Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 1 Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is privately owned. It provides care for up to four children who have social, emotional and/or behavioural difficulties due to past trauma.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The previous registered manager voluntarily cancelled his registration with Ofsted in February 2022 and is no longer working for the company. There is an interim manager in post who has yet to submit an application to register.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

p.1

good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

p.1

good

Overall judgement at last inspection: inadequate

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

Ofsted last visited the home on 9 June 2022 to carry out a monitoring visit. The purpose of this visit was to review the provider’s progress against the compliance notices issued under regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, and regulation 12, the help and protection standard. The inspectors also considered the provider’s compliance with a restriction of accommodation notice which was issued at the previous full inspection on 20 and 21 April 2022.

p.1

Enforcement action since last inspection:

The inspectors found that the provider had taken sufficient action to meet both compliance notices. However, the provider had not taken sufficient action to meet Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 2 the restriction of accommodation notice, and that concerns remained in relation to leaders not managing effectively allegations into staff’s poor practice and conduct. The restriction of accommodation notice was subsequently lifted on 1 July 2022, following the regulator being informed that sufficient action had been taken by the provider to address the concerns. Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 3

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

20/04/2022 Full Inadequate 25/01/2022 Interim Declined in effectiveness 13/10/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 4

p.3

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, three children were living in the home. The matching of children moving into the home considers the needs of all the children and the impact this may have. The manager also considers the knowledge, skills and experience of staff in meeting the children’s needs. Consequently, children are suitably matched before they move into the home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have developed positive relationships with staff and can identify adults who they can speak to if they have any worries. Staff speak about the children in a positive and warm manner. Children say that the ‘home feels like a family’. This shows that children are happy and feel safe in their home.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to make good progress. Staff understand the starting points for children and support them to develop their strengths. Children’s progress and achievements are celebrated. Children can also reflect on the progress they have made and how staff have supported them through listening to their views and making them feel valued. As a result, children are looked after by staff who know them well.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s education is valued and they are making progress. Staff support children to achieve their goals and advocate for them when necessary. Children now have aspiration for their future. Consequently, children’s self-confidence about their abilities is continuing to increase.

p.4

Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met. Children who have historically engaged poorly with medical services are supported effectively. For one child, staff’s timely support and action prevented serious health consequences. This practice ensures that positive health outcomes are achieved for children.

p.4

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

Children no longer go missing. Concerns about children at risk of criminal exploitation have also reduced. In addition, staff take sufficient action when they have concerns about children misusing substances. Children have been referred to relevant agencies to help develop their understanding and insight of their risks. Consequently, children are continuing to make good progress and their safety is promoted.

p.4

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

Physical intervention is rare and is used only as a last resort to manage children’s behaviour. The manager’s oversight of incidents is good and the incidents are well recorded. In addition, the use of consequences is proportionate, to support children to reflect on their negative behaviour and the outcomes. This practice ensures that children have positive experiences of living in their home. Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 5 Staff ensure that regular key-work sessions are carried out with children. Children are reflecting on their risks and negative behaviours and say that the support from staff helps them to make better choices. As a result, the direct work completed with children is effective in reducing risks.

p.4

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

Staff understand and manage children’s risks well. Risk assessments have improved but some lack sufficient detail about the steps the home will take to manage the risks. In addition, some lack clarity about the history of children’s risks and how the risk categorisation level has been reached. Staff are not clearly evidencing why risks have reduced or increased.

p.5

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

Incidents in the home have reduced significantly. Children say that this is because they feel safe and happy. However, staff’s recording does not consistently reflect they have a good understanding of children’s previous lived experience and the impact this may have. The language used does not reflect a good application of the home’s therapeutic model of care. Consequently, staff’s recording is not consistently reflective of good practice.

p.5

good

There is an interim manager in post, but they have not yet submitted their application to register with Ofsted. A social worker said, ‘The culture has changed, and it feels like a different home.’ The new manager is well regarded, and staff and professionals speak positively his child-centred practice. Consequently, the home has continued to make improvements following a period of instability and concerning practice.

p.5

good

Staff and the manager do not consistently challenge poor practice by other professionals. On one occasion, staff were not able to adequately reflect on the triggers for a child’s behaviour following an incident involving another professional. They were not therefore able to de-escalate this incident effectively. The manager did not identify inaccuracies in the recording of the incident and failed to identify the shortfalls in practice by the other professional. As a result, the child was not supported effectively.

p.5

good

The independent visitor’s report is not shared with the regulator in line with the required timescales. This impacts on the regulator’s monitoring and review of the quality of care and experiences of children in the home.

p.5

good

The manager’s monitoring and review systems continue to improve. For example, there are good systems in place to complete medication audits and to help identify emerging needs and risks to children. However, the manager’s monitoring is not consistently identifying shortfalls in staff’s recording. This impacts on the effectiveness of the manager’s oversight of the home.

p.5

good

Staff are supported through regular supervision and appraisal. The manager ensures that there is effective support and effective challenge where appropriate. There is Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 6 also good monitoring and review of staff’s progress when actions are identified from supervision. Staff morale is good, and they now describe positive experiences of working in the home. As a result, children are looked after by staff who feel well supported. Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 7

p.5

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.

p.7

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—

p.7

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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;

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.7

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.

p.7

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)(a)(c)(f)(h))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the manager and staff have the skills and confidence to challenge poor practice where appropriate.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that staff are supported to have the knowledge and skill to understand children’s experiences and the impact this may have on them and to consistently implement the home’s therapeutic model of care in their practice. 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 8 In addition, leaders and managers must ensure that monitoring and review systems are fully embedded in practice.

p.7

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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) (3)(d))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that all staff are safely recruited.

p.8

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated 14 October 2022

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

Requirement Due date

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

p.8

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; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

p.8

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded; and

p.8

Requirement Due date

the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being.

p.8

Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a) (4)(a)(b) (5))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that the independent person’s report is shared with the regulator within the required timescales. 16 December Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 9 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.

p.8

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—

p.9

Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

p.9

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

p.9

Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3))

p.9

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that they gather the views, wishes and feelings of children to incorporate into their review of the quality of care children receive.

p.9

Requirement Due date

In addition, they must ensure that the written report is evaluative and analytical, and includes actions that they intend to take as a result of the review.

p.9

Requirement Due date

This requirement was made at the last inspection and is restated 2 December 2022

p.9

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. The child’s risk assessment must include details of the steps that the home will take to manage any assessed risks on a day-to-day basis. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of ensuring that children’s records are clear, accurate and objective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 10

p.9

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 11

p.10

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

p.11

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 17 Leeland Mansions, Leeland Road, West Ealing, London W13 9HE

p.11

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

p.11

Inspector

Mazviita Makiyi, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2600978 12 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.

p.11

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.12