Children's Home run by Quality Care Homes (UK) Limited in Slough

Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 1 Registered provider: Quality Care Homes (UK) Limited

p.1

Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The home is privately owned and can care for up to four children with learning disabilities. The home provides long-term and short-breaks care. At the time of the inspection, there was one child living at the home and three staying for short breaks at weekends.

p.1

Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in November 2018.

p.1

Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

p.1

requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: requires improvement to be good

p.1

requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 2

p.1

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/03/2025 Full Requires improvement to be good 29/02/2024 Full Good 10/05/2022 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 3

p.2

improvement to be good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out. This child moved on as a natural progression to live more independently after living here for several years. Currently, one child lives in the home permanently and three other children come to stay in the home for a short break at weekends. Staff and managers strive to gain as much information about the children they care for from professionals and their families. This informs their individual care plans to help the staff in providing the children with consistent care.

p.3

improvement to be good

There are areas of the home environment that are not homely. For example, a few of the children’s rooms have curtains in place that are poorly fitted and in need of updating. A window in the hall is cracked and has not been replaced. No efforts have been made yet to gain the children’s views about the décor of the home. One living room is very bare and uninviting. One of the children’s social workers describes this room as ‘sterile’ and said it ‘does not have a warm feeling’.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff help the children to participate in decisions about their lives. Staff use communication resources to enable the children to make informed choices. The staff’s recording of choices offered, and the children’s decisions is not consistently completed. This means that children’s voices in their decision-making are vague.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of ensuring that the children develop important life skills. The children can now access the kitchen in the home. However, there are no plans in place for the staff to help the children understand risks in the kitchen. This is a missed opportunity for staff to help the children make progress in their independence skills and keeping safe.

p.3

improvement to be good

Children are supported to maintain relationships with their family. Staff welcome children’s families into the home. Staff support the children in exploring their identity by attending cultural community events linked to the children’s background.

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff understand the importance of educational achievement. A home tutor is attending to home to provide education to the child who lives at the home long term. Staff work with the child, social worker and parents to ensure that there is a planned return to full- time education.

p.3

improvement to be good

The children enjoy a range of activities. The children have made positive links with local services that create opportunities for their social engagement, such as leisure facilities and an urban farm. The children also enjoy a range of activities, such as bowling, going to the cinema and local parks. This ensures that the children have fun and positive experiences during their time in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 4

p.3

improvement to be good

Staff manage incidents and children’s behaviours well. Consequently, there has been no need for staff to use physical intervention as de-escalation strategies have been effective.

p.4

improvement to be good

Staff assessments of the children’s risks lack detail. Staff use assessments to identify risks for the children; however, there are no clear plans to reduce the risks. Staff do not help the children to understand risks around them and how to keep themselves safe. This limits the children’s ability to assess the risks themselves to build independence skills.

p.4

improvement to be good

Generally, the manager gives careful consideration to any new children who may come to stay in the home. While compatibility assessments are informed, strategies identified for managing the children’s individual risks and behaviours lack detail. Consequently, staff practice could be hindered due to these plans not explicitly stating vital pieces of information when meeting a new child’s needs.

p.4

improvement to be good

Children rarely go missing from the home. There has been one occasion when a child and staff were away from the home. The child became missing from the staff member’s care. The staff response was collaborative, and police were called to assist with the search for this child. This resulted in the child returning home with staff safely. The manager did not notify Ofsted of this serious incident. As a result, Ofsted, as the regulator, has not had full oversight of the home and any actions that have been taken to keep this child safe.

p.4

improvement to be good

Plans for the children’s personal care are not effective. The staff do not involve the children in designing the plans for their own personal care. There are no clear plans in place to help the children with personal care tasks and encourage good hygiene. The care for the children is not carried out in a child-centred and respectful manner.

p.4

improvement to be good

The manager has made some efforts since the last inspection to rectify the substantial gaps in one member of staff’s employment history. However, there was no evidence to suggest that this staff member’s references from previous roles involving vulnerable groups have been verified. While this has had no effect on the care provided to the children, it has the potential to do so.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A suitably qualified registered manager leads the staff team. They are also registered with Care Quality Commission for the adult service that is located next door. Since the last inspection, there has been little improvement made to the assessment of the children’s risks. There are still some maintenance issues and areas in the home environment that could be improved. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 5 The manager does not always ensure that the staff have the skills and knowledge to care for the children. The manager does not provide a forum for staff to plan for new children arriving in the home. Staff have not been provided training to care for children who go missing from home, despite this being a risk for one child. However, staff do say that they receive regular supervision and opportunities for development.

p.4

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The reports from the independent person are ineffective. The independent person does not always include a statement in their reports about the safeguarding of the children. The visitor gains limited feedback from the children, parents and professionals to inform their report of the quality of care for the children.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Team meetings do not always aid staff development. The manager meets with the staff quarterly. These meetings do not focus on staff development and reflective practice. Recent incidents involving the children have not been routinely discussed. This is a missed opportunity for learning and improving practice.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The staff do not have key knowledge to help them carry out their roles effectively. Staff work across this home and the organisation’s adult social care settings. Consequently, staff do not fully understand children’s home regulations and standards that underpin their practice. Staff are not always clear on what is a serious incident that needs to be notified to Ofsted.

p.5

The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Most staff have the required qualification. However, one staff member has worked in the team for six years and has yet to start the required qualification. This means that not all the staff have the required qualifications within the relevant timescale. Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 6

p.5

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.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

p.6

Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e)) 14 August 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that an independent person visits the children’s home at least once each month.

p.6

Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

p.6

Requirement Due date

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires.

p.6

Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit ("the independent person’s report") which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether—

p.6

Requirement Due date

children are effectively safeguarded. (Regulation 44 (1) (2)(a) (4)(a)) 14 August 2025

p.6

Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

p.6

Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home;

p.6

Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

p.6

Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. 14 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 7 For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

p.6

Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) (“the Level 3 Diploma”); or

p.7

Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a) (3)(d) (4)(a)(b))

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered provider must take all reasonable steps to verify references and the reasons why new employees have left previous employment in supporting vulnerable groups. This is a repeat requirement.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The manager must ensure that staff working in the children’s home attain the required qualification.

p.7

Requirement Due date

The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure—

p.7

Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(ii)) 14 August 2025

p.7

Requirement Due date

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

p.7

Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children;

p.7

Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

p.7

Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

p.7

Requirement Due date

ensure that staff— 14 August 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 8 treat each child with dignity and respect;

p.7

Requirement Due date

help each child to develop resilience and skills that prepare the child to return home, to live in a new placement or to live independently as an adult;

p.8

Requirement Due date

make decisions about the day-to-day arrangements for each child, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans, which give the child an appropriate degree of freedom and choice. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(vi)(ix))

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that there are clear plans of care for staff to follow that involve the children’s choices and promote dignified care.

p.8

Requirement Due date

In particular, the manager must ensure that the staff help the children to take positive risks and develop independence skills for adulthood.

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered provider should ensure that the home is a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of their children. They will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. (Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

p.8

Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, and should understand the key role they play in the training and development of staff in the home. (Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

p.8

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: 1183799 9

p.8

Children’s home details

Registered provider: Quality Care Homes (UK) Limited

p.9

Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 6th Floor, Amp House, Croydon CR0 2LX

p.9

Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Balwinder Randhawa

p.9

Inspector

Karen Flanagan de Martinez, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1183799 10 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.

p.9

Inspector

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.10

Inspector

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.10

Inspector

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.10