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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 1 SC032600 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 home provides both a short-break service and full-time care on a permanent or emergency basis for up to six children. The home’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care to children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

Due to COVID-19, at the request of the Secretary of State, we suspended all routine inspections of social care providers carried out under the social care common inspection framework (SCCIF) on 17 March 2020. We returned to routine SCCIF inspections on 12 April 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

We last visited this setting on 28 January 2021, to carry out a monitoring visit. The report is published on the Ofsted website.

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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 outstanding

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/08/2019 Full Good 16/05/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good 09/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 3

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outstanding

Children appear very happy, relaxed and comfortable, and are supported extremely well while receiving a short-break service at the home. One child said to the home’s manager, ‘Thank you for giving me lots of care and love.’

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outstanding

Children enjoy receiving excellent care from a diverse and dedicated staff team who express joy in their work. They make a positive difference in children’s lives. Children make exceptionally good progress, socially, emotionally, physically and educationally. Their emotional self-regulation and communication has improved from their starting points. The manager and staff provide an excellent service and a positive experience for children.

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outstanding

Staff work very closely with professionals, schools and families to provide consistent and excellent care. Feedback from professionals and families is overwhelmingly positive. Parents commented that staff at the home feel like a family. One parent said, ‘This is a second home for my child.’ Another said, ‘I know that my child is loved there. Staff give warm and loving care.’

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outstanding

Children benefit from care which is personalised to their needs and focused on helping them developing independent living skills. Care plans are of excellent quality and are designed visually to help children understand and contribute to them. Staff know children and meet their needs extremely well.

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outstanding

Children learn the importance of appropriate social conduct, which is well evidenced in key-work sessions. Excellent use of social story and pictures in key-work sessions have a very positive impact on children’s learning and progress. Outcomes for children are extremely well evidenced.

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outstanding

Children’s voice comes through very strongly despite children having limited verbal communication. This is achieved with well-established use of various techniques such as Makaton, buttons, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) and sign language. Excellent use of pictorial tools in the children’s guide, house rules, menu and activity planners ensures that children are engaged in every process.

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outstanding

The pathways for the introduction of children and families to the short-break service are planned very carefully and sensitively. This helps children to easily settle in and gives families peace of mind. Similarly, transition to onward services is planned carefully and children are supported very well to achieve a smooth transition. Staff prepare memory books for children who move out.

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outstanding

The home is clean, comfortable and welcoming. Children’s pictures are displayed on the walls. Each child has a ‘what makes me great’ board on the wall. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 4

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outstanding

Staff have worked hard to provide a safe environment for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff help children to understand and engage with the pandemic rules with effective use of pictures. They creatively use pictorial social stories and guidance about COVID-19 to educate children.

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outstanding

Safeguarding practice at the home is strong. Staff have completed safeguarding training and know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. When concerns arise, these are shared with key professionals. This ensures that children are safeguarded effectively. When two children with a high level of safeguarding concerns moved into the home in an emergency, the registered manager stayed at the home for several weeks to ensure their safety and welfare.

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outstanding

Children’s risk management plans are of an excellent quality and reflect children’s individual needs and the potential triggers for behaviour. The risk management plans help staff to identify, manage and reduce risk. Furthermore, staff creatively use various pictorial books and social stories to help children understand risk and keep themselves safe. Consequently, risks and behaviour incidents have reduced.

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outstanding

A low level of restraint is used as required to keep children safe. Effective boundaries help children to develop self-regulation and positive behaviour. For one child, staff worked very creatively to create a bespoke behaviour plan with clear strategies to manage their behaviour. As a result, significant incidents have reduced for the child. The registered manager proactively seeks appropriate external support and advice to ensure that each child’s behaviour management is effective.

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outstanding

Children live in a safe home environment at the home. The fence in the garden was raised when one child tried to jump over it. The appropriate staffing ratio ensures that children receive the necessary supervision and support. However, families and staff commented that the building is old. This is an area for improvement. Senior leaders in the council have addressed this by agreeing either a renovation or moving to a different site.

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outstanding

Safer recruitment and employment practices ensure that staff are suitably vetted. This prevents unsuitable people from working at the home and helps to ensure the safety of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers show ambitious vision and are dedicated to making a positive difference in children’s lives. The registered manager is very passionate and committed, and provides excellent support and leadership to her staff. For example, she made a motivational video to lift staff mood during the pandemic.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Strong, child-centred leadership in the home helps children to make exceptional progress from their starting points. The registered manager uses creative methods Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 5 to support children and staff. Team meetings are used as learning opportunities to support children in the best way.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff report that they feel well supported and valued by leaders and managers, who were very compassionate and caring during the pandemic. Staff receive regular supervision and comprehensive and specialist training. This ensures that they meet children’s needs to a high standard. The stable and very experienced staff team helps to make the service consistent and reliable.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have ensured that the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection are met. The quality assurance process has improved significantly with the appointment of a new independent person. The registered manager has her own audit process which strengthens management oversight, and identified shortfalls are addressed quickly.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The home has not received any complaints in the past 12 months. The registered manager and staff receive overwhelmingly positive comments on a regular basis.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The quality of record-keeping in the home is excellent. This ensures that staff have access to children’s information very quickly. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 6

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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 for children’s home: SC032600 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspector

Gulcin Ardic, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 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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