Children's Home run by Kent County Council in Kent

Unique reference number SC037282 Inspector Sophie Wood Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Kent County Council Registered person address Kent County Council, Sessions House County Road MAIDSTONE Kent ME14 1XQ Responsible individual Philip Segurola Registered manager Gillian Elizabeth O'Reilly Date of last inspection 24/03/2014 2 of 11 Inspection date 05/01/2015

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Previous inspection good progress Enforcement action since last inspection none

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Overall effectiveness good

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

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Overall effectiveness

Children and young people make good, and in some cases, excellent progress because of their experiences when they use this service. They enjoy balanced and meaningful relationships with staff who understand their needs and who value their unique traits and personalities.

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Overall effectiveness

Comments from children and young people include, 'I feel really happy here' and 'the staff look after me and make me feel safe.' Improving consultation mechanisms are capturing the views and opinions of the children and young people. They have a clear voice in determining the activities, resources and the day-to-day running of the service.

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Overall effectiveness

Insightful practice and strong care delivery is derived from good quality care planning which is continuing to improve and become embedded. There are occasions where some of the written information lacks clarity, such as specific pieces of joint working with school but this is being rectified.

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Overall effectiveness

Leaders and managers demonstrate a clear and realistic sense about the strengths and weaknesses of the service. A shortfall with regards to the wider organisation's recruitment practice is being rigorously challenged by the manager. A requirement is made in this regard. Staff are continually held to account about the quality of their 3 of 11 report writing and record keeping where this is necessary. The service is striving to improve upon the quality of the care it provides because it fully recognises how invaluable its provision is to the children and their wider families.

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Overall effectiveness

One requirement and two recommendations are made from this visit, the details of which are explained within the main body of this report. 4 of 11

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is operated by a local authority and provides short break care for children and young people aged between 5 and 17 years, who have learning difficulties, physical disabilities and other associated complex needs.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

24/03/2014 Interim good progress 04/11/2013 Full good 20/02/2013 Interim good progress 09/07/2012 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 full and satisfactory information is available in relation to him in respect of each of the matters specified in Schedule 2 (regulation 26(3)(d), Schedule 2) 31/03/2015

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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 learning and development programme is evaluated for 5 of 11 effectiveness at least annually and if necessary is updated (NMS 18.2)  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. (NMS 22.5) 6 of 11

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children and young people thoroughly enjoy and benefit from their time at the service. Their initial anxieties are soon overcome. Consistent and stimulating routines and care provides a nurturing environment which enables their personal, social and educational growth and development. Children and young people know they are highly valued as unique individuals. They enjoy safe, loving and nurturing relationships with the staff. Parents say, 'I cannot speak more highly of it', 'nothing is too much trouble' and 'they listen to what I say and take notice of what I require.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Comprehensive health care plans are effectively implemented. Children and young people receive the care they require and parents are reassured. For some children, this is complex and such parents say, 'the time and precision taken by the staff when I hand over my child's often changing medication fills me with confidence.' Staff promote children's good health by excellent role modelling. They encourage lots of physical activities and create a welcoming dining environment which offers wholesome, nutritional meals. Children receive the resources, time and encouragement they need to try new foods and to maximise their independence skills in this area.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children and young people continue to attend their regular school when they stay at the service. Their educational needs are uninterrupted as a result. Staff liaise with school and ensure that children are ready and well prepared for the school day. Important information is shared with school. This includes individual targets and behaviour management plans in an effort to give young people the consistent approaches they need. Their chances of success are significantly increased because of this collaborative working.

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

The wide range of toys and play equipment, as well as the trips and outings provided by the service ensures children and young people are stimulated and encouraged to explore their wider world. Parents say, 'my child has tried many new experiences' and 'their confidence has grown because of trying new things.' The service enjoys a very positive relationship with the local community. Regular visitors bring enriching experiences at key times, such as summer events and Christmas. Staff say, 'we are lucky in terms of having great relationships with a number of local groups and organisations.'

