Children's Home run by Quality Care Homes (UK) Limited in Slough

Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 1 Registered provider: Quality Care Homes (uk) Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and can care for four children who may have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2018.

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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: 1183799 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/06/2021 Full Good 10/09/2019 Full Good 12/02/2019 Full Good 31/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are healthy and are well supported by staff to meet their health needs. Routine appointments are made for children, and there is an emphasis on healthy eating in the home. Children are learning independence skills, such as making fresh home-made meals, personal hygiene skills and completing their own laundry tasks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are doing well at school. The registered manager has supported one child to explore college open days, ready for the next academic year. This child’s social worker said, ‘The home understands the child’s needs and is fully supportive and very focused on his educational aspirations.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to see their families. The registered manager considers how best to plan and manage the arrangements in the child’s best interests. For one child, this has resulted in contact with a significant person in his life becoming a regular and positive experience for him.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to explore their faith and culture. One child recently celebrated the Sikh festival of Vaisakhi, and another child was happy to have celebrated EID and attend Mosque for prayers in cultural dress. This demonstrates that children’s values and beliefs are encouraged and that children learn about their culture.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

External feedback is very positive. The family of a child who stays at the home for part of the week said, ‘(Name of child) is really happy. We think he is in the best place; he has more self-dependence.’ This demonstrates the value that children’s families have in the home and the care provided to their children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are nurturing to the children. They describe their ethos as loving and caring. This is demonstrated by their relationships with the children and how they speak of them. Despite this, children’s records are not always written with child-friendly language. For example, children are referred to as ‘service users’ in their records. The registered manager has started to challenge this practice and plans to continue to do so.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment needs updating to provide a pleasant home for children. For example, there is rust on one child’s bathroom radiator and areas of damp on the walls. While the children are being provided with love and care, this should be matched aesthetically. The registered manager has a plan underway to address this and has started to improve the appearance of the home already.

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

The registered manager analyses trends in children’s behaviour. This analysis is used to identify any triggers which may be causing changes in their behaviour. For Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 4 example, one child was becoming unhappy at meal times. Staff identified that it was because he needed dental treatment. This treatment was promptly arranged and resulted in a positive change in his behaviour.

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

Staff are effective at managing children’s behaviour and avoiding the use of sanctions. There have been no incidents when children have required physical intervention in the home. This means children live in a home where they can flourish and have positive experiences.

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

Staff have a good understanding of children’s needs and how to best communicate with them. This is complemented by effective care plans and risk assessments that assist staff in knowing which areas children need support in.

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

Staff are proactive when children’s whereabouts are unknown. On one isolated occasion when this has happened, the registered manager was quick to identify the child’s whereabouts. However, the records identify that the action taken was not sufficient and lacked management scrutiny and oversight.

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

There are some shortfalls in the provider’s processes for the safe recruitment of staff. This has been recognised by the provider, and a new system is in place. A review of existing staff’s recruitment is currently underway but has not yet concluded.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the children living in the home. He advocates for them to enjoy the same life experiences as children who do not live in a children’s home. The registered manager speaks highly of the support, guidance and development he receives from the responsible individual. This demonstrates that this is a positive environment for children to live in and staff to work in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staffing is consistent and well-planned. There is a small team in place. Staff feel happy with the support that they receive from the registered manager. This includes effective supervision and reflection of their performance. Staff training is up to date. Staff receive an induction into the home when they first arrive, which covers all areas where they will need support in their role. Consequently, there is a positive culture for staff, led by a supportive registered manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has met the requirements raised at the last inspection. This includes the appointment of an independent person to complete monthly visits to the home. However, this has taken a considerable length of time and means that the regulator has not had feedback from an independent person in the meantime.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The children are supported in the ethos described in the home’s statement of purpose. However, the document requires updating to ensure is contains all the required information and should then be submitted to the regulator. Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 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 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.

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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

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c)(i)) 31 August 2022

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h)) 31 August 2022

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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

The registered person may only— 30 June 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 6 employ an individual to work at the children’s home

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Requirement Due date

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

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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) (3)(d))

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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. (Regulation 44 (1)) 30 June 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they develop and keep under review a statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)  The registered person should ensure that children experience a nurturing and supportive environment. Staff should use language that is child friendly and nurturing in records made about children’s care and experiences. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 1183799 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Care Homes (UK) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6th Floor, Amp House, Croydon CR0 2LX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Balwinder Randhawa

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Inspector

Sara Stoker, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 1183799 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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