Children's Home run by Achieving Above Average Ltd in Merton

Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 1 Registered provider: Achieving Above Average Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned home cares for up to four children who have learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home and manager registered with Ofsted on 1 October 2023. The manager is suitably qualified.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: not previously inspected

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: not applicable Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 2

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a welcoming and friendly atmosphere. Children settle well into the home and develop positive relationships with staff. Children receive individualised care that is reflected in their care plans and they are supported well to make good progress. Staff work well to ensure that children’s needs are met and that each child’s routines are followed. This helps children to remain settled in the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to develop their independence skills from their individual starting points. For example, one child’s fine motor skills have improved by staff encouraging them to use cutlery. Staff provide positive encouragement to the children through rewards and praise.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are kept busy, with opportunities to take part in fun activities, including trampolining and day trips to museums, theme parks and zoos.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain positive and safe relationships with the people who are important to them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s health and personal care needs are understood well by staff. Children’s medication arrangements are safe and medication is administered in line with children’s plans.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand children’s communication styles and respond promptly to children’s non-verbal cues. Staff use a variety of tools to communicate with children, such as visual aids and gestures. This ensures that children’s wishes and views are understood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s educational needs are met well. One child has successfully returned to full- time education after a period of absence and they are making good progress. When arrangements are not yet in place for children to attend school, staff are proactive and ensure that educational activities are provided. This gives children structure and daily routine. This is particularly important for those children who may be neurodiverse, as for some an absence of structure can increase anxiety.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home environment is maintained to a good standard. Children are supported to personalise their bedrooms.

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

Children’s risks are identified well. They are understood by staff and recorded clearly in children’s individual risk assessments. Children’s personalised behaviour management plans are of good quality. They support staff to understand triggers for certain behaviours and to identify strategies to manage situations. Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 3 Staff have completed safeguarding and de-escalation technique training. Incidents and physical intervention are managed appropriately, however, the recording and reporting is inconsistent. Some reports are purely descriptive, with little analysis or reflection on the incident or child’s responses. Management oversight of this is also inconsistent. Strengthening recording and management oversight would ensure that any emerging patterns of behaviours or risks can be identified earlier and further support put in place as needed.

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

Managers and staff are aware of the statutory process for managing allegations. However, managers need to ensure that notifications to Ofsted and to the local authority designated officer are made within timescales.

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

Episodes of children going missing are rare at this home. Despite this, managers and staff are aware of the missing-from-home protocols. Children have individual missing safety plans that are updated and risks are evaluated on children’s records.

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

Key-work sessions are focused on children’s individual needs and plans. Ad-hoc ‘children’s chats’ take place in response to changes in behaviour. These help children to understand their behaviour and make good progress.

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

Managers ensure that safer recruitment practices are in place.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified registered manager who is supported by an experienced deputy manager. The management team has an ambitious yet realistic vision for the home. They understand the needs of the children well and are committed to delivering safe care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The management team recognises that as a newly registered home there are areas for improvement. Managers speak with enthusiasm and consolidate learning for the staff team, to continue developing the home. For example, the home has implemented a new monitoring and recording database, employing an operations manager to provide staff with individual and group training to use this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff and managers receive effective and frequent supervision. Regular team meetings provide staff with opportunities to discuss children’s progress, reflect on their practice and identify training needs. Staff have access to appropriate training and a thorough induction process is in place. Staff feel able to share their views openly with managers, who they describe as ‘approachable’, and they say they feel well supported.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The workforce development plan sets out realistic and clear time frames regarding further training opportunities and developments for the home and staff. Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 4

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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

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(h))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that significant incidents are reviewed, taking into consideration learning outcomes to use in children’s risk management plans and to support the development of staff. 30 June 2024

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Requirement Due date

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; 30 June 2024 Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 5 the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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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

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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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)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that incidents of restraint are reviewed, taking into consideration any possible learning outcomes that can be implemented, and to ensure that their use is fair and proportionate.

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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

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there. (Regulation 40 (4)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, leaders and managers must ensure that the local authority designated officer and Ofsted are notified promptly. 30 June 2024

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure staff are familiar with the home’s policies on record-keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording when completing incident reports. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4) Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 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: 2733359 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Achieving Above Average Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit A, Abbott’s Wharf, 93 Stainsby Road, London E14 6JL

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Children’s home details

Registered manager: Iheanyichukwu Wadibia

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Inspector

Amanda Burrows, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2733359 8 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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