Children's home run by Ownlife Residential Limited in Kingston upon Thames

Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 1 SC483779 Registered provider: Ownlife 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

The home provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, and who are in the age range of 12 to 17 years at the point of admission. The home‘s statement of purpose states that the young people who are referred to the home are likely to have experienced trauma and/or a number of previous placement breakdowns.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since 2014.

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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 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: SC483779 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/06/2018 Full Good 30/11/2017 Full Good 23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 07/06/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 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 an independent person visits the children‘s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (―the independent person‘s report‖) which sets out, in particular, 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 must provide a copy of the independent person‘s report to—

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent person‘s report must be sent to HMCI in a timely manner. 30/11/2019

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40(4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must fully consider whether any incidents relating to young people in the home are of a sufficiently serious nature to require formal notification to HMCI. 30/11/2019

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Recommendations

 The children‘s home must produce a children‘s guide. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standard‘, page 24, paragraph 4.21) In particular, the registered person must ensure that any unnecessary references to the provider‘s other children‘s home are removed from the guide.  Regulations 35–39 detail the records that must be kept in children‘s homes. Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 4 (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 62, paragraph 14.3) In particular, to avoid any confusion, young people‘s individual risk assessments should not be duplicated.  The registered person should have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). The plan should be updated to include any new training. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 53, paragraph

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Recommendations

10.8) In particular, the registered person must ensure that the staff training schedule is kept up to date.  For children‘s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely domestic environments. (‗Guide to the children‘s homes regulations including the quality standards‘, page 15, paragraph 3.9) In particular, the registered person must ensure that the home‘s programme of refurbishment continues, and consideration is given to removing bedroom door numbers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people develop trusting and secure relationships with staff in this home. This helps young people to build a strong sense of permanence and stability. Young people develop a sense of belonging and this enables them to make progress from their challenging starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The independent visitor to the home stated that, ‗The strong sense of permanence, stability and continuity that is evident in the home helps the majority of young people to feel secure and make significant progress during their time in the home.‘

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn to regulate their emotions. They improve their socialisation skills and improve their relationships with their families. Staff successfully encourage young people to engage with other professionals. As a result, school attendance has increased and young people have developed better health and emotional well-being.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people respond well to the home‘s reward system, which allows them to work towards individualised incentives. Staff celebrate and reward the young people‘s achievements. Rewards include certificates, lunches, additional sports and music equipment, or extra recreational activities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people in the home are at the centre of staff practice. Staff know the young people very well. They listen to them and spend time with them. Staff consider every Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 5 small detail, from replacing broken bicycle handlebar grips or ordering favourite quiz books to purchasing bedroom fairy lights to help a young person settle in bed. These details enhance young people‘s day-to-day experiences in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have a voice in the home. Their requests for the home‘s internet provision to be upgraded have been implemented and their meal choices are always actioned. As a result, young people develop a sense of ownership of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people‘s views on the home‘s current refurbishment plan are considered. The registered manager plans to take additional steps to further improve the homely environment. Young people contribute to the home‘s young people‘s guide. However, the young people‘s guide includes a reference to the provider‘s other children‘s home, which may create some confusion.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are successfully prepared for the move to independent living. Young people complete the home‘s independence skills handbook. Staff continue to keep in touch with young people when they move on. Young people regularly return to visit the home. One young person said, ‗This home is the best place and the only placement that I have ever come back to visit.‘

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

Good risk management strategies help to ensure that staff are aware of the specific risks to each young person and the actions that they must take to protect them. Risk assessments are detailed and strategies for reducing risk are regularly reviewed. However, some paperwork is duplicated, resulting in a lack of clarity.

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

Staff help the young people to understand their vulnerabilities. Young people‘s key-work sessions cover important issues, such as how to remain safe in the community. Young people said that they feel safe.

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

Positive behaviour is encouraged in the home. When a young person has difficulty in regulating their emotions, staff make effective use of de-escalation techniques, including encouraging the young person to reflect calmly on their feelings. Young people have trust and confidence in staff, which enables them to say sorry when appropriate.

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

The home operates a non-restraint policy. A young person experienced an accidental burn in the home which should have been notified to Ofsted. Safety measures have been put in place to prevent a similar accident from occurring.

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

The registered manager carefully considers each new referral and takes account of the impact that the new admission will have on the young people already living in the home. This helps the young people to remain settled in their home. Young people welcome new admissions sensitively to the home, and support them during their initial visits. This helps to build early positive peer relationships. Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 6 A consultant psychotherapist provides staff with advice and additional skills to help them manage young people‘s complex needs. Innovative strategies are put in place to help support young people to develop good coping techniques.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is highly visible in the home. He is aspirational for the young people and wants them to achieve to the best of their abilities.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The stability of the staff team is an impressive quality of the home. This provides young people with continuity of care. The staff are very experienced and competent, and are highly motivated. They are enthusiastic and love the work that they do. Staff praised the registered manager‘s commitment to the young people, and said that they value his support and advice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff development is prioritised in the home. Staff have access to regular, good-quality training that is tailored to meet the needs of the young people in the home. Team development days provide staff with additional time to enhance their skills and knowledge in areas such as trauma, loss and attachment. However, the home‘s training matrix does not reflect training updates.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager conducts regular reviews of the home‘s quality of care. Young people and professionals complete monthly feedback questionnaires, which further enhances the registered manager‘s understanding of the home‘s strengths and any areas for improvement. The monthly reports from the independent visitor complete the home‘s monitoring systems. However, these reports are not always sent to Ofsted in a timely manner.

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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: SC483779 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Poole Hill, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 5PS

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Inspector

Victoria Jones: social care inspector Inspection report children‘s home: SC483779 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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