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

Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 1 Registered provider: London Borough of Hillingdon Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The London Borough of Hillingdon operates the home. The home provides care for up to five children. The provider states in their statement of purpose that they provide care for children with emotional and or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in August 2018. The home has not had a registered manager since 30 April 2019.

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Date of last inspection: 15 September 2021

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 15 February 2022

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 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. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judged that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There has been some progress against the requirements and recommendation raised at the last inspection but there is still further work to be completed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the time of the inspection, there were two children living in the home. Despite only being at the home for a short period of time, they are making progress. Children reported that they are listened to and get on well with staff.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home still does not have a permanent registered manager or deputy manager. This is impinging on the capacity of leaders to monitor if the care provided to children is effective. The quality of care reports do not always include sufficient feedback from children, families, staff or partners. Furthermore, the regulator has not received the home’s quality of care review reports in line with regulation. Consequently, management oversight and monitoring require improvement.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Some children’s case files do not contain up-to-date information from placing authorities. For example, although a meeting had taken place to review one child’s personal education plan, the plan and agreed actions were not evident on the child’s case file.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Shortfalls remain evident in supporting children to develop their independence according to their individual needs, such as in budgeting, shopping and cooking. This limits children’s learning and opportunities to develop their independence.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff work well with partners and social workers to help implement children’s care plans. However, relatives were not positive about the frequency and depth of communication with them. They would like clarity from staff as to what they can expect in terms of communication from them.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff make efforts to stay in contact with children when they are missing from home. However, the system for recording missing-from-home incidents is confusing, due to a lack of a clear chronology of actions taken when children are missing. When children return home after being missing, there is insufficient work undertaken for staff to gain a clear picture of where children have been and any risks they may have been exposed to.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has a clear behaviour management strategy which clearly explains expectations for both children and staff. This is well explained to children in a visual and well-constructed guide. The recording of incidents is thorough and clearly identifies the circumstances of incidents. However, some debriefs with children and Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 3 staff are not clearly recorded and do not include the actions to be taken to promote children’s well-being.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Children’s meetings happen frequently and children’s views are well considered. This helps in planning events and the day-to-day arrangements in the home.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Impact assessments to consider the impact of children potentially moving into the home have improved. However, they do not sufficiently analyse how the home can meet the specific unique needs of children and do not contain the views of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Care plans identify children’s needs well and provide a good overview of their current circumstances. However, children’s risk assessments do not adequately encapsulate their views or the strategies required for staff to minimise the risk of harm to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A recommendation raised at the full inspection was for senior staff to undertake training in relation to reflective supervision. While supervision is happening on a regular basis, there is very little evidence of reflection. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity of the actions staff need to undertake to promote their own professional development or enhance the well-being of children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Feedback from children, their parents, relatives and staff working in the home is not always captured in the independent visitor’s monthly reports. This does not help leaders, managers and staff to evaluate effectively the quality of care provided to children.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The training matrix does not identify what training staff have completed or the required training to enable staff to meet the needs of children effectively. Newly appointed staff have an induction plan. However, there is no effective management oversight of the progress new staff make or when they have completed the required induction tasks. This does not demonstrate that new staff understand their roles and responsibilities in meeting the needs of children in their care.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has been redecorated and the home environment is of a good standard. Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/12/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/08/2019 Full Good 12/03/2019 Interim Declined in effectiveness Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 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

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— that staff

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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 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

that the homes 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)(i)((ii)(iii)(iv)(vii) (b)))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to ensuring that there is a clear record of events when children go missing from the home and that specific work is undertaken with children when they return home to help to staff to understand why they went missing and any risks they may have been exposed to, Furthermore, risk assessments should be updated following missing from home incidents. 1 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 6 The registered provider must appoint a person to manage the children’s home if—

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Requirement Due date

there is no registered manager in respect of the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is not, or does not intend to be, in day-to-day charge of the home.

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider appoints a person to manage the home, the registered provider must, without delay, give HMCI notice of—

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person so appointed; and

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Requirement Due date

the date on which the appointment takes effect. (Regulation 27 (1)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii) (2)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the appointment and registration of a manager. 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring that the feedback from children, their parents, relatives and staff working at the home is captured in the independent visitor’s report. 1 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children ("a quality of care review") at least once every 6 months.

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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; 1 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 7 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

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 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (5))

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children's safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children's home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the managers being fully satisfied that all staff, including agency and temporary staff, are suitable to work at the home. 1 May 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that children’s case files contain up-to-date education, health and care plans from the placing authority. This will inform care planning, key-work sessions and outcomes for the children concerned. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that the design of the home should, where appropriate, enable children to develop independence skills within the supportive environment of the home. In particular, ensure that children are supported to learn budgeting, shopping and cooking. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 17, paragraph 3.25)  The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs. In particular, ensure that staff receive appropriate training in relation to meeting the needs of children in their

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Recommendations

care and that senior staff receive reflective supervision training. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)  The registered person should ensure that impact risk assessments include children’s views and greater analysis of how the home can meet the unique, specific needs of children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.6)

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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: 2490938 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: London Borough of Hillingdon

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough of Hillingdon, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB8 1UW

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Inspector

Andy Whippey, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2490938 10 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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