Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Doncaster

Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This home is owned and managed by a private provider. It is registered to provide care for up to four children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There are two children currently living in the home. The inspectors spoke to the children during this inspection.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is currently no registered manager.

p.1

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.

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 good

p.1

good

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

p.1

good

Date of last inspection: 6 September 2021

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

On 6 and 7 September 2021, a full inspection was carried out. The inspector found significant health and safety issues in the home and widespread failings with the leadership and management of the home, including poor and unsafe recruitment Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 2 practice. Ofsted issued compliance notices under regulations 12, 13 and 32 of the Children’s Homes (England) Regulations 2015 to address these serious failings.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

A monitoring visit was carried out on 14 October 2021 to review the progress made by the provider to meet the three compliance notices. The inspector found that the provider had taken sufficient steps to meet the three compliance notices. However, the changes made were recent and not embedded in staff practice. The previously issued requirements were not considered at the monitoring visit, and for this reason they were reissued. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 3

p.2

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

06/09/2021 Full Inadequate 10/12/2019 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/10/2019 Full Inadequate 07/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have good relationships with their caring adults. Children identify staff as people who they can trust and as people who listen to them. Staff demonstrate that they know the children well and that they are responsive to the children’s needs.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is being refurbished and is near completion. The condition of the home is greatly improved. Children are consulted regarding developments to the home, which helps the children to understand that their contribution is valued.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that health and safety checks are completed routinely and that any issues are promptly identified and addressed. This helps to ensure that the children live in a home that is safe and free from hazards. Sometimes, the health and safety checks include institutional practice. This detracts from the otherwise homely environment. Children are encouraged by the staff to value their education. Staff provide the children with training courses to help the children to learn either in addition to their formal education or while an education placement is sourced. One education professional said, ‘Staff are committed and proactive in ensuring education needs are met.’

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support the children to attend routine medical appointments and specialist appointments for more complex health needs. Staff help the children to understand the risks associated with COVID-19 and to incorporate routine measures each day. This helps to reduce the risk of the children contracting the virus.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff seek children’s views and use the children’s input to individualise their care planning, including when children transition out of the home. Staff help children to prepare for the changes and to feel well equipped for their future.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy a range of activities and trips with staff, which are opportunities to have fun and to make positive memories. Staff support the children to take part in events to raise funds for charity. This helps the children to contribute to their community.

p.4

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

There is a significant reduction of incidents in which children go missing from the home. On the rare occasion this does occur, staff attempt to locate children, which helps the children to understand that their safety is a priority.

p.4

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

When safeguarding concerns arise, the interim manager swiftly puts measures in place to protect the children. She shares concerns with the appropriate safeguarding agencies without delay so that there is a prompt, multi-agency approach to safeguarding the children. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 5 Risk assessments and care plans are linked and updated when children’s needs change or when new risks emerge. This guidance helps the staff to understand how to keep each child safe.

p.4

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

The location risk assessment is regularly updated so that it includes current information. This helps staff to understand how to keep children safe in the community. The eradication of a specific risk in the community is significant progress for one child and demonstrates that staff help children to become safer.

p.5

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

Staff support children to learn about potential dangers, including the risks that they may face online. This helps children to become aware of risks and to develop skills to be able to keep themselves safe.

p.5

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

Staff provide children with regular key-work sessions. This helps the staff to keep children informed and allows them to support the children with their specific areas of need.

p.5

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

Staff use regular children’s meetings to gain children’s views and to involve the children in their care. Staff hold topical discussions to help the children to develop an awareness of the wider world.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager, who is the former deputy of the home, is in the process of applying to be registered with Ofsted. She is supported by senior managers who have implemented a bespoke managerial induction. This helps her to understand the responsibilities and the expectations of the registered manager role.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment processes are followed when staff are appointed, which provides assurances that the adults have been appropriately vetted before they care for the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular reflective supervision. Team meetings are held regularly and are well attended. These are used to help staff to understand children’s current needs. Managers share updated policies and procedures with the staff and provide current research to help staff to keep their practice updated.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has been appraised and she has begun to appraise staff. However, several staff have not been appraised. This means that there is not sufficient focus on this aspect of the staff’s development.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A senior manager has completed a quality-of-care review report; however, this does not include an action plan. This means that this process is not fully utilised to drive improvement forward.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The interim manager has developed a tool to help her to monitor the staff’s training. This helps her to ensure that mandatory training and other relevant training are up to date. This enables the staff to meet the children’s individual needs. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 6 Managers have devised and implemented effective systems to scrutinise the care that children receive. The managers appropriately challenge staff when necessary. Staff demonstrate that they recognise the value of having their practice scrutinised by the managers and that they embrace systems to improve the care that the children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 7

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.7

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

p.7

Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(c)) 9 January 2022

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children; they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.7

Recommendations

 The registered person should complete a quality review report every six months. The review should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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 for children’s home: 1264438 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Limited

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

p.8

Inspectors

Paula Kelly, Social Care Inspector Julia Hagan, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1264438 9 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.8

Inspectors

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.9

Inspectors

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

p.9

Inspectors

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

p.9