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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 1 SC068789 Registered provider: London Borough of Hillingdon Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home cares for up to nine children with physical and/or learning disabilities. The home is divided into two sections. One section offers short-break care for up to five children and the other provides longer-term care for up to four children.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in February 2017. She is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, three children were living at the home and four were attending for short breaks.

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Information about this children’s home

During this inspection, the inspectors were aware that a serious incident had occurred at the setting since the last inspection. This incident is under investigation by the appropriate authorities. While Ofsted does not have the power to investigate incidents of this kind, actions taken by the setting in response to the incident were considered (where appropriate) alongside other evidence available at the time of the inspection to inform the inspectors’ judgements.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 2 Date of last inspection: 22 March 2022

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

22/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 08/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 10/12/2019 Full Good 22/05/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 4

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inadequate

Weaknesses in leadership and management and safeguarding practice are compromising children’s progress and experiences.

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inadequate

Many children who live, or have short breaks, at this home have communication needs and need to use a range of aids to communicate with others. Staff do not consistently use the communication aids that are identified in the children’s care plans when engaging with them. This significantly reduces children’s opportunities to communicate their views, wishes and feelings about their safety, quality of care and daily experiences. Requirements were raised to address shortfalls in staff’s communication with children at the last two inspections in December 2021 and March 2022. Despite this, these shortfalls continue.

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inadequate

Although children have access to a range of activities and experiences, staff do not consistently offer children choices around their daily care. For example, children are not always given choices about their meals or snacks. Records of children’s day-to- day activities do not consistently reflect their views, wishes and feelings, or evidence how they are offered choices.

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inadequate

Children do not have access to a bespoke children’s guide, with information which is appropriate for their individual communication needs and levels of understanding. A manager described the children’s guide as ‘not fit for purpose’. This does not ensure that children know how to make a complaint, or what advocacy support is available to them.

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inadequate

Children make some progress from their starting points. Inspectors observed some positive and warm interactions between staff and children. A parent spoke positively about the care provided to their child and said that their child looks forward to their short breaks at the home.

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

Shortfalls in children’s risk assessments identified at the previous two inspections in December 2021 and March 2022 continue. Repeated shortfalls in risk assessments are undermining children’s welfare and safety.

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

Risks to children are not being thoroughly assessed, reviewed or consistently managed. For example, children’s risk assessments do not include an assessment of the level of support and supervision that is needed when staff take children out of the home. Additionally, when the inspectors asked about children being taken out of the home, managers and staff identified inconsistent strategies. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 5 Oversight of safeguarding procedures and of practice in this home is weak. Leaders and managers do not routinely review and evaluate safeguarding incidents and concerns in order to identify any themes, patterns and/or shortfalls. Opportunities to learn and improve staff practice are being missed.

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

Some staff do not feel confident to physically restrain children, when it is necessary to do so, despite having received training. On one occasion, a member of staff was left to restrain a child on their own because two other members of staff left the room. In this instance, staff’s lack of confidence, skills and team working undermined the child’s safety and welfare.

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

Staff report that they understand their responsibilities in responding to safeguarding concerns for children. However, on at least one occasion, staff have not followed the home’s whistleblowing procedures when they have been concerned about practice. A failure to consistently implement the home’s whistleblowing procedures and ensure that staff are confident in raising any concerns is jeopardising children’s welfare and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager is not in day-to-day charge of the home and she has told inspectors that she intends to resign from this role. An interim manager was appointed and she has been managing the home since June 2021. Her application to register with Ofsted is progressing.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to develop and sustain a strong, open safeguarding culture, or ensured that the whistleblowing policy and procedures are embedded in all staff members’ practice. As a result, not all staff raise their concerns appropriately.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Inspectors identified elements of a closed culture in the home. Not all staff demonstrate professional curiosity or welcome external professional scrutiny and challenge. In addition to this, leaders and managers do not explore or analyse emerging concerns that could impact on the care and protection provided to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers are failing to ensure that the home’s policies and procedures are clear and consistently implemented. For example, leaders, managers and staff have different views about the staffing levels required when supporting children outside of the home. Additionally, the lone working policy does not provide clear expectations and guidance. Inconsistent practice across the staff team, including leaders and managers, is compromising children’s welfare and safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers do not ensure that staff follow consistent procedures for reviewing children’s medication. This increases the likelihood of medication errors and undermines the safe administration of medication to children. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 6 Management oversight is weak and has failed to identify and address shortfalls in the home’s records. One record of an incident when a child was unwell was illegible, undated and did not include the full details of what took place or whether the incident was managed in line with the child’s care plan.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Team working is weak. Staff do not work closely enough together to provide consistent, high-quality care for children. For example, inspectors found disagreements and discrepancies on how shifts are planned, how rotas are arranged and variations in the quality of staff members’ communication with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have failed to ensure that Ofsted is informed of all serious incidents in the home. This relates to the instigation of a child protection investigation.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The home’s statement of purpose does not provide accurate or current information. For example, it refers to legislation and guidance that is out of date.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Leaders and managers have not ensured that they have effective monitoring systems in place to help them to make and sustain continuous improvements in the home. Repeated shortfalls were found at this and the last two inspections in March 2022 and December 2021.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Following this inspection, three compliance notices were issued under regulation 7, the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard; regulation 12, the help and protection standard; and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard, to address these shortfalls. Ofsted will undertake a monitoring visit to assess the progress made with meeting the compliance notices. Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 7

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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 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

ascertain and consider each child’s views, wishes and feelings, and balance these against what they judge to be in the child’s best interests when making decisions about the child’s care and welfare;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to express views, wishes and feelings;

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Requirement Due date

has access to the home’s children’s guide, and the home’s complaints procedure when the child’s placement in the home is agreed and throughout the child’s stay in the home; and

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Requirement Due date

is given appropriate advocacy support. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(b)(c) (2)(a)(i)(ii)(b)(ii)(iii))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that all staff use the appropriate communication aids to enable children to express their views, wishes and feelings. Children should be helped to make choices and be involved in decisions about their care. 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 8 The children’s guide should be accessible and explained to all children.

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(e))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that risk assessments identify all risk and strategies for managing risk. That staff understand and consistently follow the home’s whistleblowing policy. That the monitoring of safeguarding procedures and practice is thorough and effective. 6 November 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 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 9 promotes their welfare.

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home.

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(b)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to promoting an open working culture, with strong and effective team working. It also relates to ensuring that there are clear and consistent policies and procedures in place that support and guide staff to provide safe and consistent care.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1.

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Requirement Due date

keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, 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. (Regulation 16 (1) (3)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to keeping the statement of purpose updated and ensuring that the information provided is current. 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23 (1))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to having clear procedures for reviewing children’s medication and recording any changes. 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which— 6 November 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 10 include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that children’s records are accurate, are sufficiently detailed, and reflect children’s wishes, feelings and choices. They should also evidence management oversight.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry). (Regulation 40 (d)(i)(ii)(e)) 6 November 2022

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Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice.

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all staff are confident in the use of restraint techniques and can use their professional judgement to respond appropriately. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 48, paragraph 9.53)  The registered person should ensure that the staff have access to specialist consultation to reflect on their practice with children and address any specific needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the workforce development plan is updated to include training on closed cultures as part of staff’s continuing professional development. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 53, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 11

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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: SC068789 12

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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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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Jenna Cowling Sara King

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Inspectors

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Jayshree Pillay, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC068789 13 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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