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

Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 1 SC032600 Registered provider: London Borough of Hounslow Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This local authority home provides both a short-break service and full-time care on a permanent or emergency basis for up to six children. The home provides care to children with learning disabilities, physical disabilities or sensory impairment.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since June 2017

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection a total of five children were having a short break over the two days.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

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outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

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outstanding

The children’s home provides highly effective services that consistently exceed the standards of good. The actions of the children’s home contribute to significantly improved outcomes and positive experiences for children and young people who need help, protection and care.

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outstanding

Date of last inspection: 1 December 2021

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outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

01/12/2021 Full Outstanding 13/08/2019 Full Good 16/05/2018 Full Good 16/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 3

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outstanding

Staff provide children with highly individualised care that meets their physical, emotional and social needs. Staff, parents, social workers and other professionals report that children love attending for short breaks. Children who are non-verbal show joy and excitement when the centre is referred to by name, or when they are shown pictures that they associate with the building.

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outstanding

The quality of the relationships that staff have with children is exemplary. Staff know the children extremely well and talk with great affection about them. Staff see the child first and look beyond the presenting behaviours, working hard to understand what the child is trying to communicate. Children build strong and trusting relationships with staff, who show patience, resilience and empathy in the care they provide.

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outstanding

A great strength of the staff team is the quality of communication with children. Staff use a range of methods to understand children’s wishes and feelings. This includes Makaton, communication buttons attached to walls, and picture exchange communication systems. Children and staff can communicate with each other wherever they may be in the centre, as intercoms and alert buttons are present and easily accessible in most areas.

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outstanding

Children make small but significant progress from their starting points. Staff record activities and achievements along with pictures so children can see what they have done. Staff take every opportunity to celebrate children’s achievements and progress, whether this is being able to sit with others at the dining table or putting on items of clothing by themselves. These achievements support children to develop skills for independence.

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outstanding

The living environment for children is warm, welcoming and child-centred. Children have access to a range of sensory experiences within the centre, including a soft- play area, a sensory playroom and a sensory garden. Children’s artwork is visible throughout the home, and photos of children’s faces are on the walls. Consequently, children are made to feel comfortable and settled by staff in an environment they are familiar with.

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outstanding

Staff ensure that children remain safe when on short breaks.

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outstanding

Staff work exceptionally well with schools, behaviour support consultants, social workers and parents to develop highly effective safety plans for children. Risks to Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 4 children are identified, and effective strategies to help staff to reduce harm are clearly recorded.

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outstanding

Staff are highly sensitive to small changes in children’s behaviour and respond quickly to signs of distress or discomfort. Staff have completed Makaton safeguarding training, which means that children with limited communication are helped to express any uncomfortable feelings, particularly if they may have been subject to a form of abuse.

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outstanding

Safeguarding information and details of who to contact if staff have concerns are available in all communal areas of the building. This does not detract from the homely environment. Several staff repeated the following phrase in relation to reporting safeguarding concerns, ‘Children come first, second and third here’. Consequently, children’s safety is enhanced by a strong safeguarding culture.

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outstanding

Managers and staff ensure that children who attend for short breaks are carefully matched. This ensures that children can safely share the experience of being on a short break together. For example, when planning, consideration is given to children who cannot tolerate sudden loud noises. This reduces the risk of children becoming unsettled and increases the quality of their short-break experience.

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outstanding

The local authority designated officer stated that they have no concerns regarding the staff’s ability to safeguard children. They added, ‘On the contrary, the learning culture and commitment to keeping children at the centre of practice are outstanding.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are committed to ensuring that children have very meaningful, memorable and high-quality experiences during short breaks. The manager is a passionate and child-focused practitioner with a wealth of experience and knowledge in providing short-break care. The manager leads by example, modelling the type of communication and quality of care for children expected of staff.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers are strongly motivated to improve the quality of care provided to children. The manager attends a forum for managers of outstanding services, where good practice, research and innovative ideas are shared. The manager is the crisis and aggression limitation management lead and trainer for the local authority. The manager is also part of a working group that is looking at innovative ways to capture the child’s voice in day to day practice. Staff, and consequently children, benefit from the skills, knowledge and practice the manager shares.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have worked hard to maintain a stable staff team. The staff team is a highly skilled and experienced group. Staff receive regular supervision, some of which is highly reflective. However, this form of supervision is not consistently practised by all managers. This means that some staff do not benefit Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 5 from the value that reflecting on practice may bring to their care and responses to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers have worked hard to provide a warm, nurturing and stimulating environment for children. However, despite the efforts of leaders and managers, planned refurbishments have not been started. Parts of the centre look old and tired and are not in keeping with the high standards of care that managers and staff offer to children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers work collaboratively with professionals and families to make sure that children have the best time on a short break. Leaders and managers go above and beyond to ensure that parents feel confident and happy to let their child stay for a short break. One parent said, ‘The centre was amazing,’ and added that they trusted the staff completely with their child. Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 6

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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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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the building used for short breaks is suitably refurbished and adapted to enhance the quality of children’s experiences and the care provided to them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 15 paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that there is consistency in supervision practice, so that all staff are able to benefit from experiencing reflective supervision. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards,’ page 61 paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC032600 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: London Borough Of Hounslow, Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB

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Inspector

Colin Bent, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC032600 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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