Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC059037 Inspection date 26/02/2014 Inspector Helen Lee Type of inspection Interim Provision subtype Children's home

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Date of last inspection 14/05/2013 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Brief description of the service

This is a privately owned children's home offering care and accommodation to four young people experiencing severe emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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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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Progress

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

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Progress

At the full inspection in May 2013 the home was judged satisfactory overall. Five requirements and seven recommendations were made and the home has successfully addressed the majority of these. The Registered Manager left the home and the home was unoccupied for a short time. Recently a young person was moved to the home with a staff group and an acting manager from another of the organisation’s homes. This manager is currently completing the application process to become the Registered Manager at this home.

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Progress

The provider was required to ensure the Registered Manager be provided with regular and on-going supervision. This occurred and provided better opportunities to support the previous manager and evaluate her role. The new manager at the home has been provided with supervision by the regional manager.

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Progress

The home has established internal monitoring systems. The manager has a clear understanding of the conduct of the home, events leading to incidents within the home and actions taken to improve outcomes for young people. The required areas are reviewed; incidents such as absences and behavioural issues are now explored in a more qualitative way. Hence, the manager is able to demonstrate the impact and value living at the home has had. Although the external monitoring process now includes consulting with young people themselves, their parents or significant others, the internal monitoring system does not.

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Progress

The use of door alarms is included in the Statement of Purpose, and recorded in young people's placement plans and therefore young people are now able to discuss and record their views about this provision with their social worker. In addition, the home has a policy of frequently assessing and reviewing this practice, which is highlighted in a consent form which social workers have signed.

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Progress

Due to the consistent staffing and tailored individual work there has been no restraint in the last two months, this has been a clear reduction. A new format of recording physical interventions now follows the detail required by the regulation, although there has been no physical intervention incidents since the home’s implementation of this log. Therefore such processes are yet to become embedded and it is not yet possible to measure their effectiveness or impact.

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Progress

Young people now benefit from placement plans and risk assessments which set out any specific agreed strategies to reduce the incidences of any negative behaviour exhibited by the child. There have not been any incidences of young people going missing from care for over a month. The home have completed some work to update their policies from 2006, however, they are not working to the current Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols and procedures maintained and managed by the police. Therefore, the recommendation concerning this is remade at this visit. This inspection also identified a shortfall in the quality of records relating to young people going missing. While this occurs rarely, details are recorded in different documents or formats. This makes it difficult to track the efforts of staff to find a young person and any action taken upon their return. This shortfall has limited impact upon young people but a recommendation is made to streamline the way

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Progress

Young people at the home now have access to the internet. One young person explained what he liked to look at through his tablet and other mobile device. This now ensures that children have access to a range of resources to support their learning. The home has an internet policy in place regarding the use of social media and has systems in place to monitor the useage appropriately.

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Progress

The organisation has now developed a written impact assessment regarding matching considerations and how the placement can meet both the needs of the referred young person as well as the current group of young people.

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Progress

Staff undertake regular mandatory training. In addition, more specific training courses to meet the emerging needs of the young people has now been provided, such as complex health needs, understanding mental health and smoking cessation. Recent courses have included infection control, managing eating disorders, equality and diversity, epilepsy, autism awareness, gang culture, effective communication and child sexual exploitation. Management and staff have found these courses to be beneficial in enhancing their knowledge in these areas. However, the learning and development programme has not been evaluated to ensure it is effective. Although training opportunities are explored during staff appraisals, these have not taken into account any views of children the service is providing for and therefore this recommendation is remade at this visit.

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Progress

One young person gives the home a 'double thumbs up' whilst their social worker states that 'although in the early stages, the home is a pro-active placement.'

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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, a written record is made in a volume kept for the purpose of which shall include confirmation that the child concerned has been spoken to and the details of any methods used to avoid the need to use that measure. (Regulation 17B (3)(h) and (4)(b)) 31/03/2014

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) provide for consultation with children, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (3)) 30/04/2014

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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 the home's procedures are compatible with and have regard to Runaway and Missing from Home and Care protocols and procedures maintained and managed by the police (NMS 5.6)  ensure that written records detail action taken by staff, the circumstances of the child's return, any reasons and any action taken (NMS 5.10)  evaluate at least annually the effectiveness of the home's training and development programme (NMS 18.2)  ensure that staff appraisals take into account any views of children the service is providing for. (NMS 19.6)

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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.

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