Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC357981 Inspector Mark Blesky Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Benecare Ltd Registered person address 18 - 20 Canterbury Road Whitstable Kent CT5 4EY Responsible individual Stephen William Richmond Registered manager Lynette Gay Gibbs Date of last inspection 18/03/2014 2 of 12 Inspection date 04/02/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection None

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Overall effectiveness inadequate

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

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Overall effectiveness

This home does not provide effective and sustained levels of personalised and well- planned care. Young people's individual and diverse needs are unmet in many examples of practice and young people are not supported in some areas in their most basic needs.

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Overall effectiveness

The failure to meet young people's needs is evident in health, education and safeguarding. In some cases young people's needs are unknown to the staff and management. This is further compounded by the staff's lack of knowledge, experience and skills to meet the complex needs of young people.

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Overall effectiveness

The more basic needs of young people's health and well-being are also unmet in many examples. Where these needs are unmet, evidence suggests that this is likely to be as a result of a more general and sustained lack of care and supervision, rather than as a result of a lack of knowledge or skill. Staff have therefore not demonstrated adequate care or support for young people’s health promotion or well- being. Staff members are working excessive hours which has had a further negative impact on their ability to provide appropriate care.

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Overall effectiveness

Although young people are able to express themselves and are often confident to do so, their concerns and complaints are not appropriately managed. Young people say 3 of 12 that they do not always feel well looked after or safe. They do not always feel that the staff take action on their behalf.

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Overall effectiveness

The home is poorly managed with ineffective leadership. Whilst there is some recognition by the home of areas of failure other areas have not been identified by the leadership and management team or through quality assurance processes. Where shortfalls and poor practice have been identified, remedial action has been ineffective.

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Overall effectiveness

As a result of these shortfalls five compliance notices are being served on the home along with the requirements detailed in this report. 4 of 12

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Information about this children’s home

This is a privately owned children’s home. The home caters for up to four children and young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

18/03/2014 Interim good progress 18/09/2013 Full good 16/01/2013 Interim good progress 10/10/2012 Full good

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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)) * 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that the children’s home is conducted so as to promote and make proper provision for the safeguarding and welfare of children accommodated there; in particular manage and minimise the risks young people may pose to each other (Regulation 11(1)(a)) * 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that there is at all times, having regard for the need to safeguard and promote the health and welfare of the children accommodated in the home, a sufficient number of suitably qualified, competent 24/03/2015 5 of 12 and experienced persons working at the children’s home (regulation 25(1)(a) and (b))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) maintain in the children’s home the records specified in Schedule 4 and ensure that they are kept up to date (Regulation 29(1)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that all parts of the home to which children have access are so far as reasonably practicable free from hazards to their health or safety (Regulation 23(a)) * 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) promote and protect the physical, emotional and mental health of the children accommodated in a children’s home (Regulation 20(1)) * 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that children accommodated in a children’s home are provided with food which is served in adequate quantities and at appropriate intervals; is properly prepared, wholesome and nutritious; is suitable for their needs and meets their reasonable preferences; and is sufficiently varied (Regulation 13(a)(i)-(iv)) * 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) promote the educational achievement of children through routines which further participation in school or provide purposeful alternative (Regulation 18(1)(b)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) do not employ a person to work at the children’s home unless that person is fit to work at a children’s home, nor allow a person to whom paragraph 2 of this regulation applies to work at the children’s home unless that person is fit to work at a children’s home (Regulation 26(1) and (3)(d)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

4 (2001) ensure that the children’s home is at all times conducted in a manner which is consistent with its Statement of Purpose (Regulation 4(6)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) appoint an independent person to visit and report on the children’s home in accordance with this regulation; inspect the premises of the children’s home, and such of the children’s home’s records, as the independent person requires (Regulation 33(8)(b)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) establish and maintain a system for monitoring and improving the quality of care provided which is compliant with this regulation (Regulation 34(1)(a) and (b)) 24/03/2015

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Reg. Requirement Due date

(2001) ensure that in relation to a children’s home, any of the events listed in column 1 of the table in Schedule 5 takes place, the registered person notifies without delay the persons indicated in 24/03/2015 6 of 12 respect of the event in column 2 of the table. (Regulation 30(1))

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Reg. Requirement Due date

*These requirements are subject to a compliance notice 7 of 12

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Outcomes for children and young people inadequate

Young people have in some cases managed to form and sustain good relationships with staff members. Some young people say they feel supported by staff and the relationships that they have formed have helped them change and adapt their behaviour positively. However, other young people say that staff do not always take action to help them or keep them safe in relation to complaints and bullying.

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Outcomes for children and young people inadequate

Young people's health is poorly maintained by frequent and enduring poor diets. Their usual diets do not meet their health needs, are excessively reliant on take-away food and fail to promote or ensure their good health. Young people are forming the view that these poor diets are acceptable.

