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

Unique reference number SC469396 Inspector Anna Williams Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd Registered person address Acorn Homes, Northdown House Northdown Park MARGATE Kent CT9 3TP Responsible individual David Laurie Knowles Registered manager Christopher Roland Holland Date of last inspection N/A 2 of 11 Inspection date 16/10/2014

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Previous inspection N/A Enforcement action since last inspection There has been no enforcement action since the home was registered.

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Overall effectiveness good

Outcomes for children and young people good Quality of care good Keeping children and young people safe good Leadership and management adequate

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Overall effectiveness

This is the first inspection of this children's home since it was registered in December 2013. It provides young people with good outcomes and keeps them safe. Leadership and management of the home requires improvement. Young people receive individualised care which is planned in partnership with placing social workers. Positive feedback has been obtained from placing authorities about the good quality of care this home gives young people. The support offered to young people in promoting their independence is a real strength. Young people are positive about the staff and the care they receive. They feel safe, and safer than previously, since living in this home.

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Overall effectiveness

Areas of shortfall identified during this inspection include: complaints records do not contain all the required investigation information and outcomes; the home lacks a central safeguarding incident record to look for overall patterns and trends; and some recruitment records do not meet regulatory requirements; some medication administration records are not completed adequately;. The shortfalls identified do not have a negative impact on the well-being and safety of young people placed.

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Overall effectiveness

Management monitoring systems within the home are not yet fully effective. The Registered Manager has a development plan in place. This focuses on improving 3 of 11 outcomes for the young people in the home. However, it does not demonstrate a full understanding of the current strengths and weaknesses of the home. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This privately owned children's home provides care and accommodation for a maximum of four young people.

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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 a written record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of the investigation (Regulation 24 (5)) 01/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that for all staff working in the home there is full and satisfactory information available in relation to each of the matters specified in Schedule 2; in particular, a written explanation of any gaps in employment (Regulation 26 (3)(1)(d)) 15/02/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure if any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person shall without delay notify the persons indicated in respect of the event in column 2 of the table (Regulation 30 (1)) 01/01/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure the review of the quality of care in the home monitors the matters set out in Schedule 6 and includes formal consultation with children accommodated in the home, their parents and placing authorities. (Regulation 34 (1) (3)) 01/01/2015

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take 5 of 11 account of the following recommendation(s):

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Recommendations

 ensure the written record of medication includes explanations whenever a prescribed medication is not given (NMS 6.15)  ensure the home provides a comfortable and homely environment, and is well maintained and decorated; in particular remove avoidable hazards as is consistent with a domestic setting. (NMS 10.3)  ensure records kept are well maintained and orderly; specifically the child protection and safeguarding records (NMS 22)  ensure the child's placement plan is monitored by a key worker within the home who ensures that the requirements of the plan are implemented in the day-to-day care of the child; in particular, ensure placement plans are updated following significant events. (NMS 25.2) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people good

One young person said, 'I love living here…the staff are very supportive'. For some young people this home has been their longest placement after multiple previous placements. Some young people have made good progress emotionally since being placed at this home. For example, they have reduced their self-harming behaviours or missing from home episodes. Other young people show progress in managing their feelings and emotions and this is shown through reduced incidents and less aggressive outbursts.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people maintain contact with family and friends. Staff facilitate contact arrangements thoughtfully. They enable young people to keep memorabilia from their time with family and those significant to them, so they may reflect on these visits now and in the future. This helps young people maintain good attachments.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress at school, taking into account their individual starting points. Their attendance at their educational provision is good.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people show a good understanding of keeping healthy and all take part in regular exercise. Some of the activities young people are involved in include keep fit classes, swimming, gym sessions, and rock climbing. Young people take good responsibility for their own health. Attendance at individual health appointments is regular and some young people now book their own routine appointments to see the doctor or nurse.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Some young people took part in the house holiday to a caravan park. Young people spoke positively about their trip away, where they played crazy golf on the beach, tried archery and watched some stage shows. Young people's individual talents and interests are identified and nurtured. Some young people attend local drama clubs and others excel with their artwork. Within the home, some young people take an interest in the garden and grounds. Regular community based trips engage young people in purposeful activities, such as visits to London museums, or crabbing by the sea.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress with taking steps towards adulthood. They engage in household tasks on a regular basis, such as laundry, washing up and cooking. Some young people are successfully managing their own personal budgets in preparation for moving on. One young person commented, 'doing the independence plan is helping me learn to budget so I will be prepared when I move to [my new home]'. This supportive approach helps young people be fully prepared for the next stages of their life. 7 of 11

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Quality of care good

Observations of interactions between young people and staff demonstrate warm and appropriate relationships. One young person said, ‘staff are amazing’ and ‘staff have been there for me when I have been at my lowest.’ Young people engage in regular house meetings. Through these meetings they influence activity choices, menus and the decoration of their home.

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Quality of care good

Systems in place for the administration of medication are broadly satisfactory. Records maintained in the home demonstrate that medication has been administered in line with its prescription. However, on at least one occasion medication may legitimately not have been required, but records do not demonstrate clearly the explanation or decision making of staff about this. Instead that record was just left blank. This makes it difficult for the Registered Manager to effectively audit and monitor the correct administration of prescribed drugs.