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Outcomes for children and young people outstanding

Children and young people are actively encouraged and supported to maximise their independence and self-help skills. Their progress reflects their unique needs and abilities; no matter how small an achievement may appear, it is rightly and richly celebrated. 7 of 11

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Quality of care good

Children and young people enjoy safe and caring relationships with staff who know them well. Routines, activities and staffing levels are led by the groups of children using the service at any one time. Their individual needs and parental requests routinely dictate the dates offered for their planned stays. This frequently ensures children become familiar with each other and make friends over time. There are occasions where some children do not get along, or their needs become incompatible. Staff evaluate each shift in this regard. This information reliably informs the planning of future dates and stays.

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Quality of care good

Since the last inspection, a strong focus has resulted in improvements to the overall quality of written care plans. Diligent practice involves parents and carers, school, health services and the children. This typically results in clearly written guidance for staff to follow and implement. Areas within individual care plans include, health care regimes, risk assessments, likes and dislikes and behaviour management strategies. Newer staff say this material is vitally important. Comments include, 'I have got to know the children very well and quickly because the care plans are spot on.' Parents say, 'I'm always asked if there is anything I would particularly like them to focus on when my child comes to stay.' One young person says, 'the staff know how to cheer me up when I am sad' and 'they always know what to say to me to make me feel better.' Staff have an improved understanding of the areas to focus upon during a

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Quality of care good

child's stay but there are still occasions where the progress of goals and targets are not always clearly recorded. This impedes staff's ability to fully judge and evaluate progress in some cases.

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Quality of care good

Effective consultation mechanisms with the children and their parents and carers are driven by the service. Staff want children to enjoy their time here. They also want parents and carers to benefit by knowing their child is safe, well and positively engaged. Group meetings, individual time and surveys are all effectively used by the registered manager to ensure the views and opinions of key stakeholders are integral to the running of the service.

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Quality of care good

Staff fully appreciate the complex needs and disabilities of the children and young people. They understand how such factors can and do impact upon some children's abilities to express their views or to make complaints. Close attention is therefore paid towards reading and understanding how individual children express themselves through their body language and their behaviour. Consequently, communication training is frequently requested and supplied in order that children are given every opportunity to express themselves. However, this particular training is not currently a mandatory topic and it is recommended that this is reviewed.

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Quality of care good

Staff effectively prioritise the wide ranging and often complex, health needs of the children and young people. Staff promote good health by providing healthy, nutritious meals and an environment which gives ample opportunities for physical activities and play. Care plans accurately prescribe the individual care required; for 8 of 11 example, time spent out of wheelchairs and physiotherapy exercises. Meticulous care is spent upon checking the medication requirements of each young person. Staff are competent with regards to meeting complex health care needs because they receive bespoke training and guidance from external health agencies and a trained nurse who brings additional monitoring and competence checking.

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Quality of care good

Children and young people are effectively supported to attend their usual schools during their stays. Good planning ensures transport arrangements and morning routines run smoothly. Children are well prepared and ready to start their day. Strong examples of excellent liaison between the service and school includes the service's provision of a work experience placement for one young person. This creative, solution- focused thinking has had a very positive impact for this individual. Other examples of liaison with school colleagues demonstrates further positive outcomes but these are not always clearly recorded within written care plans. This omission potentially lets down the good practice because the progress and impact of joint working is not always made clear.

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Quality of care good

Children and young people enjoy all of the facilities the service has to offer. Its wide range of resources includes sensory and soft play rooms, a large well-equipped garden and spa facility. Bedrooms and bathrooms are designed to maximise independence while ensuring safety. Each bedroom is unique in recognition of the wide ranging needs of the children. Current building works are providing additional lounge space and this opportunity is being seized to revitalise and improve the sensory front garden. Parents and carers give a mixed response as to the frequency and variety of outside activities.. The service does have appropriate transport facilities which enables outings and trips which are suggested by the children and young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Children and young people demonstrate that they feel safe; some say this verbally and others do so through their behaviour. Parents and carers endorse this view with comments including, 'we know our child is well looked after and safe.' Older young people speak about their strong relationships with the staff and use words such as, 'trust', 'safe' and 'cares about me.'

