Children's Home run by Amelia’s House Limited in Brent

Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 1 SC448693 Registered provider: Amelia’s House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home provides care and accommodation for four young people who have complex needs. The home’s statement of purpose specifies that it will look after young people with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and/or behavioural and emotional challenges.

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 Requires improvement to be good

p.1

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

Good

Date of last inspection: 12 September 2018

p.1

Good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

p.1

Good

Enforcement action since last inspection: None Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/09/2018 Full Good 03/10/2017 Full Good 27/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 25/08/2016 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The overall experiences for young people are excellent because they make exceptional progress in the home. Fantastic, life-enriching opportunities are made available for young people, and they flourish in a secure and trusting family environment where their individual personalities are valued.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are ambitious for each young person, enabling them to maximise their potential and exceed expectations. Young people enjoy a range of positive experiences and learn new skills. These range from sharing a meal together, making friendships, helping with their own personal care and requesting when they need to use the toilet.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making exceptional and sustained progress from their starting points because of the care provided to them. All young people are engaged in education because of the tenacity of managers and staff. Parents, placing authorities and involved professionals confirmed that young people are thriving. Young people are calmer, more confident, social and communicative. This is due to staff expertly using different communication tools and skilfully interpreting young people’s hand movements and body language. As a result, their challenging behaviours are significantly reduced. Young people’s care plans are individualised and detailed. Young people’s health, communication and emotional needs are identified, along with their cultural and dietary needs. This enables the staff team to be confident in their understanding of each young person’s support needs.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people have opportunities to attend a wide range of fun activities in the local and wider community, such as nature walks, attending pop concerts, eating out and attending local youth clubs. As a result, young people’s social skills, independence and confidence improve. The managers and staff work tirelessly to develop and maintain good working relationships with parents. As a result, young people are able to maintain positive contact with their parents, and, for some young people, overnight stays in their family home. This approach is reflected in parental comments, such as: ‘The staff are absolutely fantastic. They go above and beyond…They are like our extended family.’

p.3

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

The home has a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Staff strive to create a sense of community, where young people’s needs, and safety are paramount. The staff ethos is one of giving young people encouragement and praise. Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 4 Young people in the home are particularly vulnerable to harm, in that many of them have limited communication skills. Because of this, each young person has extensive risk assessments, which are routinely reviewed. Appropriate staffing means that young people do not go missing from the home.

p.3

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

Staff are very aware of the vulnerabilities of young people and the home has strong systems in place to address these. Staff manage behaviour very well and use their good knowledge of each young person to distract and redirect any negative behaviours. Restraints and sanctions are not a feature in this home.

p.4

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

The staff are good advocates for young people. The staff are particularly astute at recognising changes in the mood or demeanour of young people who are unable to communicate their own concerns verbally.

p.4

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

Staff have a good understanding of safeguarding considerations, and this reflects their regular training in this area. They are appropriately aware of the particular issues that might affect disabled young people. This helps to inform staff’s work with young people.

p.4

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

Young people benefit positively from their safe and secure environment. Ensuring that the environment remains safe and secure is a high priority in the home. Appropriate premises checks and fire evacuation drills are promptly and thoroughly undertaken.

p.4

good

The registered manager has appropriate experience and leadership attributes, although she has not completed her Level 5 diploma within regulation timescales. The registered manager ensures that the home meets its aims and objectives as outlined in the statement of purpose.

p.4

good

Staff wish to provide a domestic household atmosphere. The registered manager is also the owner of the home, and her husband is the responsible individual. Both take an active role in the day-to-day running of the home. They keep themselves updated on good practice, through training, and attending networking events and relevant workshops. Leaders and managers also have strong links with a national autism spectrum disorder charity, which delivers in-house training. This input informs service development, the working ethos of staff and their belief in children’s abilities. The staff team benefits from a varied training and support programme. This programme includes training in response to young people’s specific needs. Supervision of staff is regular, with a focus on young people’s development. However, the permanent staff, while experienced and having appropriate skills, have not attained appropriate childcare qualifications in line with regulations.

p.4

good

Effective external monitoring, together with management oversight, ensures that the home continues to provide a good standard of care. However, the views of Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 5 parents and stakeholders are not evidenced in the internal monitoring reports. As a result, the recommendation from the last inspection is repeated.

p.4

good

There are good links with local authority colleagues, and they report being very pleased with the level of verbal and written communications between them and the home. Social workers appreciate the service, describing the care as ‘excellent’. Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 6

p.5

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.6

Requirement Due date

A person may only manage a children’s home if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (1)(b)(i), a person has the appropriate experience and qualification if the person has—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 5 Diploma”); or

p.6

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered provider considers to be equivalent to the Level 5 Diploma.

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who starts managing a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 3 years after the date on which that person started managing a home; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

in the case of a person who was managing a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2017.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered provider may defer the relevant date if the person—

p.6

Requirement Due date

does not manage, or has not managed, a home for a prolonged period; or

p.6

Requirement Due date

manages, or has managed, a home on a part-time basis. (Regulation 28 (1)(a)(b)(i)(2)(a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(3)(a)(b)(4)(a)(b)) 29/05/2020

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered manager must undertake such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the registered manager has the skills needed for managing the home. (Regulation 29 (4))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager must ensure that they receive regular recorded supervision by a qualified person. 29/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 7 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who was working in a care role in a home on 1st April 2014, 1st April 2016.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person may defer the relevant date if the individual—

p.7

Requirement Due date

does not work, or has not worked, in a care role in a home for a prolonged period; or

p.7

Requirement Due date

works, or has worked, in a care role in a home on a part- time basis. (Regulation 32 (4)(a)(b)(5)(a)(b)(6)(a)(b)) 29/05/2020

p.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

p.7

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

p.7

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 29/05/2020 Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 8 The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1)(2)(a)(b)(c)(5))

p.7

Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people, 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: SC448693 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amelia’s House Limited

p.9

Inspector

Juanita Mayers, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC448693 10 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.9

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 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.10

Inspector

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

p.10

Inspector

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

p.10