Children's Home run by Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited in Waltham Forest

Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 1 SC406638 Registered provider: Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children’s home provides care for up to three children who have emotional or social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home was registered with Ofsted in 2010. The director of the company is also the registered manager and has been registered with Ofsted since the home opened in January 2010. He is suitably qualified for the role. The same person was also the responsible individual for the home. This changed in October 2022 when a new responsible individual was appointed.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 2 November 2021

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

02/11/2021 Full Good 06/01/2020 Full Good 20/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness 20/08/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff build positive relationships with children and help them to make positive changes in their lives. Those children who engage with staff do very well and make excellent progress from their starting points.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to learn how to care for themselves and develop healthy lifestyles. Staff patiently and persistently encourage children to attend health appointments. A child recently saw a dentist after not going to the dentist for many years. Having realised the benefits, this child then asked to have an appointment with the oral hygienist.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote children’s learning and educational attainments. One child’s school attendance is now 100%, and his academic knowledge is improving. Work experience in theatres and other performance venues helps another child to develop skills by following their interests.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy having opportunities to be creative. Examples include the wonderful artwork of one child and another child taking part in national dance competitions.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s positive experiences help them to build confidence and improve their social and communication skills. One mother was happy that her son now talks with her and clearly expresses his views. Before coming to this home, he often chose not to talk with anybody. The professional network commented that staff promote the voice of the child well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff equip children with skills for life. Children receive good support to develop their independence and learn important skills, such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting and knowing how to keep safe online and in the community.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home are effective. Children are safer as a result. Some children with histories of engaging in violence towards people and property, fire-setting and harmful sexual behaviours have stopped showing these behaviours. One child’s mother said that her mind has been at peace since her son moved to this home.

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

Excellent relationships between staff and children are a strong protective factor in children’s lives. Emotional warmth and clear house rules promote children’s sense of security. The children describe the rules as fair.

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

Children’s positive experiences minimise the risk of them running away from home. For example, some children who used to go missing from home on a regular basis Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 4 have stopped going missing and exposing themselves to additional risks. However, this excellent progress is not always reflected in the children’s risk assessments.

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

Close working partnerships with other professionals ensure that children receive wrap-around support to increase their safety. An example of this is how closely staff work with one child’s social worker, youth offending officer, school mentor and therapist. This joint working is helping the child to make sense of their past behaviours and develop more constructive behaviours. The professionals from this network commented that staff provide sensitive care and are good advocates for children.

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

Regular health and safety checks ensure that the physical environment of the home is safe. Fire drills and discussions about fire safety help children to develop fire- safety awareness. This is particularly significant for the children with a history of fire-setting behaviours.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The quality of care and its impact on children are monitored effectively. The appointment of an independent professional as the responsible individual has strengthened the oversight of the care provided at this home. Monthly monitoring of the home by an independent person adds to the quality assurance processes. Staff complete monthly progress reports for each child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders, managers and staff are passionate about doing their best for children. They carry out their work in line with the values that are expressed in the home’s statement of purpose (SOP). However, some information in the SOP is incorrect, such as staff’s training in psychotherapy and the use of functional behavioural assessments.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from being cared for by a stable staff team. Staff are committed to the children and are flexible about their working hours. No agency staff work at the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers provide a supportive environment for staff. Regular team meetings complement the individual supervision that staff receive. However, the manager’s supervision has not been regular. There was a gap of almost 14 months. The frequency and the content of the manager’s supervision sessions have recently improved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Annual reviews of staff’s individual performance support their professional development. Staff access relevant training to keep their knowledge up to date. All staff are suitably qualified. The deputy manager has obtained a higher-level qualification and another staff member is working towards it. Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 5

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the risk assessments are reviewed and updated when the level of the risk changes. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The registered person should ensure that the registered manager receives regular supervision that provides opportunities to reflect on the management of the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that the statement of purpose accurately reflects the service provided. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 14, paragraph 3.5)

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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: SC406638 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Winsbeach Children’s Home Limited

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Inspector

Seka Graovac, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC406638 7 inspects 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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