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Outcomes for children and young people inadequate

Some young people have been supported to engage with education and learning and this has resulted in sustained attendance and achievement. The home also has the means to contract private teachers and tutors. However, in some cases, the poor assessment of learning needs has resulted in a lack of planning and support for young people's education. Where young people refuse school, staff support is inconsistent and poorly structured. This results in a tacit acceptance and endorsement of young people's decisions not to attend education. Their future life-chances are impaired and restricted.

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Outcomes for children and young people inadequate

Education is not promoted for most young people, resulting in missed opportunities to attend and achieve. Young people are unlikely to develop positive attitudes towards learning or be motivated because their educational needs are not promoted or met in a robust manner.

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Outcomes for children and young people inadequate

Young people are encouraged and supported to make regular contact with those important to them and staff members know the importance of maintaining good and harmonious links with friends and family. Where contact needs to be supervised, the home makes arrangements to facilitate this. Key working and one-to-one working with staff is used effectively to discuss contact issues and sessions are used appropriately to promote contact with the young people.

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Quality of care inadequate

Young people generally have appropriate relationships with staff who often provide them with adequate day-to-day support and guidance. Young people often feel that they can approach staff and discuss any concerns or worries they have. Young people say that staff care about them and that they express their views confidently, but they do not always feel staff act upon their concerns or take action. 8 of 12 Young people's views have influenced the running of the home in some respects and this is particularly evident with regards to their choices of meals and the decoration of their bedrooms and the home. The games room is currently being refurbished following consultation with the young people. Young people typically and routinely express their views effectively through key working, one-to-one sessions with staff members, house meetings and reviews.

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Quality of care inadequate

Young people know how to complain and these are appropriately recorded. However, some complaints are not responded to or managed effectively. Some young people do not have faith in the process and say, ‘when you complain, nothing gets done; it’s just not worth complaining.’ Thus a number of complaints remain unresolved. Young people do not have confidence in the complaints process because they are unclear as to what action has been taken. Some complaints are of a safeguarding nature but they have not been referred to the appropriate agencies. This serious shortfall presents risks to young people’s safety and welfare.

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Quality of care inadequate

Care planning and placement planning is in place for some but not all of the young people. This inconsistent practice leaves some young people poorly supported and staff less able to understand their needs and provide effective care. Some young people are left vulnerable and with limited opportunities to be cared for in a manner that best meets their needs. Poor planning also results in young people's cultural backgrounds, personal identity and more diverse and individual needs being unknown to the staff. They are unable to provide adequate care when there are no assessments of need or accurate plans for them to follow.

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Quality of care inadequate

Young people's day-to-day health needs are supported by the core health services such as the GP, dentist and optician but in one case a significant delay in registering a young person with these health services is noted. Some young people’s files are not adequately maintained and several elements of key information are missing. Matters such as medical histories, immunisations and health care planning are not being maintained. Poorly managed health records fail to support young people's general or more specific health needs.

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Quality of care inadequate

Weekly menus are provided which present healthy and nutritious foods for all of the young people. However, there are numerous examples where young people are eating fast foods, takeaways and convenience foods on a regular and sustained basis. Examples include young people consuming these types of foods repeatedly on the same day and over several days and weeks. Young people are not being provided with wholesome and nutritious meals appropriate to sustain and support their healthy development.

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Quality of care inadequate

Some young people have been supported in their education over a long period of time which has resulted in them attending education and achieving in their learning and studies. One social worker comments that this home has worked really well with this young person engaging educational services and supporting this young person's 9 of 12 learning.

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Quality of care inadequate

The home is also able to provide tuition and teachers that are contracted to work with the home. However, where young people have been more challenging and refusing school the home has failed to provide a consistent and structured programme of support for education. This has resulted in young people’s education being severely delayed. When young people do not attend school they are taken out on trips to events and places of interest and these visits often include a meal out in a fast food outlet. One young person commented, ‘I don't know why I bother going to school, others don't go to school and they get treated’.

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Quality of care inadequate

The home is appropriately maintained in many areas and refurbishment work is on- going in an effort to improve areas of the home for the young people. However, several areas are still in need of improved maintenance and upkeep. Young people's mattresses are worn out, a fire door fails to close completely and some areas of the kitchen, which include the microwave and cooker, have not been cleaned and are in an unhygienic state.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Young people are not safe and do not feel safe because the home has failed to safeguard and protect their welfare. Young people complain about being bullied and suffering sexualised behaviour from other young people. Action has not been taken by the home to address these matters appropriately. Although bullying is clearly articulated within the complaints records made by young people, these matters have not been addressed either through the anti-bullying procedures or complaint resolution. Young people have complained about abusive behaviours; however these allegations have not been referred to external agencies or Ofsted.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Poor risk assessment, inadequate placement planning and matching has resulted in young people presenting risks and being abusive to one another. Risk assessments have repeatedly failed to understand the risks posed, neither have they been used to guide and inform safe practices.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Young people rarely go missing from this home and those who have previously gone missing have been successfully diverted from such behaviour. One young person commented, ‘I don't need to go running or missing, if I have problems staff help me with them. I now understand that running away only makes things worse.’ Young people do not place themselves at risk through going missing as a result of good engagement with staff. A social worker commented that prior to this placement, the young person placed, regularly went missing and placed themselves at risk; this has now ceased.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

