Children's Home run by The Caldecott Foundation Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC037309 Inspection date 15/11/2011 Inspector Helen Lee Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 23/05/2011 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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About this inspection

The purpose of this inspection is to assure children and young people, parents, the public, local authorities and government of the quality and standard of the service provided. The inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service and to consider how well it complies with the relevant regulations and meets the national minimum standards.

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About this inspection

The report details the progress made by the provider since the last full inspection, identifies any further strengths, any areas for improvement and makes judgements as outlined in the Inspection of children’s homes – framework for inspection (March 2011).

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Good progress The children’s home has demonstrated continued improvement in quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the large majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Satisfactory progress The children’s home has maintained quality of care and outcomes for children and young people and where appropriate has addressed all requirements and the majority of recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Inadequate progress The children’s home has failed to address one or more requirements and/or has not met the majority of recommendations and/or the quality of care and outcomes for children and young people have declined since the last full inspection.

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Brief description of the service

The home is a purpose-built house registered as a children's home to provide care and accommodation for nine children. The home is run by a charitable organisation.

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Progress

Since their previous inspection the service is judged to be making good progress.

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Progress

This home was judged as a good home at the last full inspection. The home has demonstrated continued improvement in the quality of care. Children and young people’s welfare is enhanced by the good relationships that exist between staff and young people. Young people and children now also benefit from individual placement plans which are highly tailored to each young person, except with regard to cultural and identity needs. The plan has been improved to clearly include both short term and long term goals which are developed with the young people. Young people and children are involved in the new plans and their comments, often through staff, are an integral part of them. The home has an active new cultural programme covering current celebrations and events such as Remembrance Sunday, about which both staff and young people are knowledgeable and involved in. There is frequent one-to- one work with all of the young people to seek their views and feedback, as well as

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Progress

children's meetings. The young people are secure in the ability of staff to act on their views and wishes. Staff encourage young people to express their individual and diverse needs, and support them appropriately to be articulate.

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Progress

Children and young people are supported in imaginative ways to make progress across several areas of their lives, most significantly in their education and behaviour. There have also been continuing improvements in outcomes for children and young people across these areas. Children and young people have extremely good attendance at school and are positively engaged with a vast range of educational activities deployed by the home and school. Children and young people have been well supported to achieve their educational potential above and beyond assessed expectations. Young people benefit from improved recording systems, and consequently, greater monitoring of incidents has led to a reduction of incidents. Young people have also benefitted from improved staff communications which have impacted positively and delivered a high level of improvement for the young people. This is recognised by the young people themselves and by their placing social

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Progress

workers. Young people also appreciate the guidance, encouragement and help they receive from staff. Placing authorities benefit from frequent communication. This enables them to efficiently monitor the quality of each placement. Staff in the home demonstrate a good understanding of safe working practices to meet individual young people's needs. This robust safeguarding practice promotes the safety of young people, and they feel safe within the home. All staff are employed through well managed and formal interview and recruitment panels. Young people are included as part of this process including asking the candidates questions. All statutory and reference checks are carried out to ensure that staff do not work with the young people until all appropriate references are gathered. Staff are very well supported by a new manager who was previously the home’s team leader. She has a strong commitment to the young people. Staff are

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Progress

well motivated and clearly understand their roles and the expectations placed upon them through an improved management structure. Although staff receive sufficient training to enable them to provide safe, good quality and reflective care for children and young people, the home does not ensure that its learning and development programme is consistently updated, for example to provide the identified equality and diversity training. Although very comprehensive and rigorous Regulation 34 monitoring has been undertaken by the new manager, some actions have rolled over from month to month. Also, the home lacks a development plan, either identifying any planned changes in the operation or resources of the service, or confirming the continuation of the home’s current operation and resources.

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Progress

The home has appropriately addressed the one requirement that was raised at the previous inspection regarding the recording of a description of any injury and the details of any method used to avoid the need to use that measure within the physical interventions log. There has been a reduction in the number of restraints. However, the home has not fully met the recommendations that were raised at the previous inspection. Placement plans now contain clear goals and progress, but do not identifiy specific cultural and identity needs. Also there continues to be a lack of staff training in assessing equality and diversity which is mentioned above.

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Progress

There is a commitment to providing a high quality service. All staff are vigorously working towards improving outcomes. The management team consistently and effectively communicate high expectations to staff. As one social worker stated they are 'very pleased with the young person's overall progress, excellent'.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure that children's individual needs as set out in their placement plans include their cultural needs (NMS 2.3)  complete a development plan for the future of the home (NMS 15.2)  ensure that staff are equipped with the skills required to meet the needs of the children and purpose of the setting, specifically equality and diversity (NMS 18.1)  ensure action is taken to address any issues of concern which monitoring raises (NMS 21.9).

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