Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Derbyshire

Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 1 SC464759 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes 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

A private company owns this home. This company provides care and accommodation for up to four children and young people, with ages ranging from 10 to 17 years. Children and young people may have emotional, social 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 good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2019

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/04/2018 Full Good 10/01/2018 Interim Improved effectiveness 26/04/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children‟s home that— In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to— lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home‟s statement of purpose. (Regulation 13(1)(2)(a)) 23/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained— (a) the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”). (Regulation 32(4)(a)) 23/07/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; and receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience. (Regulation 33(4)(a)(b)) 23/07/2019

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that all staff consistently follow the home‟s policies and procedures for the benefit of the children in the home‟s care. Everyone working at the home must understand their roles and responsibilities and what they are authorised to decide on their own initiative. There should be clear lines of accountability. Each home must have clear arrangements in place to maintain effective management when the manager is absent, off duty or on leave. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 54, paragraph 10.20) This is in relation to the deputy and manager being clear on their roles and responsibilities.  As set out in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and

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Recommendations

Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 4 minimises potential risks to them. („Guide to the children‟s homes regulations including the quality standards‟, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people make consistently good progress in education. This progress is attributed to good school and college attendance. Staff work in partnership with education professionals to develop bespoke plans to help young people with their education. Young people, to their credit, enjoy school/college and they understand how important education is with regards to their overall life chances. Good educational attainment is central to the culture and ethos of the home. Managers and staff help young people to develop their own personal goals and aspirations. Relationships between young people and staff are good. Staff and young people spend a considerable amount of time together. Young people are relaxed with staff and there is a great deal of laughter, fun and positive experiences. Staff celebrate the successes and accomplishments of young people, and let young people know that they are proud of them. This is encouraging for young people and promotes their self-esteem and

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

confidence. Young people develop good independent-living skills. Staff devise programmes of work to enable young people to acquire the skills that they will need to live in the community. Young people become more confidant in their own abilities and empowered to take this very important step in their lives. Staff encourage young people to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This includes diet and exercise. Staff use individual key-work sessions with young people to talk about the risks associated with smoking, drugs misuse and alcohol misuse. Young people are provided with the information that they need to make informed decisions regarding their health. This helps young people to remain healthy. Relationships between young people and their families and friends are supported by the manager and staff. Young people see and speak to family and friends regularly, in line with care and placement plans. Some young people choose to not see family or friends

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

and this decision is respected and supported practically and emotionally by staff. The physical environment is welcoming, homely and modern. Staff encourage and support young people to decorate their bedrooms to their tastes and there is good consultation over decorating the communal areas. Young people have a wide range of information available, including their rights and representations and how to make a complaint if they are unhappy. Consequently, young people have the means to raise any concerns or worries that they may have about any aspect of their care.

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

The manager and staff consistently ensure that risk assessments include up-to-date and relevant information. These risk assessments provide staff with clear strategies to help Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 5 them manage young people‟s behaviour and keep them safe. Additionally, staff understand these assessments and consistently implement them to help keep young people safe. There have been occasions when young people have been missing from the home. Young people have placed themselves at risk. When young people are missing, staff liaise with the police and the responsible local authority to quickly locate them and return them home. Staff have, at times, taken robust action, including placing themselves at risk to prevent young people leaving the home. When young people return to the home, the manager ensures that independent return home interviews take place quickly. Staff will carry out key-work sessions with young people to warn them of

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

the dangers of going missing and to prevent reoccurrence. The behaviour of young people is generally good. The home is calm and there is no damage to the environment. There have been no incidents of concerning behaviour requiring physical intervention. Young people and staff talk through issues of contention and this prevents incidents escalating into confrontations. Young people feel able to talk to staff about worries or concerns. This prevents young people becoming overwhelmed with negative emotions that can give way to aggression and confrontation. Risk to young people from staff is minimised because the manager ensures that there is compliance with safer recruitment procedures. A comprehensive range of pre- employment checks is completed before new staff get to work with young people. An area that requires strengthening is the organisation‟s policy for keeping photographs of staff up to date for identity purposes.

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

The manager and staff understand what action to take should they have any concerns about the practice of their colleagues. This means that staff remain constantly vigilant. They understand the risks and vulnerabilities of young people, especially from those in positions of trust. This helps to keep young people safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager has led this home since January 2014, and he is suitably qualified. He is an experienced and committed manager. The manager has not ensured that all staff have completed the qualification for residential staff, the diploma level 3, within the required timescales. This is a shortfall. Additionally, some staff have not completed mandatory training as required. This means that some staff do not have up-to-date knowledge, skills and ability to provide the best and safest care to young people. Arrangements for deputising when the manager is absent from work are confusing and have the potential to place young people at risk. The manager has been contacted by young people and staff when he has been on leave. He has dealt with incidents via the telephone and has directed and advised staff. This practice has the potential to undermine the role of the deputy manager and create confusion. This practice, by the

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

manager, is not warranted as there is sufficient management cover available in the organisation for when he is away. Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 6 A requirement raised at the last inspection was for staff to receive regular, individual supervision. This has been partially met. Some staff have still not received supervision, while others have not received a record of supervision sessions. There remains confusion between the manager and deputy about who is undertaking these important meetings. Additionally, some recordings are incorrect, stating that staff have undertaken mandatory training, when they have not. This area still requires improvement to be good. The staff team is now far more stable and there is good morale in the team. The manager has recruited to vacancies and staff report that they feel supported in their role. Staff value the manager and know that they can turn to him for help and advice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff who are new to residential childcare benefit and develop their practice from more experienced colleagues. Good partnership working with other agencies is central to the practice in this home. Social workers say that there is good communication from the home and that young people make good progress and are kept safe. Regular multi-agency meetings take place and these help to develop plans for young people and help them make good and sustained progress.

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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: SC464759 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspector:

Phillip Morris, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC464759 8 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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