Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 1259419 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 children’s home is privately owned, providing care and accommodation for one child or young person who may have emotional, behavioural and/or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager is qualified and experienced.

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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 27 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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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers 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: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1259419 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/03/2020 Full Good 28/11/2018 Full Good 26/09/2018 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children’s home: 1259419 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are cared for by staff who understand their complex needs. When children come to live at this home, staff are quick to build trusting bonds with them. This means that children are more likely to speak to staff about any worries and concerns.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children leave this home, managers ensure that this is well planned. Children visit their new children’s home and have overnight stays so that they get to know their new carers. This planning means that children have more chance to get used to significant change in their lives and provides more opportunity to settle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are making progress in their education. Managers ensure that there is effective communication between the children’s home and school. Informal learning also takes place at the home. This has included cultural days, when staff and children enjoyed trying different foods and learned about different cultures.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

When children show an interest in an activity or sport, staff actively encourage them to join clubs and societies. For example, a child regularly goes to karate lessons and army cadets. This encourages children to feel part of their community, to make friends, and to improve their health and well-being. Staff also encourage children to take part in ordinary family-based activities, including sitting together to have meals. When activities became more difficult to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions, staff were innovative, making good use of local resources so that children could remain active.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children live in a homely environment. Staff ensure that both the inside and outside of the home are free from anything that could pose a risk. Children are encouraged to personalise their home. As a result, photos and artwork produced by the children are displayed around the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The information provided to children before they move into the home is not accessible to all children because it is not tailored to each child’s level of understanding.

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

Staff keep children safe. Risk assessments are up to date, detailed and regularly reviewed. Managers ensure that staff are informed when there is any change to risk management strategies. As a result, staff speak confidently about how they protect children.

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

Staff are good at speaking to children about sensitive health issues. This means that children share any concerns or difficulties that they may have. When emotional or Inspection report for children’s home: 1259419 4 mental health needs are identified, appropriate professional help is sought quickly. Children are safer because they are able to access the support that they need.

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

When children make allegations or disclosures, managers and staff respond quickly. Staff listen and offer reassurance to children. Children are helped to navigate complex safeguarding procedures. Managers ensure that safeguarding partner agencies are contacted and that all relevant information is shared.

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

Staff are adept at using positive reinforcement with children. They acknowledge and celebrate positive achievements. This encourages children to make good choices and helps them to behave well.

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

The home has robust fire safety procedures. Staff undertake regular tests of fire safety equipment and children take part in regular evacuation practice. The manager organised a visit from members of the fire brigade to the home, who spoke with children about fire safety. This means that children’s risks associated with fire are reduced at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

This children’s home is led by an experienced manager who is qualified and effective. Together with a deputy manager, and senior worker, she provides good oversight of this home. The manager has established a small, efficient staff team that is providing safe care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel supported by managers. Managers provide good, clear guidance to their staff team. When there are periods of challenge, managers have been particularly supportive, ensuring that the staff have remained resilient and ensuring that children receive a consistently high standard of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that staff receive good-quality training. For example, staff have recently undertaken training in attachment, managing challenging behaviour and safeguarding. More experienced staff can access a development course, which can be a springboard to more senior roles. However, some managers have not updated their own training.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers ensure that they spend time with children and are very much involved in their care. They meet with children on a regular basis to seek their views. This means that children are provided with regular opportunities to share any concerns they may have. Additionally, the manager is a strong advocate for children. She is quick to engage with other agencies to ensure that children’s needs are met.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are provided with formal supervision on a regular basis. Records of supervision are detailed. Staff welfare is prioritised. However, not enough attention is paid to the safeguarding needs of children. This means that there are missed opportunities for staff to share any concerns they may have about children in their care. Inspection report for children’s home: 1259419 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that a children’s guide to the home is produced. The children’s guide must be available to all children when their placement in the home is agreed (or on arrival at the home if the placement is made in an emergency) and must be age-appropriate, provided in an accessible format and explained to each child to make sure they understand it. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 24, paragraph 4.21)  The registered person should ensure that the performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. This relates to the need to provide ongoing monitoring of staff practice when concerns have arisen. (‘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 for children’s home: 1259419 6

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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 for children’s home: 1259419 7 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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