Children's home run by Mig House Residential Care Home Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 1 Registered provider: Mig House Residential Care Home 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 for up to six children who have learning disabilities. It provides a permanent home for up to four children and short-break services for a maximum of two children at any one time. This home is one of two homes operated by this private provider.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been in post since the home was registered in September 2018.

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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

Date of last inspection: 5 February 2019

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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: 1278873 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/02/2019 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 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 quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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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

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6(1)(c)(i)) 30/04/2020

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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—

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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 home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. (Regulation 13(1)(b)(2)(d)) 31/01/2020

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children enjoy trusting and meaningful relationships with the staff. The staff know the children well and work out the best ways to engage with them. Staff are patient and understand how difficult it may be for children to learn to trust adults. They realise that some children may need time to get to know new people and to feel comfortable around them. The staff’s friendly and caring approach gives children strong messages that staff love and care about them. A social worker spoken with during the inspection said, ‘My child gets so much love from the staff at this home. We [the social care team] love the staff, they are like one big happy family.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children receive individualised care and support. The staff have a very good understanding of each child’s complex needs and meet these well in practice. The Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 4 registered manager and the staff empower children to express themselves as individuals, taking into account their communication needs. The progress that the children have made since living at this home is very good. For example, a child who was confined to a wheelchair when they first came to live at the home now walks freely. Another child can now communicate more effectively and their behaviour has improved immensely, enabling them to be calmer and happier.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Developing independence skills starts early. The staff give the children tasks and responsibilities around the home that provide them with useful skills, such as helping with shopping and developing their skills in the kitchen.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff keep good records of the children’s health needs and health appointments. One child, who had not previously attended any health appointments, has been supported by the staff to attend, which will have a significant and positive impact on their health and development in the future. Other children attend all health appointments regularly, as needed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children settle well and thrive in the structured environment with clearly defined boundaries. This provides them with a sense of security. The children live at a home that is nurturing and with staff who provide them with appropriate affection. However, some rooms are clinical in their appearance and lack accessories and soft furnishings, and the garden lacks sufficient play equipment for the children.

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

Children are kept safe at this home. The registered manager and the staff are very clear about risks. They assess these risks well and take appropriate steps to minimise and control them.

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

The staff encourage acceptable behaviour. They set clear expectations of behaviour and constantly praise, reward and celebrate the children’s achievements. The children receive rewards and ‘wow’ certificates for various things, such as progress in life skills and achievements in education. One child received an award from the placing local authority, which the staff celebrated with the child.

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

There have been very few incidents of physical intervention since the last inspection. The records of any incidents are fully detailed and include a record of the written debriefs with the staff and children. This level of recording enables the manager to monitor and evaluate all incidents and to reflect with staff during team meetings and individual supervisions to enhance their learning and development.

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

The staff do not use sanctions. There have been no incidents of children going missing since the home was registered. This is testament to the strong relationships and support given to each child by the whole staff team.

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

The registered manager ensures that staff working at the home go through a rigorous selection procedure and that their suitability is carefully checked. She makes sure that Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 5 they have the right personal qualities, enthusiasm, experience, skills and values to work with vulnerable children who have complex needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home has been open for just over one year, and the registered manager has developed the service well during this time. The manager ensures that children are admitted only if it is right for them and the other children who live at the home. This has meant that numbers have grown steadily over the year rather than a rush to fill places. The manager has developed the staff during this time, giving them ample time to train and to form a strong, effective, caring team. However, a recruitment drive to employ more staff is taking time and leaving the home short staffed. The impact has been minimised, as the existing staff cover shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff participate in regular team meetings to reflect on children’s progress, share important information about children’s plans and to discuss the running of the home. These forums provide opportunities for the staff to develop their skills and understanding of legislation, policies and procedures. The staff’s contribution is an important feature in making sure that they understand their roles, support children consistently and work as a cohesive and effective team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has a very clear understanding of children’s progress. She monitors and summarises their progress on a monthly basis and provides a focus on the next steps required for the children to achieve their goals, including appropriate incentives.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff are child-focused and fully committed to improving the lives of the children. Children who have had unhappy experiences begin to enjoy their childhoods. External professionals and a parent agreed that the children are very happy at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff team has undertaken a great deal of training over the past year. The staff said that they are well supported and supervised, and records indicate that these processes are thorough.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is strong. The manager and staff embrace a multi-agency approach to the children’s care. Professionals in social care and parents said that the manager and the staff provide regular information and that the staff are extremely good at advocating on behalf of children to ensure that they get the best possible all-round support.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s records are well written and are presented in a way that reflects the high esteem in which the staff hold the children. The records provide a detailed overview of the work that is undertaken by the staff with children and of the children’s journeys, experiences and progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Visits by an independent person provide detailed and impartial scrutiny of the running of the home. The independent person’s reports show children’s progress and experiences Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 6 and include feedback from the staff and external professionals and observations of the children. The registered manager’s review of the quality of care is informative.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has met the one requirement and two of the three recommendations raised at the last inspection. One recommendation relating to the decor at the home has been raised as a requirement.

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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: 1278873 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mig House Residential Care Home Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Bushwood, London E11 3AY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Khairoonessah Dustagheer

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Inspectors

Cathy Russell, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1278873 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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