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

Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 1 SC062128 Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six young people. The home’s statement of purpose states that it looks after young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties and notes that the home provides individual care packages for young people who have faced significant loss and trauma in their lives.

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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: 20 November 2018

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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: SC062128 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/11/2018 Full Good 14/11/2017 Full Outstanding 30/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/10/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people enjoy living in the home and have warm and mutually respectful relationships with staff. They love their home, which is a beautifully decorated, warm and welcoming family environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people benefit from stable and secure placements. The highly dedicated and reliable staff team knows the young people very well. Because of the warm and consistent care that they receive, young people trust the staff team and, as a result, begin to flourish. A young person said, ‘I enjoy living in this house; my friends have come to visit. That means l must be comfortable here.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff have been focusing on improving young people’s access to, and engagement in, education. Some young people attend mainstream educational facilities, while others attend a variety of alternative provision. Young people are being prepared for GCSE or functional skills examinations in the coming year.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff use rewards and incentives to encourage young people to meet their behavioural targets. Some young people have displayed challenging behaviour in the past, but as they have settled and experienced firm staff boundaries, these incidents have greatly reduced, and the home is now a calm place.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people’s health needs are well understood by the staff, who are attentive if a young person feels unwell. Staff are alert to young people’s changing moods and appearance, which helps to ensure that if a young person is low in mood, they can be supported appropriately.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The voice of young people is central to the running of the home. They are fully supported to share their views and opinions. Staff respect and value what they say. Staff advocate strongly on behalf of young people, particularly ensuring that they have full access to all services to meet their individual support needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people successfully participate in the local authority’s ‘Staying Close’ project to further prepare them for independent and adult life. Young people benefit from staying in touch with staff after they move on, either formally or informally, through the home’s outreach work.

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

The stable and nurturing environment provides young people with a good sense of safety. Young people feel safe in the home and say that there is always a member of staff to talk to, should they have any concerns.

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

Young people are safer as a result of living in this home. Good staffing levels help to ensure high levels of supervision. As a result of moving into the home, some young Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 4 people’s risk-taking behaviour has decreased. The number of missing incidents has also significantly decreased.

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

Staff maintain risk assessments on all young people. However, risk assessments do not clearly identify all known risks, the circumstances in which they have occurred previously and known triggers to the behaviours. Risk assessments are not closely linked to behaviour management plans. Assessments do not always include staff actions to reduce the risks.

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

Staff understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding young people. They understand the whistle-blowing process and are clear that young people’s safety is paramount.

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

The home is a safe and well-maintained environment. All testing and certification of electrical and gas appliances are in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has recently retired from the home. While a new manager is being recruited, the experienced and qualified deputy manager is providing appropriate leadership to the home, which is helping to maintain consistency for young people and the staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Partnership working is strong. Effective working relationships with education providers and health and social workers ensure that young people receive consistent messages about their care, which helps them to feel secure. Professionals spoke positively about young people’s progress.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Monitoring of the home is good. Managers conduct robust reviews of the service, which identify the home’s strengths and areas for improvement. The independent visitor conducts regular monthly visits. However, independent reports are not sent to the regulator in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff work in accordance with the home’s statement of purpose. However, the children’s guide does not clearly set out the home’s complaints procedures. The young people spoken to all said that they did not understand how to make a complaint. Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 5

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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 protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1)(2)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk assessments clearly identify the known risks for children and set out procedures to minimise these. 30/04/2020

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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

upon request, the local authority for the area in which the home is located;

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Requirement Due date

the registered provider and, if applicable, the registered manager; and

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Requirement Due date

the responsible individual (if one is nominated). (Regulation 44 (7)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 30/04/2020

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Recommendation

 The children’s guide should help children to understand: - what the day to day routines of the home are (‘what happens in the home’) - how to make a complaint in line with the home’s complaints procedures - how they can access advocacy support or independent advocacy if eligible. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.22) Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 6

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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: SC062128 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow, TW3 3EB

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Inspector

Juanita Mayers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062128 8 to 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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