Children's home run by The Qalb Short Break Services Ltd in Tower Hamlets

Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 1 SC389781 Registered provider: The Qalb Short Break Services Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home provides residential short breaks, day care and after-school club services. The home can admit up to eight young people at any time. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home is for young people with disabilities and/or special educational needs, including autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager was registered with Ofsted in 2009.

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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 good

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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: 7 February 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: Outstanding

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None. Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

07/02/2019 Full Outstanding 26/07/2017 Full Outstanding 15/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 23/08/2016 Full Outstanding Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 3

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outstanding

Children make excellent progress and their experiences are very positive. Staff know the children very well and ensure that their needs are very well met. The targets set for the children are meaningful and have a significant impact on their overall development. Staff place great emphasis on celebrating children’s achievements. Children value the individualised rewards they receive, and work hard to attain them’

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outstanding

Children’s health needs are exceptionally well met. Most of the children who use this service have complex medical needs. Staff ensure that children receive the healthcare services that they need.

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outstanding

Parents are fully engaged and involved in all aspects of their children’s care. The manager and staff obtain parental and professional feedback at key review points and make excellent use of communication books. This is to ensure that the service is tailored to meet the specific needs of children.

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outstanding

Children are supported extremely well to learn important life skills. For example, children with complex needs are supported to shop for food. On these trips, children are supported to use the self-service checkouts independently. Children have a sense of pride and joy in completing tasks that enable them to function well in the community.

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outstanding

Children have access to an outstanding range of enjoyable activities. They are encouraged to get involved in a variety of activities and are not limited by their disabilities. For example, staff have made excellent links with train companies who help children to access train journeys, to teach the vital skills of safe travel.

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outstanding

Staff have a thorough and comprehensive referral process to ensure that children are well matched to the service. Staff observe all children in the school environment, as well as in the home environment, before they are accepted into the service. Staff and managers make sure that they have all of the relevant information to ensure that children are healthy and happy.

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outstanding

Managers do not consistently ensure that young people are supported to make the transition to adult services once they are aged 18 years. One young person who accesses this service is over 18, but is yet to move on to adult services.

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outstanding

Children are treated with dignity and respect. Staff provide skilled care that is sensitive to children’s culture, language, personal-care requirements and dietary needs. Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 4

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

Children are supported to be safe. Staff receive good training in child protection. This is reflected in their practice. There have been no allegations made against staff. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the action to take if an allegation is made against a senior member of staff. This helps to keep children safe.

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

Staff have a good understanding of risks posed by radicalisation. Managers work closely with parents and the wider community to ensure that their children are safe from exploitation.

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

Staff are consistent in promoting positive behaviour. Incidents of children and young people going missing or being absent without permission are rare. Staff are vigilant in the supervision of children and young people. Challenging behaviours are managed quickly and they are not allowed to escalate. However, the specific techniques used to de-escalate behaviour are not always clearly recorded.

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

Staff manage risk and behaviour well. Children’s risk assessments and behaviour management plans are thorough and effective. They appropriately identify areas of vulnerability and clearly set out actions that should be taken to address risk.

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

Complaints against the service are rare. Since the last inspection there has been one complaint.

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

Children are encouraged to share their views on all aspects of their care. Staff use creative methods to achieve this, such as using pictures and symbols. This ensures that children’s views play an integral part in shaping the service.

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

Children have access to a well-maintained building which meets their needs. They make good use of the sensory room and have access to adapted equipment. This ensures that staff can safely care for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff are passionate about providing the best possible care for children. They have high expectations for children. The care provided is based on individual needs and this has led to children having excellent outcomes.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home is managed to a high standard by a very experienced registered manager, who is also a qualified social worker. Staff recruitment is excellent, and all staff are supported, trained and managed exceptionally well. This ensures that a high level of care is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers invest heavily in staff development. All staff receive regular, effective and reflective supervision. In addition, they access group supervision as well as development sessions. This allows staff to reflect on the best way to help children to progress. The ethos and culture of the home ensure that the aspirations for children are high. Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 5 Leaders and managers have an exemplary understanding of children’s needs. This is well reflected in the children’s care plans. Children are at the centre of practice at this home. Leaders and managers have excellent oversight of the care that is provided for children. Managers regularly review children’s needs, to make sure that children continue to have very positive experiences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff work well with each other. They place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice. This ensures that children have creative experiences that they otherwise would not have.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager has developed good relationships with external professionals and parents. Parents feel confident leaving their children in the care of staff. One parent said, ‘I’m very happy and comfortable with the service and I feel my son is safe at the home.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager works effectively with the wider community. He regularly attends local authority forums, as well as parent forums, to promote a culture of inclusivity and high aspirations for disabled children. Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 6

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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

Engaging with the wider system to ensure children’s needs are met. In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate, having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, ensure that the registered person works in effective partnership with the placing authority to facilitate the appropriate transition to adult services of the 19-year-old adult currently receiving short-break services in the home. 05/06/2020

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective, and clear recording. Staff should record information on individual children in a non-stigmatising way that distinguishes between fact, opinion and third-party information. Information about the child must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 7 62, paragraph 14.4). This relates to fully recording the outcome of complaints and clearly recording techniques used to manage behaviour. Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 8

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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: SC389781 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: The Qalb Short Break Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 35 Beaufort Court, Admirals Way, South Quay Waterside, London E14 9XL

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC389781 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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