Children's home run by Blue Mountain Homes Ltd in Ealing

Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 1 SC059998

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Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes 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 home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care for up to four children with learning disabilities.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is led by a qualified manager who is registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the 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

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: SC059998 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

17/05/2022 Full Requires improvement to be good 22/03/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 06/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 08/11/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy positive relationships with staff who genuinely care about them. Staff use their knowledge, skills and experience to meet the needs of the children in a nurturing manner. The children trust staff to help and support them. This has supported the development of strong relationships and bonds.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide children with clear and consistent boundaries about what is safe and acceptable and seek to understand the triggers for children’s behaviour. For example, staff use words that are familiar to children to support them to make positive choices. There is a strong emphasis from staff on providing children with predictable and consistent care, and this means children are flourishing.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to participate in a wide range of activities. As a result, children have lots of fun and laughter, and they create memories while enjoying new experiences. This has included trips to favourite theme parks, going to the park, bowling, baking and much more. This enables children to develop their social skills and grow in confidence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children’s moves into the home are exceptionally well planned. The manager ensures that they have all the information they need before children move in. Staff work closely with parents, social workers and the professionals involved with the child at this important time in their life. This approach helps to support the children’s smooth transition into the home. One professional said, ‘It was a seamless transition. This was down to the hard work by them. I cannot thank them enough for the level of care they have and continue to provide to children.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Both children are in full-time education. Staff have supported one child to remain at their previous school, despite this being a further distance, to ensure continuity for the child. One professional said, ‘They [staff] have also been fantastic in transporting [the child] and really value his education; they have made the world of difference.’ Another child has had a smooth transition to her new secondary school and is making good progress.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children’s families remain central to their lives. Family members are positive about the manager and the staff. One parent said, ‘Initially, my feelings of my child going into a residential setting were not great, but they have been amazing, and they have always gone above and beyond in all areas.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children views, wishes and feelings are gathered in one-to-one sessions with staff and in house meetings. These are regular and consistent, ensuring that children’s views are given regular careful consideration when making decisions about their lives. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 4

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

Any risks associated with children are understood by the staff who look after them. Risks are kept under regular review. There are a range of strategies in place designed to support staff in their work with children. As a result, children receive excellent help and support to manage their behaviours and feelings safely.

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

Staff support children to feel safe. Staff can identify subtle cues in children’s behaviours that enable them to provide appropriate and highly individualised support to children. The registered manager and staff provide children with a consistent and reliable daily routine. Staff provide emotional warmth and understanding. This supports children to feel protected and secure.

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

Staff meet children’s health needs well. This is particularly the case with children’s medication. There is effective partnership working between staff and health professionals, which has enabled one child to have their medication reduced. Each child has a detailed document called a health and well-being passport. This serves as a reminder to staff of the child’s needs and any medication prescribed for the child.

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

Children do not go missing from care. Staff supervise the children closely in the home and when they are out in the community. Staff fully understand what to do should a child go missing, as there are clear protocols and policies in place to guide staff practice.

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

Staff help children to keep safe while they participate in online activities. Staff employ a variety of strategies to protect children, including setting out expectations and staff having open access to children’s online accounts. Staff are appropriately trained to help children to manage online activity safely, which is strengthened by online restrictions in place. Consequently, children can enjoy online activities while understanding the potential risks and remaining safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is committed to the children and staff. She is supported by a deputy who shares the same vision. They work well together and have created a culture of high expectations and an excellent standard of care for children. As a result, children thrive in a nurturing environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say they are well supported by managers. Training and development opportunities are detailed and thorough. The manager ensures that comprehensive training is in place for staff. The manager has arranged additional bespoke training to support the team to further meet the needs of children. The manager understands the benefits of investing in staff through training and development. As a result, there is a committed staff team.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have received regular supervision, and these sessions include scenario-based questions and discussions about the needs of the children. However, not all sessions Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 5 are reflective in nature. This is a missed opportunity to continue to support staff to develop in their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Regular team meetings enable in-depth discussions about each child, including their progress, any concerns and their overall care. The meetings provide a time for learning and development. This has led to ongoing improvements in practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager uses a range of quality assurance tools and monitoring systems effectively. This includes daily, weekly and monthly checks of the home, as well as monthly audits and regular practice observations. This ensures that the manager has good oversight of the care of the children and assurances that children continue to receive good standards of care. Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 6

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that systems are in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice from an appropriately qualified and experienced professional, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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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: SC059998 7

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Blue Mountain Homes Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Unit 20-21, Pullman Business Court, Mallard Way, Pride Park, Derby DE24 8GX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Pradeep Manaktala

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Inspector

Zoey Lee, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC059998 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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