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The safety and welfare of the children and young people is promoted and protected. Child protection and safeguarding training is routinely refreshed. Staff are able to discuss the vulnerabilities of the children, in terms of their individual risks and unique circumstances. Individual risk assessments bring this thinking and safeguarding culture to the fore. Staff know how and why individual children are potentially at risk. They swiftly report concerns and incidents to senior managers in order that appropriate action is taken. Information from a variety of sources is rigorously monitored and reviewed by senior staff. This questioning approach demonstrates a high regard for the children's continuing safety. Concerns, no matter how low level, 9 of 11 are swiftly passed onto safeguarding agencies.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The implementation of individual behaviour management plans are central to this robust safeguarding practice. Staff understand the triggers and environmental factors which can impact upon behaviours. In response to any new behaviours, these documents are quickly reviewed to ensure their continuing effectiveness. Appropriate training is mandatory and staff are skilled at implementing effective de-escalation techniques and strategies. Children very rarely receive sanctions because staff work hard to understand why their behaviours occur. They are particularly good at unpicking that an individual has become frustrated through being misunderstood. The use of physical restraints and interventions are also extremely rare because staff frequently anticipate the need to intervene and distract. When such interventions are used, they are thoroughly recorded and rigorously monitored.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The current recruitment practice typically provides effective safeguards. Children and young people are suitably protected from potentially unsafe adults by the range of checks and vetting procedures undertaken. However, one aspect of the local authority's recruitment procedure is not fully congruent with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001, as amended 2014. Although this aspect presents limited risks, the registered manager is challenging this organisational shortfall.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

The home provides appropriate safety and security measures, in line with the presenting needs of the children and young people. Visitors to the home are checked and suitably chaperoned. Potentially restrictive measures are routinely risk assessed; the wider service is reviewing its guidance on the use of restrictive measures, such as locked doors in line with changing legislation. The service demonstrates a balanced and proportionate response towards young peoples' safety and their freedom of movement. High staffing levels provides safe supervision which is not oppressive. Save one historic example, children and young people are not absent or missing from the service.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Robust measures are rigorously implemented to meet the wider health and safety needs of the children, staff and visitors. Equipment is regularly checked and serviced. This includes fire-fighting equipment and systems. Evacuation drills are practised and remedial action is taken when shortfalls are identified. A locality risk assessment is currently being completed and this includes liaison and information sharing with wider agencies such as the police and health services.

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Leadership and management good

The service is effectively led and managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager who has been registered with Ofsted since the service's transition in 2007. She instils a calm and welcoming culture, within which the children and young people are warmly received every time they stay. 10 of 11 Good planning and foresight is in place to seek to recruit a new manager in advance of her retirement which is planned for later in the year. Clear and effective arrangements are ready to engage in a robust transition and hand over. This is further supported by the experience, knowledge and diligent approach of a long- serving team leader who effectively deputises.

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Leadership and management good

Staff say they feel well supported by the current management arrangements. They talk about regular staff meetings and meaningful appraisal and supervision processes. They are confident in their ability to deliver good quality care because they say they receive the training, support and guidance they need. The written records of such meetings demonstrate that high standards are required by the manager but there are occasions where such records lack sufficient precision in terms of the timescales for actions to be completed. The manager is aware of the potential impact and has plans in place to ensure greater rigour in this regard.

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Leadership and management good

New staff say they are getting to know the service and the children at a realistic pace. They are not expected to perform standalone tasks and duties until they demonstrate the competence and confidence to do so. This is good, safe practice.

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Leadership and management good

The service does receive concerns and complaints from parents and carers. These are usually concerned with a specific quality of care issue and are quickly resolved. The service openly advertises its complaints procedures in the spirit of working transparently with all associated parties. Lessons learned from complaints are shared at staff meetings in the spirit of improving the quality of the service for everyone's benefit.

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Leadership and management good

The service works transparently with associated external agencies. Notifications to Ofsted are rare but when significant events do happen, they are swiftly and clearly reported. Similarly, the service responds very positively to the inspection process. One recommendation was made from the previous interim inspection and this received prompt attention.

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Leadership and management good

Robust monitoring processes are driving improvements. The service understands where and how it needs to improve because it invites criticism from within, as well as through an independent Regulation 33 visitor. Systems, records and processes are rigorously scrutinised and these systems ensure that children, parents and carers, and placing social workers are actively consulted and encouraged to contribute. Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Leadership and management good

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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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