Children's Home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Nottinghamshire

Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 1 SC047978 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 home is operated by a private company and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five children with emotional, behavioural and/or mental health needs. At the time of the inspection, there were three children living in the home.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

There is an acting manager in post who is not registered.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/06/2021 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Good 04/07/2018 Full Outstanding 20/06/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Children have had mixed experiences in this children’s home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children currently living in the home are generally settled. They have positive relationships with staff and are responding to the routines and boundaries in place.

p.3

improvement to be good

Leading up to this inspection, some children were admitted to the home who have not settled. Managers assessed that they were not able to meet their needs and a small number of children have moved on from the home. This has meant further change for those children and for their peers living in the home.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children who have previously had difficult experiences in education are engaging in education and making progress. Staff celebrate children’s achievements. A social worker spoke positively about the progress a child is currently making and particularly about their participation in education.

p.3

improvement to be good

One child has improving health, diet and routines as a result of nurturing care. Children benefit from being able to help with the animals and learn about animal care in the farm next door. This has a therapeutic benefit for children who have had limited experience of caring for animals and encourages them to take responsibility.

p.3

improvement to be good

There has been a recent well-planned transition for a child moving into the home. This included visits, good sharing of information and preparation of the child’s room. The child’s social worker referred to positive communication with staff that will help the child to settle.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff work closely with families and social workers to support children to maintain relationships that are important to them.

p.3

improvement to be good

There have been improvements in arrangements for the storage and administering of medication, which has resulted in fewer errors.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children’s views are sought about their daily living arrangements. Children know how to make a complaint, and they are listened to and responded to in relation to activities and resources that they request.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff consult with partner agencies, such as child and adolescent mental health services, to inform children’s risk and safety plans. Some children’s risks have reduced as a result of multi-agency working, individual work undertaken with them and plans in place to keep them safe. Self-harming behaviours and missing-from- Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 4 care episodes have reduced for some children. However, some children have not responded to safety plans or to services offered and have experienced escalating risks.

p.3

improvement to be good

Despite risk assessments in place that include the close monitoring of children, some children have been able to leave the home and go missing in the community. However, staff have followed agreed missing-from-home procedures and have made reports to police and actively searched for children.

p.4

improvement to be good

Not all records of incidents, such as missing-from-home incidents or incidents of self-harming behaviour, are sufficiently detailed to support helpful assessment of what could have been done differently. Incidents have not all been subject to a robust review to reduce the likelihood of them happening again.

p.4

improvement to be good

The home environment is generally nurturing and comfortable. However, directly outside the conservatory there is an area with piles of bricks, waste and broken furniture. There is a temporary fence around it, but this would not prevent children accessing this area and this presents a safety risk.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff develop nurturing relationships with children and are trained in de-escalation and distraction techniques to reduce incidents and support the development of positive behaviours. Staff have used physical interventions to prevent children harming themselves and others. These are subject to quality assurance by the home manager, senior managers and the independent visitor, who have made recommendations to improve recording.

p.4

improvement to be good

Managers have referred concerns about staff appropriately to the local authority designated officer. Procedures have been followed and concluded.

p.4

good

Since the previous inspection, the home has been through a period of change. There has been a change in manager and changes in the staff team. There has been no registered manager since March 2022. The current manager of the home is in an acting position and is not registered with Ofsted. There has been limited impact for children as children have also moved on during this time.

p.4

good

Staff report that team morale is positive and that they feel supported by managers. Staff receive regular supervision that provides time to discuss children’s progress, staff welfare and development.

p.4

good

Staff have received training relevant to the needs of the children living in the home, in addition to mandatory training. Several staff are undertaking the relevant childcare qualification. Managers support and track staff’s progress. Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 5 There is a mixture of experienced qualified staff and less experienced staff. Managers ensure that the rota is balanced with gender, knowledge and experience to meet children’s needs.

p.4

good

Leading up to this inspection, there has been a period when children with a combination of complex needs have been living together. Managers have reviewed whether they could continue to meet some children’s needs and considered the impact on children living in the home of other children’s behaviours. However, managers have not always considered lessons learned from unplanned endings to reduce this happening in the future.

p.5

good

When there have been significant incidents, managers have not always considered lessons learned. There are missed opportunities to consider staff practice, the quality of recording and the effectiveness of policies and procedures.

p.5

good

The current manager has developed an information booklet about the home to be shared with professionals, such as the police, to support effective partnership working.

p.5

good

The manager uses quality assurance oversight by senior managers and the independent visitor to support improvement in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 6

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.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)(b))

p.6

Requirement Due date

This is to ensure that children are not exposed to hazards to their health and safety in their home environment. 30 November

p.6

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

that the effectiveness of the home’s child protection policies is monitored regularly. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(e)) 14 December

p.6

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.6

Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

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)) 14 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 7 This is to ensure managers undertake learning reviews following serious incidents and/or unplanned endings for children leaving the home.

p.6

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: SC047978 8

p.7

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

p.8

Children’s home details

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

p.8

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

p.8

Inspector

Cathey Moriarty, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC047978 9 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.8

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.9

Inspector

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

p.9

Inspector

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

p.9