Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC357981 Inspection date 18/09/2013 Inspector Mark Blesky Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 16/01/2013 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

This is a privately owned children’s home. The home caters for up to four children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties who have a wide range of needs.

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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

This home provides good outcomes for young people. Young people make good progress in this home and young people that previously engaged in going missing and negative behaviour, have made some remarkable progress. Young people are safe and staff members maintain robust safeguarding practices. Young people's health is well maintained and young people are promptly registered with core health services. Young people learn the importance of maintaining good health and staff are proactive in this area.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people attend school and education regularly and this is another area where progress has been made. Young people that previously attended irregularly or refused school and education are now engaged in their learning. Education is valued by the home and achievements are celebrated.

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Overall effectiveness

Planning is highly individualised and demonstrates an awareness of children's more diverse needs and how these needs impact on their daily care. Behaviour management is effective and less punitive measures of control are favoured, which engage young people in taking responsibility for themselves. Risk assessment is generally well managed, however the review of risk assessment needs to be more explicit.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is well maintained in most areas; however staff need to be vigilant to ensure that young people maintain their rooms to an acceptable standard.

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Overall effectiveness

The practice of maintaining up-to-date and comprehensive records is very impressive and the home maintains exceptional standards in this area. The manager's monthly monitoring is effective in identifying the activities within the home. However, evaluation of these activities is inconsistent in some areas and therefore this does not always make clear how quality has been measured.

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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

(2001) ensure that all parts of the children's home used by children are of sound construction and kept in good structural repair externally and internally, kept clean and reasonably decorated and maintained (Regulations 31 (2) (d) (e)) 30/11/2013

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) establish and maintain a system for improving the quality of care provided in the children's home. (Regulation 34 (1) (b)) 30/11/2013

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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

 implement a proportionate approach to any risk assessment and review (NMS 4.5)

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people make good progress and develop increased self-confidence, through beneficial and sustained attachments with staff and one another. Young people say that they feel confident and able to express their views, wishes and feelings. Young people feel valued and important. Young people understand that staff care about them and will help them make decisions that are in their best interests.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have developed an understanding of the importance of their health. They understand the importance of attending appointments and the importance of diet and general health. Young people understand that their lifestyle choices impact on their health and they are guided by staff to make the right choices.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people understand the importance of education and they understand that the education and learning has an impact on their life chances. Staff members promote learning and encourage young people to take responsibility for some of the learning. As a result young people are more engaged in their learning and more motivated to achieve in this area.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people have the opportunities to engage with their peers and the wider community and staff promote this inclusion. Where young people prefer individual activities, staff devise ways to integrate them within the wider community.

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Outcomes for children and young people

Young people enjoy regular contact with friends and relatives and the staff are proactive in this area. Staff members are deployed to support young people both with practical arrangements and emotional support. This results in young people benefiting from quality contact with friends and relatives. Where possible, friends and relatives are invited into the home and young people gain a sense of pride from this.

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Outcomes for children and young people

All young people are supported to gain skills that will be necessary for their independence. While there are more formal plans for older children, all young people, irrespective of age, are encouraged to gain skills and develop knowledge in looking after themselves. Independence plans are comprehensive and detailed and produced in a format that engages young people. Young people say that they have gained increased self-confidence from successfully achieving goals and gaining increased responsibility.

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Quality of care

Young people form and sustain positive and effective relationships with staff members. Young people say the staff understand them and understand their needs and show them respect. Young people are well supported by staff that understand young people's individuality and support them to achieve their goals.

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Quality of care

Young people are consulted about their care. They can express their views about their care planning and young people are spoken to more formally in key working sessions. Young people say that they express themselves during resident’s meetings and they feel their views influence the home. Young people also understand their rights and understand how to complain. Any complaint is addressed appropriately in the home and young people are supported through the complaint's procedure.

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Quality of care

All young people have comprehensive up-to-date placement plans. Plans are individual and demonstrate the staff understand young people's more diverse needs. Placement plans consider young people's age, their ethnicity and other factors such as faith and gender. Care plans are highly individualised and demonstrate effective support for the young people.

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Quality of care

Young people's health is well-managed and young people are registered with core services very promptly after arrival at the home. Staff members receive training. This equips them to understand the importance of healthcare, diet and personal care. Young people are supported by effective medication and administration practices. All young people's medication is well managed and administered safely.

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Quality of care

Young people say they enjoy healthy and nutritious meals and they say the staff guide them towards making healthy choices. Young people understand how lifestyle choices can impact on the health. Young people have gained an understanding of the importance of more general health.

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Quality of care

Young people engage in activities that encourage exercise and staff promote activities that involve inclusion into the wider community. One young person commented that they have joined a bowling club and also regularly play football. All young people confirmed that they have opportunities to join clubs and engage in activities.

