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

Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 1 SC448693

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Registered provider: Amelia’s House Limited

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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

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

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Inspection date: 18 December 2023

Judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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Inspection date: 18 December 2023

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Information about this inspection

At this inspection, the inspector evaluated:

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Information about this inspection

 the care of children  the safety of children  the effectiveness of leaders and managers. Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children, using the social care common inspection framework. This assurance 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’. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 2

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Findings from the inspection

We did not identify any serious or widespread concerns in relation to the care or protection of children at this assurance inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Children are observed to have trusted relationships with staff who care for them. Staff know children well and are attentive to their needs. Staff are skilled in interpreting children’s needs and wishes, which is important as some children do not communicate using speech.

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Findings from the inspection

Children’s learning outcomes are good. They attend school regularly and are making steady progress. Staff’s communication with school personnel is effective and regular, which helps to promote children’s development.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff encourage children to live healthy lifestyles. Children have access to primary healthcare services and specialist services as required. Staff communicate regularly with healthcare professionals, such as GPs and child and adolescent mental health services.

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Findings from the inspection

The previous inspection identified staff’s management of children’s medication as an area for improvement. Staff have since received training in the administration of medication, and a new recording tool has been introduced. The registered manager closely monitors staff’s medication practices and medication records to ensure that medication processes are safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff support children to keep in touch with their family, friends and other people who are important to them. For one child, there is very regular telephone contact with her parents as this helps her to regulate and manage her emotions.

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Findings from the inspection

Children have fun and participate in leisure activities that they enjoy. Staff understand and meet children’s social and emotional needs. Staff are working closely with behavioural support specialists to support them to understand and manage children’s behaviour safely.

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Findings from the inspection

The previous inspection identified staff’s use and recording of restraint as areas for improvement. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents of staff restraining children. External behavioural specialists are working with staff to help them to have insight into children’s sometimes challenging behaviour. This input has been effective in developing meaningful behaviour management strategies, which helps to keep children safe.

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Findings from the inspection

Since the last inspection, there has been a reduction in the frequency of critical incidents. Risks are identified and understood. The registered manager has amended the existing recording tools to now distinguish between incidents that are a feature of children’s routine behaviour, critical or extreme incidents, and incidents where staff use restraint. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 3 Newly devised recording tools encourage staff to document detailed information about the circumstances surrounding incidents, the action staff take and outcome of their intervention. Managers review these documents and sign to indicate that the information is appropriate and clear. The management oversight of behavioural and safeguarding incidents shows improvement. Since the last inspection, there have been no incidents requiring notification to Ofsted.

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Findings from the inspection

The previous inspection highlighted concerns around staff’s understanding of key safeguarding policies, particularly whistle-blowing procedures. The registered manager has since reviewed the policy with the staff team. Staff now demonstrate a good understanding of these procedures.

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Findings from the inspection

The recruitment and vetting of staff show improvement. However, for one staff member, who has now resigned, no recent Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been obtained. The manager explained that this was an oversight and that she had failed to follow up with the staff member in question.

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Findings from the inspection

The home’s physical environment remains a cause for concern. Children’s behaviour sometimes results in significant damage to key areas of the home. For example, there is damage to the kitchen cupboard doors, taps and sink area, bathroom tiles and walls and to the furniture in a child’s bedroom. The manager explained that the premises will shortly undergo refurbishment and significant repair. This work is due to commence early in 2024.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff carry out key daily and weekly health and safety checks. Specialist health and safety personnel carry out safety checks, such as electrical inspections and fire risk assessments, at appropriate intervals.

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Findings from the inspection

The leadership and management of the home have improved since the last inspection. The registered manager has responded promptly and appropriately to resolve areas identified for improvement. For example, managers have worked collaboratively with a local authority to facilitate the planned placement move for a child whose needs can no longer be safely met at the home.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers support the staff team well. Managers have reviewed the frequency of individual staff supervision sessions and provide staff with one-to-one meetings more regularly than in the past. Records of staff supervision sessions are appropriately detailed.

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Findings from the inspection

Staff have access to a training hub that provides a wide range of key training that is relevant to staff’s roles. Staff have access to mandatory and specialist training to support their care practice. Typically, staff receive training in safeguarding, autism awareness, managing challenging behaviour, first aid and medication. Staff are yet to receive refresher training in physical intervention, and some staff are yet to complete National Vocational Qualification level 3 training. This is despite some staff members having worked at the home for several years. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 4 The home’s workforce development plan has been updated and now includes information about the team of staff, their skills and qualifications. This was not the case at the last inspection.

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Findings from the inspection

Managers have recently revised the home’s statement of purpose to ensure that it is in accordance with the regulations. This amended document has been shared with Ofsted as required. Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 5

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/10/2023 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/03/2023 Full Good 17/11/2021 Full Good 03/03/2020 Full Good Assurance 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 (this relates to staff completing National Vocational Qualification level 3 training and refresher restraint training); there are effective monitoring systems of the day-to-day practice in the home; shortfalls raised are addressed in a timely way. 1 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who— 1 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 7 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 and make improvements to the home environment.

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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;

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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)(a)(b) (3)(b)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that all staff undergo appropriate enhanced suitability checks. 1 February 2024 Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 8

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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

Sandra Jacobs-Walls, Social Care Inspector Assurance inspection report for children’s home: SC448693 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.

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Inspector

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