Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd Interim 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. It provides care for up to four children who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties due to past trauma.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a qualified and registered manager who has been in post since April 2020.

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Inspection date: 25 January 2022

Date of last inspection: 13 October 2021

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Inspection date: 25 January 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 25 January 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 2

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged requires improvement to be good at the last full inspection.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This interim inspection was carried out in order to consider concerns received by Ofsted. As a result of this inspection, the home was judged to have declined in effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Inspectors were aware during this inspection of an ongoing police investigation into a serious incident involving a child who lives at the home. The incident took place outside of the home and did not involve any staff members. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the concerns were considered (where appropriate) alongside the other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform inspectors’ judgements.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers and leaders have not demonstrated that they have reflected on the concerns leading up to a significant incident involving a child who lives in the home. They have not considered the shortfalls or lessons learned. Consequently, staff have not been supported to improve their practice to help prevent future failings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff and managers lack professional curiosity when managing risks to children. For example, they failed to adequately identify and consider the risks to one child and did not demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep the child safe. Consequently, this has resulted in serious failings and poor outcomes for this child.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The quality of risk assessments remain variable. Staff do not consistently update risk assessments, and the assessments lack detail or the rationale for the decision- making. As a result, serious incidents relating to children are not consistently used to inform and improve how risks are managed by staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers do not consistently share and escalate their concerns or challenge other professionals to ensure that the children’s welfare is promoted. Managers did not escalate concerns in relation to one child’s poor school attendance and increased family time. This means that the child was not achieving in their education and that risks posed by family and friends were not fully explored.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff’s recording of key-work sessions undertaken with children is poor and lacks sufficient detail. The rationale for completing key-work sessions with children is not always clear, and staff do not consistently support children to understand potential risks to them. Consequently, staff’s direct work with children is not consistently effective in supporting children to keep themselves safe.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The managers’ review of the quality of care provided by the home, the experiences of the children living in the home and the impact the care is having on the outcomes for children is poor. These reviews lack sufficient detail and consultation with Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 3 children, staff and the children’s families. Consequently, the reviews are neither evaluative nor analytical, and do not support the managers to continuously improve the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children’s contact plans are clear and very detailed. For example, some provide sufficient detail on how children are kept safe when they spend time with their families. However, the quality of the contact plan for one child was poor and, consequently, the risks to the child were not adequately assessed, monitored and reviewed. As a result, this potentially left the child at risk of harm.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The independent person’s report is not sent to the regulator in a timely manner. This means that the quality of care and progress of the children in the home is not reviewed and adequately scrutinised without delay.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children in the home have made good progress. Serious incidents have reduced for these children, and they say that they feel listened to and supported by staff. Consequently, some children are well cared for and well looked after in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers respond to complaints made by professionals appropriately. The actions taken by the managers are recorded clearly and address any concerns raised.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children’s bedrooms and communal areas are now kept in good condition and do not smell of illegal substances. Children’s personal spaces are decorated to their own individual taste and the environment has a homelier feel. Consequently, children have a home that is more welcoming and enjoy an environment absent of unpleasant smells.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Managers now ensure that supervision of staff is regular, and now consider the developmental needs of staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 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

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and

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Requirement Due date

seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5 (a)(b)(c)(d)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager should ensure effective communication with other professionals and escalate concerns when necessary. 6 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if 6 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 6 necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe;

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Requirement Due date

have the skills to identify and act upon signs that a child is at risk of harm;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare; and

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Requirement Due date

are familiar with, and act in accordance with, the home’s child protection policies.

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Requirement Due date

that the home’s day-to-day care is arranged and delivered so as to keep each child safe and to protect each child effectively from harm. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii) (b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons must ensure that staff demonstrate professional curiosity in managing risks to children.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, that risk assessments and contact plans provide up-to-date and sufficient information to staff, and that recordings of key-work sessions provide a detailed account of what was discussed and why.

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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

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. 6 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers should ensure that they complete a review of the shortfalls of staff’s practice following a serious incident.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home’s statement of purpose. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as there has not been any children admitted or discharged from the home. This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that they fully consider the needs of children prior to them moving into the home. In addition, the manager must fully consider the needs of children already living at the home and any other factors such as recent incidents. 6 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must provide a copy of the independent person’s report to—

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated. 6 March 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 8 In particular, the manager should ensure that the independent person’s report is sent to the regulator in a timely manner.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children.

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Requirement Due date

After completing a quality-of-care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review ("the quality of care review report").

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered manager should ensure that they gather the views, wishes and feelings of children to incorporate into their review of the quality of care that children receive. 6 March 2022

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s records are kept up to date. Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and accurate recording. (‘Guide to children’s homes regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 9

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Information about this inspection

This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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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: 2600978 10

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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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Inspectors

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Sarah Berry, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2600978 11 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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