Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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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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This monitoring visit

Ofsted last visited the home to complete an interim inspection on 25 January 2022. At the inspection, serious failures were identified in the planning of children’s care, safeguarding practice and lack of professional curiosity by the staff and the manager The home was judged to have declined in effectiveness.

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This monitoring visit

Due to the significant concerns found during the inspection, Ofsted raised six requirements and issued one compliance notice under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress against the compliance notice. The inspectors found that the provider had not taken enough action to meet the compliance notice under regulation 13, and that concerns remain in relation to the leadership and management of the home. As a result, the compliance notice issued at the last inspection has been reissued. In addition, a further compliance notice also under regulation 13 has been issued.

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This monitoring visit

Inspectors were aware during this inspection of an ongoing police investigation into a serious incident involving a child who lived 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 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 2 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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This monitoring visit

The manager and leaders have reviewed their practice and reflected on the shortfalls leading up to the serious incident. They have identified learning from these shortfalls; however, they have failed to implement the actions and steps to prevent future failings. As a result, staff may not take effective action to keep children safe from harm.

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This monitoring visit

Staff complete key-work sessions with children. However, the recording of these sessions is poor. Although staff have received training on recording key-work sessions, this has not yet been effective. In addition, the key-work sessions are not linked to managing the risks to children, and therefore are not effective in reducing them. The manager’s oversight of the key-work sessions is poor, and he has not been able to identify the shortfalls. Consequently, children are not consistently supported to understand their risks.

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This monitoring visit

Children are not provided with the necessary support to enable them to access their education. For example, the distance to the school has been identified as a barrier, but the manager has not put in place practical arrangements for children to access their education provision. The manager has not escalated these concerns to the placing authority so that alternative provisions can be explored. In addition, schools have raised concerns about the manager’s and staff’s poor communication, and that schoolwork is not always completed as agreed. This means that children have limited social interaction with their peers, and that their developmental needs are not being met, resulting in poor outcomes in their education.

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This monitoring visit

The manager did not share accurate information with the regulator regarding a serious incident involving a child. The child’s record is not reflective of the discussions held between the staff and the social worker in relation to the child’s supervision in the community. In addition, the staff did not follow the child’s risk assessment, which resulted in them being allegedly involved in a serious incident. This means that staff and the manager misrepresented information that resulted in a child being at risk of harm. Furthermore, the regulator was not able to fully analyse the actions by the home when they were notified of the incident.

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This monitoring visit

The manager’s and senior leaders’ monitoring and reviewing systems are poor. They have not identified and addressed shortfalls when children’s risk assessments have not been followed. For example, staff have completed room searches when they have had concerns about children misusing substances, but they have not completed key-work sessions as stated within the children’s risk assessments. Daily checks are also not evidenced in the search logbook as required by the fire risk assessment strategy. This demonstrates that the senior leaders’ and the manager’s oversight of the home is ineffective in identifying poor practice.

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This monitoring visit

Staff do not consistently implement sanctions that consider the child’s background and the progress that they have made in the home. For example, the manager Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 3 imposed a financial sanction on one child, but they did not explain how and when this would take place. The manager’s oversight lacks reflection of the effectiveness and the appropriateness of the sanction. As a result, a restorative approach was not taken to motivate positive behaviour in the future.

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This monitoring visit

The children’s guide lacks sufficient detail and does not provide children with adequate information about the home. This document lacks important information such as the day-to-day routines of the home, the sanctions policy, and how children can contact the children’s commissioner and the regulator. This means that children are not fully informed of what to expect in their home and how to share their concerns with external agencies.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has completed a workforce development plan. However, this does not detail the management and staffing structure of the home, supervision arrangements and how poor performance will be managed. The staffing team consists of mostly unqualified staff; however, the workforce plan does not fully reflect the staff’s experience and the gaps in their knowledge and skills. This means that the actions to upskill staff to meet the needs of the children are not understood or reviewed accordingly.

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This monitoring visit

The manager has recently reviewed the statement of purpose for the home. However, this does not provide sufficient detail about the care delivered by the home. For example, the statement of purpose refers to children from black and ethnic minority groups requiring specialist services, but does not provide context about what these services are. In addition, the statement of purpose does not fully detail how staff manage children’s behaviours. This may result in confusion about the ethos, culture and approach of the home.

