Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Kent

Unique reference number SC416915 Inspection date 13/08/2013 Inspector Sophie Wood Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 27/02/2013 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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Brief description of the service

The children’s home is owned by a private company and accommodates up to seven young people. It is one of three children’s homes owned by the company. The home offers a care and support for young people that have a range of behavioural and emotional difficulties.

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The inspection judgements and what they mean

Outstanding : a service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements Good : a service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements Adequate : a service that only meets minimum requirements Inadequate : a service that does not meet minimum requirements

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Overall effectiveness

The overall effectiveness is judged to be good .

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Overall effectiveness

Young people enjoy, and benefit from, good and in some cases, excellent outcomes across all aspects of their growth and on-going development. This impacts positively upon their social, educational, behavioural and personal growth and is derived from effective, flexible and individually tailored care planning.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people appreciate the varied consultation processes which are used by the staff on a regular basis. They effectively express their views and give their opinions about the quality of the care they receive. Young people are as autonomous as their needs and abilities allow. Some young people do not always agree with decisions but they do understand why they are made.

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Overall effectiveness

Over time, young people begin to appreciate the clear behavioural expectations and structures which are in place. Challenging and risky behaviours, such as running away, are reducing. Young people speak of close and trusting relationships with the staff. They say this helps them to make good decisions and choices most of the time. When young people do engage in unsafe behaviours, staff are consistent in appropriately challenging and managing these. The majority of care records are in good order and this assists with personalised care planning. However, some shortfalls are apparent with regards to individual risk assessments, daily log books and the physical intervention log. Requirements and recommendations are made from this visit to address these areas.

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Overall effectiveness

There are many good aspects of the service provision. These mainly relate to the quality judgements and includes care planning, relationships, educational support, staff training and activity provision. Such good outcomes place the quality of the physical environment in stark contrast. Although safe and well maintained, the home has very limited communal space and the overall décor is unimaginative and bland.

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Overall effectiveness

Effective management arrangements are tackling areas of perceived weakness. Senior leaders are reviewing and strengthening the monitoring processes of the home and wider organisation. The one requirement and two recommendations from the previous inspection have been satisfactorily addressed. More positively, the home is now better at establishing its own areas of shortfalls and works on improvements as soon as these are identified. These quality assurance processes are having a positive impact upon the overall quality of the service but a small number of omissions in records have not been identified through such monitoring.

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Overall effectiveness

Two requirements, relating to physical restraint records and five recommendations, concerned mainly with the quality of records are made from this inspection.

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Statutory Requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person/s meets the Care Standards Act 2000, Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and the National Minimum Standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) ensure that within 24 hours of the use of any measure of control, restraint or discipline in a children's home, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose of which shall include all of the elements of (a) to (h) (Regulation 17B (3) 30/09/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

17B (2001) where a measure of restraint is used on a child the record under paragraph (3) must include- (a) the duration of the measure of restraint (Regulation 17B (4)(a) 30/09/2013

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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 the planned review of the Statement of Purpose is completed (NMS 13.3)  ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment and is well maintained and decorated. Avoidable hazards are removed as is consistent with a domestic setting. Risk reduction does not lead to an institutional feel. This recommendation is made within the context of the lack of communal space and the overall décor of the home (NMS 10.3)  encourage children to take appropriate risks as a normal part of growing up. This recommendation is made within the context of encouraging young people to develop and review their own risk assessments (NMS 4.4)  ensure that information about the child is recorded clearly and in a way which will be helpful to the child when they access their files now or in the future. This recommendation is made within the context of improving upon the quality of the individual daily log books (NMS 22.5)

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Recommendations

 ensure the manager regularly monitors, in line with regulations, all records kept by the home to ensure compliance with the home's policies, to identify any concerns about specific incidents and to identify patterns and trends. This recommendation specifically relates to an omission within a health record. (NMS 21.2)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy and benefit from developing trusting and positive relationships with the staff team. Those living here for longer periods speak candidly about their early days. They say, 'the staff have stuck by me' and 'they make me see sense.' Young people develop a mature outlook about their futures. When they do still periodically make errors in judgement, staff persevere and encourage young people to take responsibility and learn from their mistakes. Equally, those very new to the home readily settle and say, 'it was so welcoming when I first arrived, I want to stay here.'

