Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned home that provides care for up to five children with learning disabilities. The registered manager resigned his post in November 2020. There is currently no registered manager.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to Covid-19 (coronavirus), at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers on 17 March 2020.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 16 December 2020 to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on our website.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: An assurance visit was carried out on 26 and 27 October 2020. Serious and widespread concerns were found at this visit. Following this, Ofsted issued compliance notices and a restriction of accommodation notice. A further visit to the home in December 2020 found that the shortfalls had been addressed. The compliance notices were deemed to have been met and the restriction of accommodation was ended. Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected. Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

This home has gone through an unsettled period. Since the last visit in December 2020, there has been improvement in the quality of care provided. Staff now manage any incidents in the home well, and the number of incidents has reduced. Staff receive training which is tailored to the children’s needs, and they have the support of regular one-to-one supervision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s home is quite large. This affords the children much needed space and independence from each other. The children at this home have autism spectrum disorder, along with other disabilities and healthcare needs. Consequently, this environment suits the children’s need for space and for areas away from the bustle of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the usual activities the children enjoy have changed or stopped. However, staff have provided alternatives to keep the children engaged. The children have access to a games room and electronic games. This home also benefits from a large garden area.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

For one of the children, the restrictions associated with lockdowns have had a significant impact upon their capacity to keep fit and exercise in the way they would choose to. However, staff have creatively encouraged and motivated the children to keep fit and make healthy choices.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is a priority. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges, but children’s educational progress has been maintained. One child, who very recently came to live at this home, has continued with their education without any break. Professionals have stated that the children’s routines have improved.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s healthcare needs are usually met well. However, one of the children has a need for a more specialist environment. This is in relation to the child’s bedroom and bathroom. Specialist flooring is required to maintain a clean, healthy and safe space.

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

Following a difficult and challenging period, the quality of care has improved. Improvements in care are most notable in how staff manage children’s behaviour and in how well staff understand and respond to children’s complex needs. Incidents at the home have reduced. Staff have regained confidence in their abilities to care for children with complex needs.

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

Staff now have opportunities to access a wide variety of training courses. This includes training in safeguarding, autism spectrum disorder, epilepsy awareness, learning disabilities and improving communication. Staff are, generally, confident in their skills. However, this confidence, and the ability to apply learning to their work, Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 4 needs to be monitored by the manager to ensure that staff continue to develop their skills.

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

Staff are very enthusiastic about their work. They speak confidently about the children, and staff understand the children’s complex needs. Most staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities, including how to escalate concerns. Again, this also requires careful monitoring by leaders and managers.

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

Children know how to make a complaint about the care they receive. Complaint forms are easily accessible within the home. When children do make a complaint, these are responded to appropriately, and children receive a written outcome. Children also have access to an independent advocate.

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good

This home does not have a registered manager. However, suitable interim management arrangements are in place. A new manager has been appointed and is currently having an induction to the home. The manager is supported by an experienced deputy manager and a business development manager.

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good

Management monitoring of the home is not yet effective. Leaders and managers could not evidence continuous improvements. Some areas of the home are in a poor condition, and this can impair the overall care of children, specifically in terms of their health and well-being.

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good

Managers are still learning about the children’s needs, in relation to disability and children’s specific risks and vulnerabilities. Leaders and managers are not yet confident about all aspects of the children’s care. This means that the staff are not yet led by a confident and knowledgeable manager. Managers are committed to the ongoing monitoring of the quality of care provided and to carrying out a full analysis of any incidents.

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good

Staff now receive regular and effective supervision. These meetings are now clearly documented, and there is a strong element of staff support. Staff are more confident as a result of these improvements.

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good

One requirement from the last monitoring visit was not met. This has been reinstated. Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the monitoring of the home by a manager to ensure that there is continuous improvement. 28 May 2021 Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills to recognise and to be alert for any signs that might indicate a child is in any way at risk of harm. The manager should ensure that skills in safeguarding are gained, refreshed and recorded in the home’s workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 43, paragraph 9.12)  The registered person should ensure that for children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislation (for example, alarms and food hygiene); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than an ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for ensuring that each child’s day-to-day health and well-being needs are met. Staff should work to make the children’s home an environment that supports children’s physical, mental and emotional health, in line with the approach set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: 2561020 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17, Leeland Mansions, Leeland Road, London W13 9HE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspector

Simon Hunter, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2561020 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.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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