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This monitoring visit

The manager does not ensure that communication with partner agencies is effective in progressing care planning for children. Some professionals have raised concerns that the manager does not work proactively and positively with other agencies. This has the potential to hinder positive outcomes for children being achieved.

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This monitoring visit

Some areas of the home have an unpleasant smell of illegal substances. Staff did not demonstrate a full awareness of where this smell has originated from and gave inconsistent responses. Consequently, staff’s minimisation of the concerns impacts on the effectiveness of direct work undertaken with the children to reduce the risks.

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This monitoring visit

Children speak positively of their experiences in the home, and state that they have developed good relationships with staff. They have reflected that incidents have reduced because they feel listened to by the people who look after them. This shows that children are happy in the home and feel that staff are supporting them to make progress. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 4

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

25/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 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

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as shortfalls were still evident during this inspection.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that there is effective communication with other professionals and escalate concerns when necessary. 6 May 2022

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential. 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 6 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

understand and apply the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

protect and promote each child’s welfare;

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Requirement Due date

treat each child with dignity and respect;

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Requirement Due date

provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking account of the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff speak to children about sanctions, and about how and when these will be enforced.

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Requirement Due date

The children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

develop positive relationships with them;

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Requirement Due date

take their views, wishes and feelings into account in relation to matters affecting the children’s care and welfare and their lives.

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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

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that the children’s guide is regularly reviewed and helps children understand what their experiences may look like in the home. 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 7 The education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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

help each child to achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

support each child’s learning and development, including helping the child to develop independent study skills and, where appropriate, helping the child to complete independent study;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand the importance and value of education, learning, training and employment;

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Requirement Due date

promote opportunities for each child to learn informally;

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Requirement Due date

maintain regular contact with each child’s education and training provider, including engaging with the provider and the placing authority to support the child’s education and training and to maximise the child’s achievement;

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Requirement Due date

raise any need for further assessment or specialist provision in relation to a child with the child’s education or training provider and the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

help a child who is excluded from school, or who is of compulsory school age but not attending school, to access educational and training support throughout the period of exclusion or non-attendance and to return to school as soon as possible;

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Requirement Due date

help each child who is above compulsory school age to participate in further education, training or employment and to prepare for future care, education or employment;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans; and 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 8 that each child has access to appropriate equipment, facilities and resources to support the child’s learning. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)(x)(b))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that children are fully participating with their education provision and that any barriers to this are addressed efficiently and effectively.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered persons should ensure that there is good communication between the home and the children’s school.

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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 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)) 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 9 This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated, as shortfalls were still evident during this inspection.

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Requirement Due date

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

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Requirement Due date

In addition, the registered persons should ensure that risk assessments are analytical and that key-work sessions completed support children to reduce their risks.

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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

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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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.

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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)(a)(b) (2)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as shortfalls were still evident during this inspection.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that they support staff to embed the learning taken from reviews of practice. 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 10 In addition, the registered persons should ensure that there are monitoring and reviewing systems in place to continue to support staff and children.

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the regis- tered 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 reg- istered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated, as shortfalls were still evident during this inspection.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that staff undertake relevant training so that they have the skills and knowledge they need to care for the children. 6 May 2022

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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)) 12 June 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 11 This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated, as there has not been any children admitted or discharged from the home.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered persons 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.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must— keep the statement of purpose under review and, where ap- propriate, revise it; and

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Requirement Due date

notify HMCI of any revisions and send HMCI a copy of the revised statement within 28 days of the revision.

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Requirement Due date

Subject to paragraph (6), the registered person must ensure that the home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its statement of purpose. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered persons should ensure that the workforce development plan and the statement of purpose is kept under review, and that they are sufficiently detailed. 6 May 2022

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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"). 6 May 2022 Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 12 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

This requirement was issued at the last inspection and is restated as the manager is not due to complete another review.

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered persons ensuring that they gather the views, wishes and feelings of children to incorporate into their review of the quality of care that children receive.

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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)

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 13

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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 Melanie Griffin, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home - monitoring visit: 2600978 14 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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