Children's home run by SWAAY Child & Adolescent Services Ltd in Sutton

Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 1 SC431799 Registered provider: SWAAY Child and Adolescent Services Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The children’s home may accommodate up to four children. It is operated by a private company which has other similar homes in the area. The company specialises in providing care and therapeutic intervention for children.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 November 2018

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/11/2018 Full Outstanding 06/11/2017 Full Good 29/03/2017 Full Good 09/09/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 3

p.2

Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day to day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s Statement of Purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3) In particular, ensure that children’s planned menus reflect a healthy balanced diet.  It is good practice for a note of the content and/or outcomes of supervision sessions to be kept and to ensure that both the person giving the supervision and staff member have a copy of the record. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.4)

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children thrive in this home. They develop warm, meaningful relationships and there is an atmosphere of fondness and acceptance. Their views and opinions are encouraged and valued. As a result of this approach, they feel a sense of belonging and that they have a meaningful part to play in their home.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children are supported by excellent child-focused multidisciplinary working. They benefit from the therapeutic ethos which enables them to reflect on their behaviours, past and present. The daily communication between their school, therapists and staff helps children to feel confident that their needs are central, and everyone is working together to help them progress.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff promote the importance of education. Children have positive experiences of school. Attendance is excellent, especially when bearing in mind that some children had a history of complete non-attendance prior to coming to live here. Staff support children with homework while also encouraging independent learning. Because of the support and encouragement, children are able to plan for their futures. For example, some have applied for apprenticeships and college places.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

All staff know the children’s health needs and promote them to a high standard. When needed, staff support children to make and attend health appointments. Staff support children to take responsibility for their medication when appropriate. This enhances their sense of responsibility and independence.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff prepare children well for independence. They teach a range of skills, such as budgeting, shopping, cooking and use of public transport. Individual support in Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 4 developing these skills is of an excellent quality. Each child has a bespoke detailed programme which takes into account their vulnerabilities and assessed risks.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children develop interests outside of the home and are supported by a dedicated staff team to experience a variety of enriching activities, such as boxing and football. Staff have engaged children in an annual sponsored walk to raise funds for charity and have collected for the local food bank, helping them to develop a strong sense of social and community engagement.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Children live in a home that celebrates, drives and enjoys their success. Their confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging increase dramatically.

p.4

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

Children’s safety and well-being are at the centre of all practice. All the children’s risks and vulnerabilities are known, and measures are put in place to keep them safe. Risk assessments are detailed and updated regularly to ensure that they remain relevant. Staff and children are actively involved in developing strategies to stay safe and manage and learn from their behaviours and experiences.

p.4

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

All children say that they feel safe living at this home. One child said that ‘this is the best place that I have ever lived’. Incidents of children going missing are rare. Clear protocols are in place and are followed effectively to ensure children’s safe return if they go missing. If a child does leave the home without permission, staff are tenacious in supporting the child to return.

p.4

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

There is an embedded culture of mutual respect. Children readily invest in the clear routines and expectations and this underpins their feeling of safety and stability. This sense of belonging and security enables children to make remarkable progress.

p.4

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

Use of physical intervention is rare. Every effort is made to avoid its use but where it has been used, it was effective and appropriate. The reflective session involving the child was meaningful and helped him to have insight and understanding about his behaviour and emotions. This prevented further reoccurrence.

p.4

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

Staff training and support enable them to be highly skilled in understanding the children’s behaviours and potential risks. Intense therapeutic support and individual work help the children to develop an understanding of their behaviours and past experiences. Consequently, they develop self-regulation and awareness that leads to significant risk reduction.

p.4

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

Children’s safety is a priority. Staff know what to do and who to inform if they have concerns about a child’s well-being. External professionals, such as the designated officer from the local authority and social workers, confirm that communication with staff and the manager about any concerns is prompt and effective. Because of this approach, plans and strategies can be implemented swiftly. Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 5

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The current manager, who has been in post since July 2019, has applied to Ofsted to become the registered manager. Staff and children speak positively of her approach and drive to improve outcomes for everyone. Staff say that she provides consistent support through supervision that is open and reflective. Consequently, staff understand the importance of consistently improving the standard of care.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager shows an understanding of the needs and plans for each child. She is confident in challenging other professionals where services could be improved. She has high expectations and makes representations on behalf of children when needed. This models behaviour for staff and shows children that she is invested in their progress.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Clear and consistent child-centred decisions are made around the placing of new children in the home. The manager and staff ensure that detailed impact assessments take into consideration the wishes and feelings of children already living here. This serves to create an environment where change and stability are carefully considered and managed.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The staff and the manager make considerable efforts to promote children’s time with their families. Staff have travelled significant distances with the children to support family time. In one instance, staff travelled abroad with a child so that they could take part in a family holiday. This way of working enables children to keep relationships and attachments with people who are important to them.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works closely with a range of local partners and agencies to ensure that there is up-to-date information and a plan in place to allow children to take part in their community safely. The resulting local area assessment is understood and implemented effectively by the staff team.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff benefit from clear development plans which identify their training needs and professional development. Consequently, they have the skills and knowledge to provide excellent standards of care. There have been gaps in supervision sessions and on occasion staff have not received their notes on time. This compromises their opportunity to reflect on and discuss earlier agenda items. While the manager has identified this shortfall, her efforts to rectify this have not become embedded.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work with children to develop independence skills to prepare them for moving on. The manager has not ensured that children’s meal choices are consistently healthy. Children can be helped to develop an awareness of a healthy balanced diet through regular monitoring of menu plans. Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 6

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.6

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: SC431799 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider: SWAAY Child and Adolescent Services Limited

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 591 London Road, Sutton, Surrey SM3 9AG

p.7

Inspectors

Vevene Muhammad, social care inspector Paul Taylor, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC431799 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

Inspectors

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 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

Inspectors

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

p.8

Inspectors

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

p.8