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people are actively encouraged to explore their own personal experiences and journeys. Each young person is at a different stage within this process: some individuals have grown considerably in terms of emotional resilience and understanding their pasts, whereas others are less engaging. Nevertheless, the staff team consistently encourages young people to engage in this support.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people respond very positively to the home's drive and commitment towards developing healthy lifestyles. Each young person fully engages in menu planning, food preparation and joining in with the extensive range of physical activities which are readily available. Young people benefit from individualised and targeted support in terms of their lifestyle choices. Some young people continue to engage in risky behaviours which are damaging to their health, including drug use. However, a persistent and educative approach is seeing a dramatic reduction in the frequency of these occurrences. Similarly, young people are developing a far better understanding of sex and relationships, in what this means for their own physical and emotional well-being. This approach results in young people developing an improved sense of self-worth and a renewed confidence in who they are.

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Outcomes for children and young people

School attendance has dramatically improved for the young people; some of whom were not attending at all when they first joined the home. Young people say, 'it's not worth arguing, part of living here is that you have to go to school.' Some young people have moved beyond this resigned acceptance and further state, 'I've actually found that I like school and I want to do well.' Young people stand to make continued progress in this regard because the team works flexibly in response to their individual needs. One young person became very disengaged last term and this summer period has been creatively used to explore potential apprenticeship schemes with positive results.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people actively contribute to the daily running of the home. Their contributions to decisions are highly valued and acted upon. One example was choosing to create a vegetable patch in the garden and this is now bearing produce. Some excellent examples of community spirit places the home in a very positive light. Individual young people have eagerly engaged in charity fund raising and the home's positive and regular use of local facilities receives positive feedback from neighbours and local groups. Young people begin to appreciate the value of being a part of the local community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Some complicated and complex arrangements for contact are very well supported by the home. Young people place very high value on this very important aspect. Where their needs dictate, the home goes to great lengths to ensure these arrangements are facilitated and, where necessary supervised, to ensure young people get the very best from such arrangements.

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Outcomes for children and young people

A number of the young people are actively preparing for the next stage in their lives. For some, this means returning to their parents and for others it involves moving onto independent living arrangements. Such young people are receiving the support they need to prepare for this transition. Young people are learning and practising necessary life skills. Some are engaging more positively than others and the team is sensitively supporting those who are understandably anxious about this next step

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Quality of care

The Registered Manager demonstrates good skills in the deployment of the staff team, particularly in respect of allocating key workers to individual young people. These relationships work because they are well supported, not only by senior staff but by colleagues as well who deliver a seamless approach to the style of care best suited to each young person.

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Quality of care

Young people respond very positively to the unique personalities of the staff team members. They describe them all very differently in terms of 'strict, funny, a good laugh, sometimes moaning at me and caring.' Young people like such differences and say there is always someone to go to if they need a particular piece of advice or support.

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Quality of care

The current group of young people are experiencing a wide range of differing needs. Much work is being completed through one-to-one staffing levels and due to the current summer holiday period, many individual activities are occurring outside of the home. There are periods, such as mealtimes, where groups do come together and these occasions are effectively used to encourage positive group dynamics. Some of the young people have formed very positive friendships with their peers. Staff are also extremely alert to potential risks, such as negatively influencing each other's behaviour, or for episodes of bullying to occur. Proactive planning keeps such occurrences to a minimum. It is also very positive to see some of the longer-standing young people demonstrating real acts of kindness and reassurance to newcomers.

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Quality of care

Varied consultation forums and processes ensure that young people effectively give their views and opinions about all aspects of their care. This involves house meetings, key worker sessions, independent visitors and placement planning. Young people say they do not always want to hold regular house meetings, 'because they're sometimes boring' and they also say, 'you don't need a meeting to say what's on your mind, you just tell someone and it usually gets sorted.'

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Quality of care

Young people understand the systems that are in place for more serious concerns. Periodic use is made of the complaint's procedure and this is positively responded to. Young people say, 'sometimes I get really angry when I can't do things. I do understand later but at the time I get really wound up.' Staff demonstrate an excellent understanding of the very individual aspects and needs of each young person in this regard. Behaviour management plans are tailored to recognise individual traits and personalities. However, there is a risk that such guidance, particularly risk assessments, are not set out in any particular order of importance. This could prove to be an area of weakness, particularly for new staff members and it is recommended that this aspect is reviewed.

