Children's Home run by Ownlife Limited in Lewisham

Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 1 Registered provider: Ownlife Limited

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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 home provides care for up to three children with social and/or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted in October 2019. The manager registered in October 2021.

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Information about this children’s home

Two children were 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: 24 January 2024

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/01/2024 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/02/2023 Full Good 21/04/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children currently living at the home have only lived there for a short period of time. Despite being new to the home, both children are settled and are making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff understand the children’s individual needs. Staff show compassion and respect and are consistent in their approach. The staff’s support has helped one child to be more confident to attend school regularly. Staff have encouraged this attendance by providing transport for the child to go to school. As a reward for the child’s improved school attendance, they have been able to get a kitten.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child’s episodes of going missing from the home have significantly improved. The child is now returning home on the same day, responding to calls or texts and maintaining communication with staff. The child’s social worker has commented that the child likes the home, they are happy and are well supported by the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff are keen to promote the interests and talents of each child. For example, children are able to attend cadets and follow their interests in music. Children are also helped to learn the skills needed to develop their independence for the future.

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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. Staff support children in encouraging their friends to visit the home. This support helps to build children’s self-identity, resilience and self- esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff value and promote the children’s diversity. One social worker commented positively on how staff support the child to explore their identity. Managers have identified that this is an area that staff will need more training in and are looking for training providers.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children can share their views and feelings. Children’s views are considered in their care plans, which helps them feel empowered and motivated to do well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is nicely decorated and modern. Children’s bedrooms are spacious, clean and tidy. Children get to choose how they want their bedrooms to be decorated. For example, one child wanted one of their walls painted blue, and another wanted LED lights. Staff ensured that both requests were met.

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

Children say that they feel safe living in the home, and they are supported well by staff. Staff know how to keep children safe. This is because staff know what to do when children are at risk of harming themselves or when they go missing from the Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 4 home. There are very few incidents of concern at the home, and staff manage these well.

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

Missing-from-home incidents are now managed better. Managers ensure that the information gained from return home interviews is shared with staff. This helps staff to understand how to best support the children and manage risks when the children are away from the home.

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

Children’s risk assessments are up to date and reflect all known risks. Staff update records quickly when there are changes. The manager then checks the quality of these records to ensure that they contain information that staff need to keep children safe. Managers also keep detailed records of the conversations they have with children to help them to understand risks.

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

The use of CCTV monitoring within the home was reviewed, and the camera on the landing has been turned off. Careful assessments of the children who currently live in the home, before they moved to the home, have meant that this level of monitoring is not required. The manager said that this will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis when a new child moves into the home.

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

Staff are recruited safely to ensure that they are suitable to work with the children. Managers carry out thorough checks of staff who apply to work at the home. This includes obtaining appropriate references from previous employers and completing criminal record checks.

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

Managers ensure that regular safety checks are completed and the home is safe for children, staff and visitors.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers ensure that there is consistent management and leadership within the home. There is a stable staff team within the home, which ensures that staff are able to consistently provide good care to the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children benefit from being supported by a diverse team of staff, including some who are care experienced. They are good at advocating for children and helping leaders and managers to understand what a good care home for children should look like. Staff are good at keeping records of their conversations with children. However, children are not always encouraged to read their records and add more information to them. This would help children to feel valued and included in shaping the information kept about them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have improved their quality monitoring processes to help them to identify and correct any shortfalls found at the home. Managers have improved shortfalls identified at the last inspection, and they are meeting the regulations. The manager now has a plan of checks she completes regularly. Leaders provide guidance and support to the manager, and they make sure that checks Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 5 completed by the manager are done to a good standard. This helps to ensure that the home can meet the needs of the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders have changed the independent person who reviews the quality of care at the home. They find the new independent person to be thorough, reports to them quickly and provides the independent scrutiny they need to continually improve the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff provided positive feedback about the home. They said that managers support them well. Staff said that they receive the training and support they need to help them do their jobs well. Everyone said the home is doing well in looking after the children. This includes a member of staff, who said, ‘The children are well cared for; their safety and welfare take priority.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Although there has been a significant improvement in the overall cleanliness of the home, some windowsills had dust on them. There were also coffee stains on the smoke detector in the dining area. Rectifying these issues would serve to create a more homely environment. Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the children’s home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and is a homely, domestic environment. In particular, they should ensure that all areas of the home are cleaned to a high standard. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)  The registered person should ensure that children are actively encouraged to read their records and add further information to them. In particular, they should ensure that children have opportunities to see and comment on the records of their key-work conversations with staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.6)

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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: 2547560 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Legion House, 75 Lower Road, Kenley CR8 5NH

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Inspectors

Thobekile Bandama, Social Care Inspector Nurnahar Bhuniya, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2547560 8 and 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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