Children's Home run by Reamcare Limited in Kingston upon Thames

Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 1 SC423606 Registered provider: Reamcare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care and accommodation for up to six children who have learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection, there were four children living in the home.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

outstanding

How well children and young people are helped and protected outstanding

p.1

outstanding

The effectiveness of leaders and managers outstanding

p.1

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.

p.1

outstanding

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

p.1

outstanding

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

04/10/2021 Full Outstanding 17/10/2019 Full Good 10/09/2018 Full Good 21/11/2017 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 3

p.2

outstanding

The registered manager continues to improve and develop the service. A member of staff said, ‘She has transformed the home.’ The forward-thinking manager has introduced ‘trackers’ to target and help monitor children’s progress. The children’s annual feedback survey ensures that children’s voices are heard and they contribute to their care.

p.3

outstanding

Children help set their own goals with their key worker, and they make outstanding progress from their starting points. Regular target reviews support children’s continuing progress. Children learn to be kind to each other and say sorry when they need to. This helps the children to maintain positive relationships with each other. Achievements, no matter how small, are celebrated, for example, when children learn to tie their shoelaces. Children build trusting relationships with staff and each other. They grow in confidence and learn independence skills such as doing their laundry, cooking and shopping.

p.3

outstanding

Children choose their rewards and treats, for example, a long-awaited boat trip and a favourite band concert, which helps reinforce positive behaviour. Children’s achievement certificates are proudly displayed in the entrance hall. Photos of the children decorate the walls in the home’s communal areas and staff ensure that children’s experiences are saved in their individual memory boxes and photo albums.

p.3

outstanding

An external professional described the staff team as ‘child-focused’. The enthusiastic staff ensure that children are meaningfully involved in decision-making. This ranges from making teatime choices to buying fairy lights and new garden equipment. Children are actively involved in the staff recruitment process. They suggest questions to ask at interview and give their feedback after trial shifts for new staff. Children said, ‘Staff listen.’

p.3

outstanding

Staff’s meticulous planning for children’s transitions into and out of the home helps children to settle. Farewells and welcomes are sensitively managed at the child’s pace. This includes initial visits to the home, dinner visits and trial overnight stays. Staff also support children and their parents to visit new placements and alternative schools.

p.3

outstanding

Children in the home lead busy and fulfilling lives. They all attend school or engage with tutoring while waiting for a school place. There is a genuine home-from-home family atmosphere. Children enjoy mealtimes with staff around the large kitchen table. They are encouraged to do small chores around the home, such as clearing away their plates after meals. Children enjoy active weekends such as planned family and friends time, theme park visits, trips to the shops and planning for future celebrations, such as the home’s annual family holiday. Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 4 The home is a suitable and welcoming environment, with large communal spaces and bedrooms that are personalised by the children. There are plans to develop a bespoke sensory room. However, the interior of the home needs redecorating and the outside garden space needs additional maintenance. The registered manager

p.3

outstanding

has put in place a home maintenance action plan to address these issues.

p.4

outstanding

Staff encourage children to complete their own daily ‘mood diaries’ and spend regular ‘reflection time’ with their key workers. This helps staff to understand children’s feelings and supports children to reduce any behaviours that challenge. Children say that they feel safe and are ‘100% happy here’.

p.4

outstanding

Children rarely go missing from the home. If this happens, staff’s response is prompt and they follow children’s safety plans. Staff help children to understand the risks that they place themselves in if they leave the home without staff support. Staff always ensure that records of any developing risks, and strategies to reduce those risks, are kept up to date.

p.4

outstanding

Children’s individual preferences, wishes, feelings, risks and needs are thoroughly known and understood by the staff team. Children’s behaviour support plans are comprehensive and kept up to date. Help and support for children change according to their needs.

p.4

outstanding

Leaders and managers take allegations and safeguarding matters seriously. They follow the home’s allegation and safeguarding procedures, and their responses to any concerns are swift and robust. The proactive registered manager has consulted closely with the local authority designated officer to agree enhanced protocols.

p.4

outstanding

Staff help children understand the boundaries in the home. When boundaries are challenged, staff use restorative consequences to help children to learn and make positive changes. This might mean a child going to bed a bit earlier one night or, in other cases, a more formal signed agreement around the time children spend using technology such as laptops and music players.

p.4

outstanding

The children’s guide is not readily accessible to children of all reading abilities. Children know how to make a complaint, but there have been no complaints since the last inspection.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff describe the registered manager as ‘fantastic’. An external professional said, ‘She clearly cares a lot about the children and their future wishes and goes the extra mile to support them.’ The manager undertakes shifts in the home, and said, ‘I simply love spending time with the children.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 5 The registered manager’s unquestionable commitment to the children extends to her staff team. Recent enhancements to staff induction and probation, alongside improved training, help staff to continue to provide high-quality care to children with complex needs.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders’ and managers’ monitoring and oversight of the service are exceptional. The manager and staff team attend all multi-professional meetings. The manager is an enthusiastic advocate for the children’s rights and access to services, including in relation to education, professional assessments and suitable school transport.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Leaders and managers continue to develop the staff team. Staff are encouraged to gain additional skills and experiences, such as leading trial shifts for potential new staff . To further improve the service, the manager has introduced a new employee satisfaction survey. Leaders and managers review and act on staff’s feedback and suggestions, such as improved supervision and annual appraisal arrangements.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: outstanding

Staff team meetings are well attended and remain child-focused. Staff describe their work environment as supportive and say that the home is a great place to work. One member of staff said, ‘I look forward to coming to work every day.’ Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 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 children’s views, wishes and feelings standard is that children receive care from staff who —

p.6

Requirement Due date

Develop positive relationships with them

p.6

Requirement Due date

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

p.6

Requirement Due date

keep the children’s guide and the home’s complaints procedure under review and seek children’s comments before revising either document. (Regulation 7 (1)(a)(2)(c))

p.6

Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the children’s guide is accessible to children of all ages and abilities. 30 April 2023

p.6

Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the home’s internal decor and garden are consistently maintained to a suitable standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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: SC423606 7

p.6

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 100 Thorkhill Road, Thames Ditton, Surrey KT7 0UW

p.7

Inspector

Victoria Jones, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC423606 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.

p.7

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.8

Inspector

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

p.8

Inspector

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

p.8