Children's Home run by Amelia’s House Limited in Brent

Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 1 SC448693 Registered provider: Amelia’s House Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is privately owned and provides care for up to four children with complex needs, including children with learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder and/or social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and the manager registered with Ofsted in July 2012.

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Information about this children’s home

The responsible individual and the registered manager were not present during this inspection and were contacted by telephone. At the time of this inspection, one young person over the age of 18 and two children were living in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

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

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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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.

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

29/03/2023 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good 03/03/2020 Full Good 12/09/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 3

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improvement to be good

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

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improvement to be good

Children’s outcomes are variable. Some children in the home are making good progress with their education and developing their independence skills. However, one child is not making good progress. Leaders and managers have failed to work effectively with the wider network to ensure that this child receives the appropriate services to meet their needs.

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improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, there has been little improvement to the physical condition of the home and the living environment for children. There are numerous repairs required internally and externally. For example, kitchen cupboards are broken, there is damage to internal walls and there are loose bricks at the front of the premises. This does not provide a nurturing and warm environment for children.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with people who are important to them. Leaders, managers and staff work closely with children and their families to improve their relationships. This enables children to celebrate birthdays and other important events with their families either in the home or at their family home.

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improvement to be good

Staff understand how children communicate. They use different methods of communication, including signs, symbols, facial expressions, objects and verbal communication. As a result, children and young people are understood and listened to.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice in the home needs to be strengthened. Not all staff are familiar with whistle-blowing practices and do not know how to report concerns externally if required. This potentially places children at risk of harm.

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improvement to be good

Staff do not ensure that there are clear records and documentation when children receive medication. For example, records do not consistently record who administered the medicine and how much medication is remaining. While there have not been any known errors that have placed children at risk, these shortfalls could lead to children not receiving the correct medication.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers do not have the correct systems in place to ensure that the building remains safe for children. For example, they were unable to provide up-to- date risk assessments for fire risks or a health and safety assessment of the home. While children have not come to any harm in the home, leaders and managers must Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 4 ensure that they actively review the suitability of the home and the procedures in place.

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improvement to be good

Leaders and managers appropriately report safeguarding incidents to children’s social workers and the local authority designated officer for advice and investigation. However, some incidents have not been notified to Ofsted as required. Despite a failure to notify Ofsted, appropriate actions were taken to ensure that children’s safety and well-being were prioritised.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment procedures are not robust. Leaders and managers do not always obtain references from previous employers or verify references to ensure that they are satisfactory. One member of staff did not have a new Disclosure and Barring Service check as part of the on-boarding process. Additionally, leaders and managers have not consistently obtained proof of address.

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improvement to be good

Incidents are managed well. Staff use calming approaches and the sensory environment to help the children and young people become calmer. If physical intervention is required, it is used appropriately. However, some records of these incidents are not sufficiently detailed despite managers requesting further information. This prevents leaders and managers from having a good understanding and oversight of children’s experiences in the home.

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improvement to be good

Risks to children are clearly identified and recorded in their risk assessments. This supports staff’s understanding about how to keep children safe. The levels of staffing and the organisation of shift patterns meet the needs of the children living in the home. This helps to ensure that children’s needs are responded to quickly and that staff can pre-empt difficulties to prevent escalation if children are unsettled.

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good

Leaders and managers have failed to meet the requirements and recommendations from the last inspection. There is poor management oversight of the home and leaders and managers do not take prompt action to make improvements.

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good

In the absence of the registered manager or responsible individual, staff led this inspection. While the staff present were experienced, they were not able to provide all the information requested about children. This raises concern about the management arrangements and potentially places children at risk if important information about them cannot be located.

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good

Staff training is not sufficient. Staff have not been offered specific training to meet the needs of the children in their care. Additionally, several members of staff have not completed important mandatory training. This compromises the staff’s understanding and ability to meet children’s needs.

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good

Staff do not receive regular supervision. The home’s current supervision policy is that staff receive supervision every three months. This does not ensure that staff are Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 5 able to regularly discuss their own needs and reflect on their practice. Furthermore, some members of staff and the registered manager have not received supervision within the three-month time frame.

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good

The workforce development plan has not been updated since 2019–20. An up-to- date and relevant plan would ensure that leaders and managers have a clear understanding of the staff team’s needs and ensure that the workforce meets the children’s needs.

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good

The home’s statement of purpose has not been updated and a copy has not been provided to Ofsted. Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 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, The 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 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

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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

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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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. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(a)(c)(f)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that: staff have the qualifications and skills to meet the children’s needs; there are effective monitoring systems of the day-to-day practice in the home; shortfalls raised are addressed in a timely way. 8 December

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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

The registered person must— 8 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 7 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

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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

provide to children living in the home the physical necessities they need in order to live there comfortably;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed and furnished so as to—

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Requirement Due date

enable each child to participate in the daily life of the home. (Regulation (6)(1)(a) (2)(vii)(c)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must repair the damage in the home, make improvements to the home environment and ensure that appropriate health and safety assessments are in place. 8 December

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans; and 8 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 8 seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation (5)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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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.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(c)) 8 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(b) (3)(a)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that they obtain suitable references from previous employers and that all staff receive appropriate enhanced suitability checks and provide proof of address. 8 December

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that— 8 December Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 9 within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that when incidents of control, discipline and restraint occur, there is appropriate management oversight and analysis, with recorded debriefs for staff and children.

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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 is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child — 20 November Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 10 is instigated; or

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(i)(ii))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive regular and effective supervision of their practice which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that staff are familiar with the home’s external whistle-blowing procedures. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.9)  The registered person should ensure that they have a workforce development plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16. The plan should detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the experience and qualifications of staff currently working in the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff to enable the delivery of the

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Recommendations

home’s statement of purpose. The plan should be updated to include any new training and qualifications completed by staff while working at the home and used to record the ongoing training and continuing professional development needs of staff, including the home’s manager. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)

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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: SC448693 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Amelia’s House Limited

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Christine Bakunga-Muyizzi

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Inspector

Melvin Davies, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 12 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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