Children's Home run by Achieving for Children Community Interest Company in Richmond upon Thames

Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 1 Registered provider: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This privately run home provides care for up to five children with social or emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in September 2020. The registered manager left in March 2023. A new manager was appointed in April 2023 and has applied to Ofsted to be registered.

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Information about this children’s home

At the time of the inspection there were three children living in 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: 10 October 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: 2576346 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/10/2023 Full Good 14/06/2022 Full Good 23/11/2021 Full Good 24/08/2021 Full Inadequate Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Staff genuinely care about the children and take pride in children’s achievements. Children get to go on trips including holidays abroad, and they pursue their hobbies and interests. This positive support encourages children to achieve their goals and to aspire for their future.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers ensure that children’s needs are considered before they move into the home, and the transition is well planned. Children who are new to the home are helped to understand the expectations of the home and how staff will support them. This enables children to settle quickly.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make good educational progress. Two children are in school and have just completed their exams. The virtual school team is supporting the third child while waiting for a school placement.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work with health professionals to ensure that children have access to the right support and advice to promote their physical and emotional well-being. However, one child’s frequent missing-from-home episodes have meant they have missed appointments that are important to their health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff give children opportunities to explore their emotions. There are regular house meetings that children actively participate in, and the children’s feedback is acted on. However, positive feedback from children, their families and professionals is not measured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to enable children to stay in touch with the people who are important to them. This positive support has been instrumental in children maintaining significant relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff work hard to ensure that children live in a homely atmosphere. Staff encourage the children to personalise their bedrooms according to the children’s likes. This gives children a sense of belonging.

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

When a child was asked how safe they felt in the home, they replied ‘100 per cent’. Staff work closely with families, social workers and the police to support children’s safety and emotional well-being.

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

Staff know about the children’s vulnerabilities. They ensure that risk assessments are detailed and help staff to address concerns that can impact on children’s welfare and safety. The risk assessments are lengthy, which may impede staff’s ability to review the most pertinent risks. Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 4 Staff encourage children to make positive choices and to understand the consequences of their behaviour. Children understand that it is okay to make mistakes. This open dialogue has enhanced children’s levels of awareness into their own strengths and vulnerabilities.

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

Staff respond promptly when children go missing from the home. They maintain contact with the children and work with social workers and the police to ensure that the children return home safely.

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

Managers ensure that safe recruitment procedures are in place. This helps to make sure that only suitable adults are recruited to work with children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers are enthusiastic about providing a good quality of care to the children. They work closely with external professionals, and feedback is positive. These partnerships help to ensure that children are protected, feel secure and know that people care about them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff speak positively about working at the home. For example, two members of staff commented that they felt valued and supported by managers.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers use systems to monitor and review the care that children receive. This level of monitoring helps managers to have a good level of oversight of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision. This provides opportunities for staff to reflect on their practice and the children’s support needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive bespoke training that is centred around the needs of the children. Staff share learning in team meetings and apply skills to their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive annual appraisals. These provide them with the opportunity to receive feedback on their practice, while having their performance formally reviewed. However, the records of these sessions do not evidence clear action planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The managers have ensured that there is a workforce development plan in place. However, this is lengthy, thus losing its desired purpose and impact.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Leaders and managers have not ensured that when changes to the statement of purpose are made that a copy is provided to the regulator. Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 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 must provide a copy of the statement of purpose to HMCI and make a copy of it available upon request to—

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Requirement Due date

a child, or a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

a parent of a child, or a parent of a child for whom accommodation in the home is being considered;

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Requirement Due date

in the case of a qualifying school, the Secretary of State. (Regulation 16 (2)(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)) 30 August 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they notify Ofsted and other relevant persons if one of the situations specified in regulation 40(4)(a)-(d) occurs, or if there is an incident relating to the protection, safeguarding or welfare of a child living in the home which the registered person considers to be serious. (‘Guide to the Children’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.10)  The registered person should ensure that when incidents of control, discipline and restraint occur, there is appropriate management oversight and analysis, with recorded debriefs for staff and children. (‘Guide to the Children’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 11.5)  The registered person should ensure that they have a workforce plan which can fulfil the workforce-related requirements of regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs19 and 20). The plan should: detail the necessary management and staffing structure, the

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Recommendations

experience and qualifications of staff currently working within the staffing structure and any further training required for those staff, to enable the delivery of the home’s statement of purpose. (‘Guide to the Children’s Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 10.8) Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 6  The registered person should ensure that staff understand the importance of careful and clear recording. In particular, the registered person should ensure that all record- keeping is consistent. Information about the child in risk assessments must always be recorded in a way that will be helpful to the child and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Information about this inspection

The inspector has 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: 2576346 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Achieving for Children Community Interest Company

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: First Floor Civic Centre, 44 York Street, Twickenham, TW1 3BW

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Inspector

Richard Wyper, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2576346 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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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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