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

Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 1 SC431804 Registered provider: SWAAY Child and Adolescent Services Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home may accommodate up to four children and young people. 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 young people (males) who have a history of sexually harmful behaviour.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There has been a suitably qualified and experienced registered manager in post since November 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

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

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Date of last inspection: 12 February 2019

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/02/2019 Full Good 19/09/2017 Full Good 25/08/2016 Full Good 18/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 3

p.2

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently no children living in the home. The home is in the process of redecorating the games room and refurbishing some of the children’s bedrooms. There is a development plan in place for these areas and the home hopes to be operational again by Spring 2020.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

A new and suitably skilled staff team has been employed by the registered manager. These staff have been deployed in other homes operated by this company in order to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of internal policies and procedures. New recruits are taking the opportunity to be trained in PACE (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy) and autism spectrum disorder, to ensure that they can fully meet the statement of purpose and the home’s ethos. Employed staff attend weekly and bi-weekly supervisions with the registered manager to be informed of service development plans and to review staff targets.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children who have lived in this home since the last full inspection have made good progress from their starting points. The staff supported one child to achieve good GCSE results and a Diploma level 2 in mechanics. The staff did this by accompanying the child to education when this was needed to support their social interactions. As a result, when leaving education, the child secured part-time employment and is now living semi-independently. A social worker said, ‘It was a real pleasure working with the home; the staff are so child-focused and provide outstanding care.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff encourage inclusivity and the registered manager has a clear vision for community cohesion. The staff have encouraged the children to take part in helping the homeless and other charities, such as providing gifts at Christmas and offering to volunteer at the local soup kitchen. This year the registered manager is hoping to encourage the children to take part in the shoebox appeal, which enables the children to gift to the poorest of families. This approach enables the children to reflect on their circumstances and feel positive about helping others in need.

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff enable the children to explore their identity and culture in a safe and non- judgemental manner. One child was supported by the staff and their peers to study for their GCSEs during Ramadan. The staff did this by cooking an evening meal in the early hours of the morning for everyone to come together to eat. This all- encompassing approach means that children feel empowered by individuality and not isolated. One child said, ‘It felt great being accepted for who I am.’

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff’s independence work with the children is creative and supports well- planned outcomes. The plans for the children to move from the home are robust, person-centred and dynamically risk-assessed. Staff and leaders demonstrate high aspirations and commitment to the children. They work effortlessly to ensure that the child is at the centre of the move. For example, one child did not like the shower pressure during an overnight visit to his new home. The registered manager Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 4 rectified this immediately and by doing so, she ensured that the child’s well-being was met and supported a successful transition.

p.3

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

The staff are risk-aware but not risk-adverse. Comprehensive risk assessments identify individual risks, and these are reviewed regularly. Risk assessments provide an appropriate balance between safety strategies and allowing the children to maximise their life experiences by taking acceptable risks. This increases opportunities for the children to enjoy new experiences and to develop resilience while ensuring that they are kept safe from harm. An example of this is the home exploring online ‘gaming’ and the associated safeguarding risks.

p.4

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

Staff training focuses on keeping the children safe in the context of relevant risks. The completion of mandatory safeguarding training as part of the staff induction process ensures that they understand and follow robust safeguarding procedures. Staff in the home have a clear understanding of safeguarding procedures and who they are to report to if a concern arises.

p.4

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

The registered manager is skilled in identifying pertinent risks for children and emphasises the need for relevant training. She is ambitious in delivering tailored training for the staff and for the children living in the home. For example, a child struggled to understand that they were at risk of exploitation through interactions with an inappropriate adult. The home took steps to immediately safeguard the child and used the opportunity to reframe the language that they used in order to talk to the child about illegal activities. This approach enables the children to discuss any concerns and to share their views and experiences of ‘street slang’, thus creating more opportunities for the staff to safeguard the children directly and responsively.

p.4

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

Senior leaders moved a child into this home from another of the homes operated by this provider. At the time, the child was the only child in the home. The child’s level of need proved to be an obstacle to finding a suitable and dynamic staff team. This resulted in the home using one agency male member of staff to predominantly support the child in the home. This did not directly affect the quality of the care provided for the child, but it did mean that more than half of the staff working in the home were agency staff

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have a shared vision for the service. They are focused on providing a secure and stable base for children to enable them to progress and achieve. They work in close partnership with a range of professionals and specialist services to safeguard the children and to meet their holistic and therapeutic needs. This approach demonstrates the leaders’ and managers’ dedication to wanting the absolute best care and outcomes for children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is well managed by the registered manager. She has experience of working in children’s care settings in a management role and holds suitable Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 5 qualifications. She leads by example and is respected by the children and staff alike. Staff share her vision and her commitment to improve the experiences and outcomes for the children.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is reflective and insightful. She understands the strengths and development needs of the home, working closely with leaders and managers and the independent visitor to drive improvements and shape the future of the service. A member of staff said, ‘The manager runs a tight ship and is well organised.’

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The members of the newly formed team are highly motivated, work well together and report good team morale. The staff recognise their strengths and weaknesses as individuals and use this knowledge to support each other to perform as an effective team. The staff are excited about working with children again and they are looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The team has undertaken a high level of training as part of their induction. The current focus of the manager and clinical lead is to integrate and embed this learning into care practice, using team consultation sessions as a forum for staff to reflect on practice and to develop their skills. Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 6

p.5

Recommendations

 No more than half the staff on duty at any one time, by day or night at the home should be from an external agency. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 54, paragraph 10.17)

p.6

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: SC431804 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

Inspector

Kelly Monniot, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC431804 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

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 http://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

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8