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Quality of care

Detailed placement plans capture the presenting and changing needs of the young people. Young people contribute to these documents and are actively encouraged to participate at their own review meetings. Placing social workers say they receive regular updates about progress and they also confirm that the staff, 'know the young people very well and offer a valuable contribution to continuing effective care planning.' In the event of new placements, the home appropriately challenges placing authorities until all of the information required for good quality care planning is received.

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Quality of care

The home strives to provide young people with an educative approach towards their own health care. Key working sessions are steeped in such guidance. Individual staff members are provided with a wide range of additional training which gives them the skills they need to deliver effective and meaningful advice on a wide range of subjects. These include, drugs and alcohol, sex and relationships and life story work. Great emphasis is placed upon recognising the difficulties some young people may be experiencing with regards to their emotional and psychological well-being. This sometimes painful process is delivered through individual key working and by accessing appropriate external support, including individual counselling therapy.

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Quality of care

The home delivers an extensive and creative approach towards meeting the educational needs of the young people. A number of them attend the organisation's own registered school. Attendance levels continue to improve. Where individuals demonstrate resistance, weekly education planners deliver bespoke arrangements which include local colleges, in-house provision and external tutoring provision. The home strives to promote the value of education to all of the young people and goes to great lengths to keep them interested and motivated.

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Quality of care

The quality and variety of activity provision within the home is superb. Young people take full advantage of this and lead very busy lives. Staff are fully engaged with the home's philosophy that active busy young people are less likely to engage in negative behaviours. Social workers say, 'my young person loves the activities, it has made such a difference.'

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Quality of care

Young people live in a suitably furnished and safely maintained home. The décor is clean and functional but overall, the aesthetics lack warmth. This is further exacerbated by the presence of security cameras indoors which are not in use but contribute to an institutional feel. Each young person enjoys the privacy of having their own bedroom but at full occupancy, there is a real lack of communal space for the young people to use and enjoy. In the event of a young person having a difficult or challenging period, this has the potential to negatively impact on everyone else present in the home. Staff are creative in working flexibly and using community resources and facilities. This diminishes the impact of the lack of space but it does not fully resolve it. The Registered Manager has considered reducing the total number of young people to be accommodated at any one time and this is judged to be a good idea.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The service is good at keeping children and young people safe and feeling safe.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say they feel very safe within the home. They attribute this to the practices of the staff team and the physical security of the building. Comments include, 'I feel safe in my bed at night because the staff are always here and we have cameras outside.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

The team is well versed in the home's own child protection procedures. Safeguarding training is regularly delivered and refreshed. Given the nature of some of the unsafe behaviours exhibited by the young people, additional enhanced training continues to be researched, such as exploitation and internet safety. Placing social workers confirm the home's solid safeguarding arrangements, as dictated by their young person's care needs. Comments include, 'my young person currently requires one-to- one supervision levels. I am always kept well informed of any issues and concerns. I am confident they are safe.'

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people say that they do not experience any issues of bullying within the home. Comments include, 'sometimes you might have an argument with someone but it gets sorted out.' Staff are vigilant in this regard. They understand where and how situations fit within the boundaries of child protection. This includes how and when to refer to and consult with the local authority designated officer. A well trained staff team is further complemented by the home's positive working relationship with the local police. Policy and procedural guidance within the home in terms of being missing is in line with local authority and police protocols. Where necessary, the Registered Manager attends meetings and forums with the police to work collaboratively in the best interests of safeguarding the young people.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Instances of being absent or missing have dramatically reduced since the last inspection. When this has occurred, staff have relentlessly pursued the young person until their safe return and then engaged in very positive key working afterwards. A similar decline is also apparent with regards to the use of physical restraint techniques and sanctions for inappropriate behaviour.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home recently changed its physical restraint training provider. Current practice is more focused upon the use of de-escalation techniques. This is evident through the records of behaviour management but there are some omissions within the physical restraint log. Although the revised working techniques are having a positive impact, the shortfalls within the records present risks in terms of being unable to thoroughly evaluate each incident.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Individual behaviour management guidance is clear. It is individually tailored and staff accurately follow these instructions. Supporting risk assessments are equally prescriptive but there is a lack of the young person's own involvement in the use and review of these. Improvements to this may be helpful in further encouraging young people to take greater responsibility for their own behaviours and safety. There are still some examples of unsafe decisions being made by some of the young people. However, the frequency and duration of these, for example, the use of drugs, is dramatically reducing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are suitably protected from potentially unsafe adults because of the home's robust recruitment practices. All prospective candidates are thoroughly vetted before coming to work at the home. Staff involved in interviews have received recruitment training. All visitors have their identity verified and they are appropriately supervised during their visit.

