Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Ealing

Inspection report children’s home: SC490364 1 SC490364 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned, providing care and accommodation for up to four young people (female) aged between 10 and 17 years. Young people may have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is led by an experienced manager who was registered with Ofsted in April 2015. The manager is suitably qualified.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 6 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC490364 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/02/2019 Full Outstanding 06/06/2017 Full Good 30/01/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 17/05/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC490364 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people receive an excellent level of care, support and protection from a highly committed and experienced staff team. Young people make exceptional progress in many areas because they receive the services they need to help them progress. Young people develop a belief in themselves, their skills and abilities and go on to make notable achievements in their education. They also develop the skills to keep themselves safe. One young person said: ‘It’s lovely here. My life has turned around since I came here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people excel in education. They generally enjoy their education despite some young people having previously experienced significant disruptions in their education history. One young person, to her credit, travels a significant distance to school and has achieved 100% attendance. She stays behind after school to study key subjects because she is now an avid learner. This young person has found a new enjoyment of school and studying because the manager and staff have promoted education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Staff make sure that young people are healthy and well. Young people receive very good health surveillance and advice, and they are supported with healthy eating and lifestyles. Young people do not engage in behaviour that is detrimental to good health, such as misusing alcohol or drugs. The ethos of the home leads young people to make healthy choices, for example giving up smoking.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people benefit from having excellent relationships with staff, and this is the real strength of this home. One young person said of the staff team: ‘I love them because they are always here for me.’ Young people develop trusting bonds with staff. They confide in staff and express difficult emotions and feelings. This helps the staff to understand the underlying reasons for more challenging behaviour and to manage this behaviour more effectively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

The manager and staff understand that young people want fulfilling and enjoyable relationships with their families and friends. Young people experience improved relationships with those who are important to them, with increased direct and indirect contact. The manager and staff work with partner agencies to ensure that agreed plans for contact are adhered to and monitored closely. When any concerns arise regarding family contact, the manager and staff take immediate and effective action to safeguard the young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: outstanding

Young people moving on to live independently receive excellent support to help them make this transition easier. Early planning and shared goals ensure that young people acquire the skills they will need when leaving care. Crucially, staff help young people to make good decisions when in the community and help them to develop the strategies needed to cope with living alone. The manager and staff keep in contact with young people long after they leave the home. This is testament to the excellent relationships developed in the home. Inspection report children’s home: SC490364 4

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

Staff help young people to keep safe while they use social media and other online activities. Staff employ a variety of strategies to protect young people such as the use of phone contracts setting out expectations and staff having open access to young people’s devices. Staff are appropriately trained to help young people to manage online activity safely. Consequently, young people enjoy social media and their online activities while understanding the hazards and remaining safe.

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

Staff have helped young people to become increasingly safe in the home and in the community. There has been a reduction in young people being away from the home without agreement. Concerning incidents are managed well by staff, who take proportionate and effective action that prioritises the welfare of young people. The manager exercises a great deal of vigilance in her own review of how incidents are managed. This enables her to identify any patterns and to learn lessons. Staff carry out individual work with young people following incidents to identify young people’s underlying emotions and the feelings that were triggers to worrying behaviour.

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

Young people who express concerns over the behaviour of staff are listened to and taken seriously. Allegations against staff are thoroughly investigated. The appropriate agencies are communicated with and a joint investigation strategy agreed. Allegations have been subject to investigation and none upheld.

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

The manager places the safety and welfare of young people first and recruits new staff in accordance with safer recruitment protocols. New staff undergo a range of checks that are designed to minimise the likelihood of young people being harmed by those caring for them.

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

Staff have a very good understanding of young people’s risks and vulnerabilities. The manager ensures that young people have individualised risk assessments and behaviour support plans that are of high quality. Assessments and plans inform staff well about how to safeguard young people. The manager and staff work highly effectively with other agencies in the formulation of assessments and plans. This ensures that any risks are understood and informs staff practice in regard to making young people safer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager is highly skilled and committed. She is respected by staff, young people and other agencies. The home benefits from a knowledgeable, experienced and equally committed deputy manager. They work exceptionally well together and provide strong leadership that benefits young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The manager and deputy have very good relationships with young people. They maintain a detailed understanding of the plans for young people. They will advocate on behalf of young people if they do not believe that other agencies are working effectively. Young people respect the manager and know they can turn to her at any time for help, support and guidance. Inspection report children’s home: SC490364 5 Managers demonstrate diligence in their work. They pay attention to detail and they maintain oversight of all events, incidents and plans for young people. They use monthly independent visitor reports very well and ensure that any recommendations are acted on immediately. Managers take the views of young people and other professionals into account and utilise these views in the planning and the development of the service. The manager uses a wide range of quality assurance systems to her advantage and this

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

helps to ensure that the home continues to provide highly effective care to young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are happy, motivated and report that they value the support of the manager. They receive regular and high-quality professional supervision. The supervision process is guided by a comprehensive agenda, placing the welfare of young people first. Staff receive a very good level of training and development that provides them with the knowledge and skills required. The manager has helped to develop a thoughtful, reflective team that is relentless in wanting to provide the best possible care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The staff benefit from regular team meetings. Overall, the team communicates effectively and there is a great deal of humour and mutual respect among team members. The agenda in team meetings balances the day-to-day running of the home with ensuring that the placement aims and objectives for young people are met. Young people benefit from care provided by this diverse team, and staff act as positive role models.

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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: SC490364 6

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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: Flat 17, Leeland Mansions, Leeland Road, London, Middlesex 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: SC490364 7 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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