Children's Home run by Blandford House (UK) Limited in Hillingdon

Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 1 SC484912 Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This is a private home that provides care for up to 10 children with autism and learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been registered with Ofsted since February 2015. There has been no registered manager since 31 March 2023. The manager has not yet submitted an application to register with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of this inspection, four children were living at the home.

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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: 17 January 2023

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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: SC484912 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/01/2023 Full Good 16/11/2021 Full Good 09/12/2019 Full Good 17/12/2018 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is welcoming and has a family feel. Children receive good-quality care from staff who understand their individual needs and vulnerabilities. This is reflected in children’s care plans and they are supported to make good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational needs are met. All children are accessing education and making good progress. Children’s specific interests are supported and promoted by a committed staff team. One child received an award at an event for children in care, which was celebrated in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children take part in varied activities such as going to Scouts and on trips to theme parks and to the cinema.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have positive relationships with staff they trust. One child said, ‘I like living here. Staff do everything for young people. They look after us.’ Children also make and sustain friendships with other children in the home. One child spoke excitedly about being able to maintain a relationship with a friend who used to live at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills. This is done through planned key-work sessions or ad hoc discussions with staff around budgeting, personal care and household chores.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff demonstrate empathy and affection toward children. Staff use various ways to communicate with children who are non-verbal, such as signing, using pictures and physical expression. This ensures that children’s wishes and views are understood and promoted. Staff are attuned to the children and respond sensitively to their needs. For example, staff requested a photo of a child’s new social worker to help to prepare them for their first meeting and reduce their anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are encouraged to participate and share their views at regular house meetings. Staff arrange for each child to have an advocate who can also represent their views.

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

Staff understand children’s risks well. They identify patterns of behaviour and know if there is an escalation of risk to children. This is reflected in children’s individual behaviour risk management plans, which help staff to manage situations safely and prevent escalation.

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

Children say that they feel safe at their home. Professionals and parents say they do not have any safeguarding concerns. Managers and staff take allegations and safeguarding matters seriously. They follow the home’s allegation and safeguarding procedures, and their responses to any concerns are thorough. The local authority Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 4 designated officer has no concerns regarding the manager’s understanding of the managing allegations process.

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

The home has an appropriate surveillance and monitoring policy in place. However, managers need to ensure that there is written consent from placing authorities when surveillance is used.

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

Staff are resilient, motivated and respond appropriately to the complex needs that children may present with. Incidents are managed well. Effective and appropriate action is taken in response to incidents and there is consistent management oversight. Key-work sessions are held with children following incidents of concern. Furthermore, staff have undertaken appropriate behaviour management and de- escalation training. This helps to reduce the number of incidents in the home.

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

Managers and staff work proactively with other agencies and partners in response to safeguarding concerns. This ensures that information is shared and that there is a holistic approach and a plan of support to promote children’s welfare and well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The new manager has started an application to register with Ofsted. The manager is supported by a highly committed deputy manager who is enthusiastic and skilled in building rapport with children, parents, staff and external professionals.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers know and understand the children’s needs very well. One social worker said that managers and staff are highly committed to the children in their care, and said they ‘can’t speak highly enough of them’. Another social worker said, ‘The level of communication and positivity at the home is quite exceptional.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Safer recruitment procedures are in place. However, managers should ensure that they have full and satisfactory information regarding references.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff feel listened to. They feel that their suggestions are acted on and they are supported by leaders and managers. They describe the responsible individual as an approachable and generous person.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and effective supervision. Regular team meetings also provide staff with further opportunities to discuss children’s progress, reflect on their practice and help to identify individual training needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are trained in delivering personal care, safeguarding children with special educational needs, administering medication and managing epilepsy. This helps keep children safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s care plans are well written and of good quality. However, they are not always updated with information that is shared at children’s looked after reviews. Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 5

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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 registered person may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if—

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is for the purpose of safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the child concerned, or other children;

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Requirement Due date

the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

so far as reasonably practicable in the light of the child’s age and understanding, the child is informed in advance of the intention to do the monitoring or surveillance;

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Requirement Due date

the monitoring or surveillance is no more intrusive than necessary, having regard to the child’s need for privacy. (Regulation 24 (1)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that written consent from the placing authority has been received when planning to use surveillance. 30 March 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have full and satisfactory information regarding employment references. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  The registered person should ensure that all children’s case records (regulation 36) are kept up to date and include updates from the placing authority’s plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3) Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 6

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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: SC484912 7

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Inspectors

Amanda Burrows, Social Care Inspector Chelsea Agyeman, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: SC484912 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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