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Safeguarding children and young people

The home provides a safe and appropriately secure physical environment. External security cameras are unobtrusive and internal ones are not in use. It is recommended that the latter are removed. Designated staff members take appropriate responsibility for the effective monitoring of health and safety matters, such as the checking of fire safety equipment and procedures. Maintenance systems and processes have developed since the last inspection. Repairs and replacements are very swift and ensure the home poses no potential safety hazards for the young people or staff.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good . The home is very well managed by a permanent full time Registered Manager. All senior staff members possess the qualifications and experience required to ensure the day-to-day smooth running of the home. The remaining team equally possesses the qualifications that are necessary and newer staff are exactly where they should be in terms of their induction periods and subsequent diploma training. The young people receive well planned, competent care as a direct result.

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Leadership and management

The home responds positively to the inspection process. All of the previous requirements and recommendations have been addressed. The Registered Manager returned to his full time position when his wider area duties had a negative impact. The staff team and young people are delighted at his return and the wider organisation is much clearer about its continued development plans.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager understands the current strengths and weaknesses of the home. He is currently exploring the impact of the size of the property and has recently introduced improved guidance for key working sessions, to more specifically target health concerns. The Registered Manager is also reviewing the home's own Statement of Purpose, with particular emphasis upon the description of therapeutic techniques. Although external agents are accessible to provide targeted work, the staff team is not specifically trained in the delivery of therapeutic techniques. The Registered Manager does not want this document to be potentially misleading.

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Leadership and management

Monitoring systems, including Regulation 33 and 34 activity are also being scrutinised and reviewed by the wider organisation. The reports generated by these processes are getting better at identifying quality issues and this is driving improvements. Greater focus is being placed upon writing the reports from such monitoring visits in a more evaluative way. Young people are integral to these processes and their input is actively sought and recorded.

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Leadership and management

The staff team is very well supported by immediate and wider management systems. Staff members say, 'my induction was very thorough, I was allocated a mentor and I'm looking forward to starting my diploma training.' Longer-standing team members use their supervision and appraisal meetings productively. They explore their methods of working with the young people and actively ask for additional training. Staff members receive supervision and appraisal from individuals who are appropriately trained and the results are positive. The home is retaining its staff team because members feel well supported and have a definite career path within the organisation. Young people benefit from the company's continued investment in its staff.

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Leadership and management

The overall good quality of the service demonstrates the continued financial viability of the home. There remains a continued waiting list of referrals due to the home's positive track record with placing authorities. Comments from social workers include, 'there are some areas where it could improve but it has proven itself to be the best placement for my young person' and 'my young person has made outstanding progress. I would definitely place here again.' Additional factors including high staffing levels and an abundance of regular and varied activities further suggest that the home is financially viable. These factors provide some compensation for the poorer quality of the physical premises. Although the home is safe and very well maintained, its décor and lack of physical space has the potential to create a negative first impression.

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Leadership and management

The Registered Manager demonstrates a very clear understanding of his role and relationship with placing authorities. All but one placing authority comments very positively about the timing and quality of the progress information they receive. Notifications of significant events to authorities and Ofsted are timely and the home is robust in pursuing placing authorities for overdue paperwork and documents which could otherwise adversely affect good care planning.

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Leadership and management

Overall, the records maintained on a daily basis are of general good quality. Placement plans, reviews and key working sessions tell a clear story which would make sense to the young person in terms of understanding their time at the home. Other records, specifically daily log books, are less clear and have numerous gaps and omissions. This shortfall and one error within a health record was not picked up through monitoring.

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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 main strengths, any areas for improvement, including any breaches of regulation, and any failure to meet national minimum standards. The judgements included in the report are made against the Inspections of children’s homes – framework for inspection and the evaluation schedule for the inspection of children's homes.

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