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Quality of care good

Young people like their bedrooms and personalise them individually. Young people's artwork is positively displayed around the home. This creates a bright and uniquely designed space, which celebrates young people's personal talents. The home has large grounds available for young people to play in, relax and explore. This includes a recently completed nature pond which young people were involved in creating. The home is located near to a working farm. As a result, the nearby environment attracts a large number of flies, which are apparent within the home. The Registered Manager has already identified this issue as requiring action and young people comment negatively about it. However, there is currently no effective strategy in place to address the large number of flies present, including within the kitchen area. This detracts from an otherwise well-maintained and homely setting.

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Quality of care good

Placement plans are individualised and are overseen by key workers who ensure their implementation in the day-to-day care of young people in the home. However, not all placement plans have been reviewed following some significant events. This means the plans are not wholly up-to-date to reflect recent events in young people's lives and keep all staff referring to them fully informed.

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Quality of care good

The organisation offers good structured emotional support to young people through their well-being team. Young people speak positively about their regular therapy sessions with qualified mental health practitioners. Staff link effectively with specialist services such as the diabetes service. This ensures young people's individual health needs are identified and fully met. Staff well work in partnership with placing social workers to ensure they are kept up to date with progress and developments in young people's lives. One social worker commented, 'I find staff very receptive to discuss new approaches, and they have a good 'working together’ attitude’.

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Quality of care good

Staff actively support and praise young people's participation in community activities. A dedicated member of staff undertakes the role of activity planner and sports coordinator. This further focuses staff and young people on trying new activities and 8 of 11 involving young people in a wide range of opportunities, such as zorbing, attending trampoline club and wrestling. Staff work in partnership with educational establishments to promote daily attendance and support young people's individual progress. Staff also provide good support to young people who are applying for college placements and part-time jobs. This builds young people's confidence and helps them achieve their personal learning goals.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people say they feel safe, and safer than previously, since living in this home. Young people identify adults they would talk to if they were worried. They do not identify bullying as an issue within the home. Staff spoken to demonstrated a sound awareness of signs and indicators of possible child sexual exploitation, and of safeguarding procedures. Allegations, or suspicions of harm, are appropriately shared with external agencies.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

There have been five occasions since this home opened that young people have been reported missing. This represents a significant reduction in risk-taking behaviour and young people confirmed that living here has helped them in this regard. Records of missing are thorough and generally demonstrate the robust actions taken by staff to locate and keep in contact with young people. The company aims to record to the highest standard and the Registered Manager has addressed any recording below this. The management of missing in this home is effective and has helped highly vulnerable young people. Positive behaviour is effectively promoted in the home. This is done through staff interaction with young people. There have been a number of incidents of restraint but these have been managed well and young people are noted to have reduced the number of these over time.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Recruitment files sampled are broadly indicative of good practice but the company has, on occasions, failed to gather all the information expected. For example, some candidate’s files contain gaps in employment history, including one of five years. This is a regulatory breach and compromises the checking of potential employees.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Routine testing of appliances and regular maintenance checks ensure that the physical environment is safe and hazard free for young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people engage in reward systems in place within the home. Sanctions are appropriate, recorded clearly and young people add their own views to their records. Restraint is only used in accordance with regulations and records sampled show detailed analysis and monitoring. Risk assessments, concerning the management of each young person, are maintained to a high standard and ensure staff are working consistently and to positive effect with all young people. 9 of 11

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has been in post since the home was registered in December 2013. He holds the level 5 diploma qualification and has substantial professional experience of working with young people with emotional and behavioural needs.

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Leadership and management adequate

Two internal monitoring reports have been completed since this children’s home opened. Both reports do not contain any consultation with young people, placing social workers or families. This does not demonstrate how the Registered Manager is seeking and learning from wider feedback about the home. The most recent internal monitoring report does not cover all the required areas as specified within the revised Children’s Homes regulations. External monitoring visits take place within required timescales and do fully involve young people.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has notified Ofsted of some, but not all, significant events relating to the safety and welfare of young people accommodated within the home. For example, some incidents which included police involvement were not shared with Ofsted. This means the regulator is not consistently kept up to date with serious incidents affecting the young people within the home.

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Leadership and management adequate

Young people know how to complain. The Registered Manager maintains a log of young people's complaints and actions taken. However, not all records include full and complete information about the investigation. This makes it difficult to fully evaluate if investigations undertaken were robust and appropriate, and not all complaints have a final outcome recorded.

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Leadership and management adequate

Safeguarding records are dispersed and not easy to monitor or ensure consistent quality. There is no central record of all safeguarding concerns and actions taken by the Registered Manager. Furthermore, some lower level safeguarding concerns identified on inspection are not clearly recorded, nor evaluated within the Registered Manager’s internal monitoring. Although these incidents did not meet the threshold for a child protection investigation, there absence from management evaluation is a missed opportunity. The capacity to audit files to identify trends is further impeded, because when young people leave the home their files are archived away from the home due to storage capacity. A recommendation is set to improve the record keeping for safeguarding concerns.

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Leadership and management adequate

Staff speak positively about the leadership of the home. One staff member commented, 'I am proud to be part of this team and working in this environment’. Staff are suitably trained in safe care skills such as fire safety, behaviour management and safeguarding. Staff receive supervision on a regular basis.

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Leadership and management adequate

The Registered Manager has a development plan in place. It focuses on improved 10 of 11 outcomes for young people within the home. However, the development plan and other internal monitoring systems have not been fully effective at identifying weaknesses within the provision as identified within this inspection. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management adequate

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Judgement Description

Outstanding A service of exceptional quality that significantly exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Good A service of high quality that exceeds minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Adequate A service that only meets minimum requirements.

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Judgement Description

Inadequate A service that does not meet minimum requirements.

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Information 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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Information 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 framework of inspection for children's homes.

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