To support young people from exploitation should they go missing, the home maintains effective procedures and protocols with the local police and local authority. 10 of 12 Staff members have undertaken training in child exploitation which has increased their insights into the risks posed to young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Young people are often supported to behave positively and staff encourage young people which enables them to adopt appropriate behaviours and conduct. However, not all young people have assessments of their more complex behaviours and the lack of clear risk assessments leaves them and others unsafe. Staff do not demonstrate through their practice a clear understanding of what young people's needs are and how they will be managed.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

All staff members are recruited and employed through the manager and the company's human resources procedures and practices. Although recruitment procedures are managed adequately in most areas, appropriate checks on people that have previously worked with vulnerable adults or children are not undertaken. The verification of references and the reasons applicants have left previous employment is not established in most cases. This is not a robust enough process.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

Young people are not effectively supported following allegations or suspicions of harm in respect of them. When there have been suspicions or complaints of harm, inadequate action has been taken. This has resulted in poor internal management of allegations and a lack of consultation or referral to the local authority and other agencies. This lack of action leaves young people unsafe and poorly protected.

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Keeping children and young people safe inadequate

The home is maintained adequately in many areas; however some areas of the home have not been effectively maintained. Areas of the kitchen are unhygienic and cleaning and maintenance is inadequate. Young people's rooms contain an extensive number of cigarette lighters, along with smoking materials and in one case, cannabis paraphernalia. One child's room was found to be unsanitary and there is no evidence that staff regularly or routinely carry out appropriate checks of young people's rooms or the homes communal areas. Poor maintenance and cleanliness of the home and hazardous items exposes young people to avoidable hazards.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Young people are not safe and do not feel safe because the home has failed to safeguard and protect their welfare. Young people complain about being bullied and suffering sexualised behaviour from other young people. Action has not been taken by the home to address these matters appropriately. Although bullying is clearly articulated within the complaints records made by young people, these matters have not been addressed either through the anti-bullying procedures or complaint resolution. Young people have complained about abusive behaviours; however these allegations have not been referred to external agencies or Ofsted.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Poor risk assessment, inadequate placement planning and matching has resulted in young people presenting risks and being abusive to one another. Risk assessments 11 of 12 have repeatedly failed to understand the risks posed, neither have they been used to guide and inform safe practices.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Young people rarely go missing from this home and those who have previously gone missing have been successfully diverted from such behaviour. One young person commented, ‘I don't need to go running or missing, if I have problems staff help me with them. I now understand that running away only makes things worse.’ Young people do not place themselves at risk through going missing as a result of good engagement with staff. A social worker commented that prior to this placement, the young person placed, regularly went missing and placed themselves at risk; this has now ceased.

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Leadership and management inadequate

To support young people from exploitation should they go missing, the home maintains effective procedures and protocols with the local police and local authority. Staff members have undertaken training in child exploitation which has increased their insights into the risks posed to young people.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Young people are often supported to behave positively and staff encourage young people which enables them to adopt appropriate behaviours and conduct. However, not all young people have assessments of their more complex behaviours and the lack of clear risk assessments leaves them and others unsafe. Staff do not demonstrate through their practice a clear understanding of what young people's needs are and how they will be managed.

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Leadership and management inadequate

All staff members are recruited and employed through the manager and the company's human resources procedures and practices. Although recruitment procedures are managed adequately in most areas, appropriate checks on people that have previously worked with vulnerable adults or children are not undertaken. The verification of references and the reasons applicants have left previous employment is not established in most cases. This is not a robust enough process.

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Leadership and management inadequate

Young people are not effectively supported following allegations or suspicions of harm in respect of them. When there have been suspicions or complaints of harm, inadequate action has been taken. This has resulted in poor internal management of allegations and a lack of consultation or referral to the local authority and other agencies. This lack of action leaves young people unsafe and poorly protected.

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Leadership and management inadequate

The home is maintained adequately in many areas; however some areas of the home have not been effectively maintained. Areas of the kitchen are unhygienic and cleaning and maintenance is inadequate. Young people's rooms contain an extensive number of cigarette lighters, along with smoking materials and in one case, cannabis paraphernalia. One child's room was found to be unsanitary and there is no evidence that staff regularly or routinely carry out appropriate checks of young people's rooms or the homes communal areas. Poor maintenance and cleanliness of the home and hazardous items exposes young people to avoidable hazards. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management inadequate

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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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