Children's home run by Mig House Residential Care Home Ltd in Waltham Forest

Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 1 SC062785 Registered provider: Mig House Residential Care Home Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home’s statement of purpose states that the home provides care for a maximum of nine children with severe, mild or moderate learning disabilities who may have a dual diagnosis and associated challenging behaviours.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in February 2005. The manager registered in June 2012.

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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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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

Date of last inspection: 12 November 2019

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

12/11/2019 Full Outstanding 27/11/2018 Full Outstanding 30/11/2017 Full Outstanding 02/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 3

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outstanding

There were eight children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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outstanding

Children receive individualised care that meets their needs exceptionally well. This means that children make remarkable progress in achieving set targets. For example, one child was supported to lose 30kg of weight in a year, which has increased his physical mobility and reduced risks of long-term diabetes.

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outstanding

Children and staff share positive and meaningful relationships. Children are at ease with staff, enjoy their company and eagerly look to engage them in their activities, learning and play. One parent said, ‘They genuinely do love him [name of child]. A big thank you to them all; they are all as nice as each other and do a brilliant job.’

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outstanding

Children’s wishes and feelings are expertly understood by staff. Children benefit from staff’s consistent, conscientious and creative efforts to communicate effectively with them. Staff are skilled in interpreting children’s gestures, body language and sounds. Staff respond exceptionally well to ensure that children’s wishes and feelings are respected.

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outstanding

Children’s communication needs are expertly met. Support and care plans routinely include information about the way children prefer to communicate. Staff routinely use pictorial and symbol cues, individualised communication methods and sign language with children. This helps staff to obtain children’s views and support them to make day-to-day choices.

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outstanding

Children are supported to live healthily. The manager has advocated strongly on behalf of children during the various phases of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that children do not experience any delay to their healthcare. This has meant that children’s medical needs are prioritised, and any emerging concerns responded to swiftly. This has helped children to make exceptional improvements in their health and diet. For example, one child was supported to have complex dental treatment, which has helped them to chew food and eat full and balanced meals.

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outstanding

Staff are proactive in ensuring that effective action is taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and that children and visitors follow preventative measures. Staff actively promote family time and work very well with family members to ensure that children stay in touch with professionals who are skilled and experienced in managing complex medical conditions, such as epilepsy.

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outstanding

Children’s development and learning outcomes are excellent. Staff communication with education professionals is consistent and they regularly share strategies that promote children’s learning and development. A teacher said, ‘Quite impressive is Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 4 their time with us in class to observe how a student was behaving and to assist us in how to deal with unsociable behaviour. We found the session very valuable.’

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outstanding

Children who move into and on from the home benefit from careful transition planning. Staff are instrumental in preparing children for their move and they ensure that plans progress at the child’s pace. Children are very much involved in coordinating these plans and are supported to make decisions.

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outstanding

Children feel safe and are very well protected from neglect, harm and abuse. They benefit from the organisation’s clear and comprehensive child protection policies and procedures. The staff team is very familiar with these protocols. Staff receive regular training and guidance about safeguarding disabled children. This helps to keep children safe.

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outstanding

Staff are knowledgeable and vigilant about children’s individual vulnerabilities. Staff supervision of children is highly effective. This results in very few critical incidents. Children do not go missing from the home, make complaints or experience exploitation. The use of restraint is extremely rare, as is the use of sanctions.

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outstanding

Children’s safety and well-being are at the centre of practice at the home. Staff team meetings, staff supervision, shift handovers and receiving children into the home continue to have a strong focus on child protection. For example, staff work extensively with schools to ensure that any accidental bruising children sustain at home or school is quickly understood and body-mapped. Furthermore, children are supported and safeguarding partners are notified. This vigilance helps to keep children safe.

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outstanding

Staff are clear and consistent in setting boundaries for children. Behaviour- management support plans are highly individualised. These plans provide staff with effective strategies that help them to promote appropriate behaviour. Staff are highly skilled at managing children’s complex behaviour.

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outstanding

Comprehensive, individualised risk assessments address known and anticipated risks for children. These provide staff with guidance and effective strategies that help to reduce risk-taking behaviour. This results in fewer critical incidents and promotes a calm, fun and nurturing home environment.

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outstanding

Staff-recruitment practice is generally safe. However, one staff member, who had joined the organisation after finishing sixth-form education, did not have a second reference completed. The manager ensured that the staff member was supervised, had the opportunity to shadow shifts and had the support of team members. However, on this isolated occasion, safer-recruitment practice was not followed. Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 5

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The leadership and management of this home are exceptional. The previous full inspection judged the service as outstanding overall and resulted in no requirements or recommendations. The registered manager is inspirational and, since the last inspection, has continued to improve the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager is a highly qualified, experienced practitioner and manager, with an extensive background in working effectively with disabled children. She is an influential leader, with clear and realistic ambitions for the home and for the children in her care. She leads a highly skilled, diverse and stable staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers meet with children, parents and others to understand their views about the effectiveness of the service. Feedback from stakeholders is positive and highly praises the manager and staff team. This positive feedback demonstrates that stakeholders value the home and the quality of care that children receive.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders, managers and staff work exceptionally well with schools, partner agencies and parents to ensure the best possible care and experiences for children. The home is meeting the aims and objectives as outlined in its statement of purpose well. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘I feel that the manager is extremely competent, professional, approachable and a great leader. She, as well as the other staff, knows the young people really well and has a total understanding of their needs, likes, dislikes and risks. Staff work well with our young person’s social worker, school and family and they always provide the most excellent reports and verbal feedback.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff are extremely well supported by leaders and managers. They benefit from regular reflective supervision, team meetings, group supervision, induction and excellent training opportunities. Training opportunities are specific to the needs of the children living in the home. This commitment and high quality of support from leaders and managers help to enhance staff’s care practices.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

The registered manager displays a comprehensive appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of the home. She completes regular reviews of the home’s quality of care. Her monitoring is robust, with detailed plans drawn up to further embed the exceptional care offered to children. Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that recruitment of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. They are responsible for maintaining good employment practice. In particular, ensure that two references are obtained for all staff members in line with regulations. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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: SC062785 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Mig House Residential Care Home Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 8 Bushwood, London E11 3AY

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Khairoonessah Dustagheer

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Inspector

Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC062785 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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