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Quality of care

Young people are supported in their schooling and further education. Staff members liaise regularly with education providers and understand young people's educational needs. One teacher commented that staff are very supportive of a young person's education, they are proactive and motivated and communicate frequently with the school. The home has high expectations for young people's education and all staff understand the importance of learning.

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Quality of care

The home celebrates young people's achievements and young people say that they feel a sense of pride when they achieve. Young people that are in further education are supported in a similar way and say that staff encourage and support them in their studies.

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Quality of care

The home is generally well maintained in most areas and furnished to a high standard. However, it was noted that one young person's bedroom had not been maintained effectively. While it is recognised young people should be enabled to choose how they manage their rooms, the home must maintain adequate standards and ensure rooms are kept within these standards.

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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 are safe and say that they feel safe. They say they are protected and looked after by staff that understand their needs and the need for their safety. Young people say that bullying is not present in this home, but if it were, staff would act promptly to address it. Young people are protected by staff that understand their vulnerability and their need to be safeguarded.

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Safeguarding children and young people

All visitors to the home are carefully supervised and no visitor is allowed unsupervised access to the home or the young people. Young people are further supported by effective recruitment practices and no staff member is able to begin work until reference checks and statutory checks have been completed. Young people are protected by effective systems that prevent unsuitable people coming into contact with them.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Any allegations or suspicions of harm are well managed and staff act promptly and efficiently to address these. All staff receive training that provides them with the knowledge and expertise in dealing with any concerns for safeguarding.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people rarely go missing from this home and progress in this area has been remarkable. Young people that had previously gone missing daily, do not now go missing. One social worker commented that the homes ability to engage with a child and prevent them going missing has been outstanding. The home does, however, have clear and comprehensive guidance to address any young person going missing. This includes a missing person’s protocol, which is being conducted with the local police. Staff are proactive and successful in preventing young people going missing.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people generally behave well in this home and sanctions are used sparingly. Staff members favour a more co-operative, negotiated style of behaviour management, allowing young people to take responsibility for some of their behaviours. Young people say that when they are upset or behaving negatively, staff are supportive and caring and this usually prevents more negative behaviour resulting.

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Safeguarding children and young people

Young people are protected by an environment that is physically safe and risks have been minimised. Risk assessment is comprehensive and carried out regularly to ensure the environment remains safe for children's current and emerging needs. Risk assessment is also carried out individually, for each young person and are diverse and highly individualised. Risk assessments are regularly updated and reviewed. However, it is not always clear what factors have been assessed that influence the review and the resulting judgement.

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Leadership and management

The leadership and management of the children's home are good .

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Leadership and management

The home is effectively managed by a permanent and experienced registered manager. The registered manager is a strong and effective leader and staff say that she motivates and supports them very effectively. The home continues to review its practices and improve the services for young people. Staff say that this is an active process and they meet regularly during team meetings to discuss quality assurance. A social worker stated that they are clear about the services that are being provided for their young person; adding that the home provides effective services for the young person including social workers being kept up-to-date of any developments.

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Leadership and management

The manager understands the strengths and weaknesses of the home and acts promptly to address these where they are identified. The home maintains a Statement of Purpose, which details the services and support that is provided for young people. This document is regularly reviewed to ensure that it reflects the current needs of the young people accommodated. The manager monitors and quality assures the home each month and identifies areas for development or areas of shortfall. Action is taken to address any area of shortfall. This process is generally effective however, evaluation of the quality of care is not always consistent and it is not always easy to determine how quality has been measured. Evaluation of the quality of care is not always explicit.

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Leadership and management

The manager and staff engage with young people effectively and have formed relationships where they can discuss the home's performance and how well they are meeting young people's needs. Two young people commented that staff are constantly concerned about their views, their wishes and their feelings. One young person commented that this is the best home that they have been in.

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Leadership and management

Young people are supported by sufficient numbers of experienced and motivated staff members. Staff understand the young people's needs and understand the importance of forming and maintaining effective relationships with them.

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Leadership and management

Relationships are warm and caring and young people say that staff are always there for them. All staff receive regular training to ensure that their practice is effective and up-to-date. Training in core areas of care is mandatory with refresher training provided regularly. Staff say that training is challenging and beneficial and helps them to shape and develop their practice.

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Leadership and management

In addition, staff members have regular supervision which they find beneficial and supportive. Two staff members commented that supervision is an opportunity where they can discuss young people, care planning and their own development.

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Leadership and management

The home is well maintained in most areas however, it was noted that maintenance has been delayed in some areas and repeated notifications have been made to the maintenance team to address these areas. It is acknowledged that these are typically more minor areas however, delays in maintenance will impact on the quality of care.

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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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