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

Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 1 SC032600 Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides a short-break service and full-time care on both a permanent and emergency basis for up to six young people who have learning disabilities, physical disabilities or sensory impairment. At the time of this inspection, the home was supporting one young person on a permanent basis and 22 young people for short breaks.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager was registered with Ofsted in December 2016.

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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/05/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good 09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 09/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 3

p.2

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.

p.3

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—

p.3

Requirement Due date

(a) children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.3

Requirement Due date

(b) the conduct of the home promotes children‟s well-being.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home excels in providing life-enriching opportunities to young people. They benefit from purposeful short breaks and dedicated long-term care. The staff team views each young person as unique and stresses that staff have a passion to see every young person reach their full potential. A young person said, „l was happy, loved and felt safe at all times.‟

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff successfully deliver individualised care in a nurturing environment. They have a very clear understanding of each young person‟s support needs. Staff use patience and perseverance to understand complex behaviours. For example, when a young person displayed challenging behaviour, the staff understood he had been interrupted in following through with his ritualistic actions.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Behaviour support plans and risk assessments are effective. Plans provide clear and sensible strategies to lessen known or new presenting behaviours. In general, the young people understand boundaries and respond positively. Using distraction techniques as opposed to restraint is a strength of the home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home‟s partnership arrangements with schools and parents result in a uniform approach to communication, for example using shared visual timetables to enable non- verbal young people to make sense of their daily routines and to communicate their wishes and feelings. Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 4 Young people enjoy a range of opportunities to broaden their horizons. They participate in a range of fun, engaging and learning activities inside and outside of the home. These include nature walks, trampolining, an outdoor den and using the computer facilities. The staff are particularly skilled in ensuring that young people choose healthy outdoor activities. These activities allow the young people to make friends, develop social skills and build their self-esteem.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy healthy home-made meals. They also benefit from the calming influence of massages at times of anxiety. High staffing numbers enable the young people to develop independent skills. These include enjoying mealtimes through independent eating and support in learning self-care skills.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people learn resilience, confidence and the appropriate skills necessary for adulthood. Staff meticulously work on transitions with social workers and other professionals. This has resulted in a number of young people successfully moving into semi-independent or shared supported housing.

p.4

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

There are clear and effective safeguarding arrangements in place to protect the young people. The home benefits from being a local authority resource. As a result, the registered manager has worked with the training team to ensure that all safeguarding training is bespoke and focused on the safety of disabled young people.

p.4

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

Young people are set achievable targets based on their individual understanding and abilities. Targets are based not only on the development of independent skills but more importantly, based on ensuring that the young people are given every opportunity to learn to play and enjoy life.

p.4

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

Partnership working with parents plays an integral role in the care and support of the young people. Staff work with parents on a range of topics such as addressing healthy eating and the emotional changes for young people going through puberty. Parents spoke highly about the warm welcome, the excellent progress their young people make and the confidence they have in the service.

p.4

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

The home is warm and visually welcoming. It is well equipped to meet the needs of disabled young people. Specialist equipment is maintained safely, and all of the young people have personal emergency evacuation plans.

p.4

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

Recruitment practices follow corporate protocols. This ensures that only suitable people work with young people. Certificates confirm the safety of the premises. Staff undertake regular health and safety checks. Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is passionate and inspiring and is appropriately experienced. She is in the process of completing the level 5 qualification in leadership and management. She is supported by a strong team of two deputy managers. The members of the management team are passionate about the service they offer and strive to continuously develop and build on the good-quality service they already provide.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers have focused on developing the staff team. This has resulted in a committed, experienced and highly trained team with a shared philosophy and ethos of placing young people at the heart of their practice. A staff member commented, „I work in a brilliant team who all genuinely care for all the young people. Coming to work is a pleasure, it‟s like coming home.‟

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team feels well supported and valued by managers. The managers are visible, accessible and offer positive support to staff. There is regular formal supervision, enabling staff to reflect on their practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home offers a service to young people from two local authorities. Professionals were overwhelmingly positive about the service and the care and support of young people. A social worker said, „This is a home away from home for young people, with the freedom to play and enjoy life . The child-friendly boundaries and discipline offers them great opportunities. It is almost like a fun home in a safe place.‟ Good-quality case recordings and a wealth of pictorial evidence offer positive insights into the good progress made by the young people. The manager has good oversight of the home and continues to develop systems which enable her to monitor, review and analyse the practices in the home. Independent monitoring of the service has improved. However, the reports do not adequately give an opinion on the safeguarding and promotion of young people‟s welfare.

p.5

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.5

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 Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 6 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: SC032600 7

p.5

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Civic Centre, Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 4DN

p.7

Inspector

Juanita Mayers, social care inspector Inspection report children‟s home: SC032600 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8