the admissions and discharge register requires further information to provide an accurate record of the many young people using the service. Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 6

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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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who–

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to–

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to–

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation 6(1)(a)(b), (2)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, make sure that the garden and building are maintained to appear homely and non-institutional in all areas. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, make clear that children from the local authority may also be accommodated in the centre and include staff experience and qualifications. 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4; 30/06/2019 Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 7 ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37(1), (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, record in admission and discharge registers all details required by regulation. The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out the independent person’s opinion as to whether–

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Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

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Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether to take those actions. (Regulation 44(4)(a)(b)) 30/06/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out–

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Requirement Due date

the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission; and

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Requirement Due date

the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34(4)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, review the measures that staff may take to prevent children from placing themselves at risk by going missing; gather feedback from return-home interviews; and seek to reduce the overall number of children going missing from the home. 30/06/2019

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Recommendations

 The children’s guide should help children to understand: how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedure; how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible; and how to contact the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.22)  Homes should take account of information provided by independent return home interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 8 standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)  If the child raises concerns about the implementation of their plans, staff should advocate for the child and seek to ensure that their concerns are addressed. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page

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Recommendations

57, paragraph 11.11) Specifically, accelerate concerns about one child’s wish to be moved to another area. Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 9

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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 difference 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: SC032502 10

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The London Borough of Hillingdon

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Director of Provider Services and Commissioned Care, A352/3 North Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW

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Inspector

Jacqueline Graves, social care regulatory inspector Juanita Mayers, social care regulatory inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC032502 11 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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