Children's Home run by Pilgrims Corner Limited in Kent

Unique reference number SC390167 Inspector Mark Blesky Type of inspection Full Provision subtype Children's home

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Registered person Pilgrims Corner Limited Registered person address Suite 5 The Links HERNE BAY Kent CT6 7GQ

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Responsible individual Sarah Norman Registered manager (Acting Manager) Lesley Patricia Dunne Date of last inspection 11/02/2015 2 of 10 Inspection date 24/03/2015

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Previous inspection not judged Enforcement action since last inspection None

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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 good

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are well supported by personal and well planned care. Each young person is supported by a highly individualised placement plan highlighting both their broader needs and their more individual and diverse needs. Care plans demonstrate a strong focus on identifying goals and promoting individual aspirations with the young people. Young people are therefore fully engaged in their care planning and use these opportunities to articulate their thoughts and feelings.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people are supported through this engagement to take increasing responsibility for themselves and their futures. Young people are helped to understand the importance of education and the value of learning. Staff work closely with young people to find areas of interest and their strengths.

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Overall effectiveness

Young peoples’ health needs is supported effectively by staff who discuss the importance of health and plan this with young people. Through this process young people gain increasing levels of understanding about the importance of good health and this informs their healthcare and lifestyle choices.

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Overall effectiveness

Key working is also used effectively to provide young people with one-to-one discussions. They use these opportunities to express themselves and discuss any matters that are of concern or important to them. Key working is well planned, 3 of 10 themed and focused on the most significant areas of young people's care.

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Overall effectiveness

Young people use house meetings to express more formally both their individual and collective voices. One young person commented, ‘staff are always asking me my opinion and listen to what I say’.

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Overall effectiveness

Relationships between young people and staff are positive and typically harmonious and this is because staff and young people have open and trusting relationships. Staff show young people respect and young people reciprocate through their interactions and their positive behaviour. These trusting relationships result in young people feeling safe and secure and they know that staff value them and keep them safe. Safeguarding and child protection procedures are clear and robustly implemented, safeguarding and protecting children effectively.

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Overall effectiveness

Regular internal quality assurance mechanisms are thorough and the manager’s self- evaluation is honest and objective. The manager has high aspirations for the home and for the young people. Supervision and management styles reflect this. The manager has begun reviewing and implementing improvements to existing systems and practices to enhance and further develop areas of practice.

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Overall effectiveness

External quality assurance demonstrates a positive evaluation of the manager’s performance and where any areas for development or improvement are identified, the manager takes prompt and effective action. 4 of 10

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Information about this children’s home

This private children's home provides accommodation for up to two young people who may have emotional and behavioural difficulties. This home is part of a group of four homes owned by the same company.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

11/02/2015 Interim not judged 29/01/2014 Interim good progress 02/05/2013 Full good 17/12/2012 Interim good progress

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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

 make suitable arrangements for the recording, handling, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of any medicines received into the children’s home. Develop these arrangements to make specific procedures and arrangements to record and manage drug errors.(NMS 21(1)) 5 of 10

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people make good progress at this service. Comments received from professionals confirm the home provides good care, for example `the home has worked hard to ensure the young person has settled in quickly and staff are meeting the young person’s needs’.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people quickly develop good relationships with staff, which provides them with the confidence to voice their views, opinions and worries. They are well supported to understand their backgrounds and to develop positive self-view and resilience. The newly formed staff team and the good relationships developed in a short time, enable young people to begin to reflect on their pasts without fear and in a safe environment.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Comments from young people such as ‘I like it here and feel safe here’, reflects the trust they have built with the staff team. In addition, it allows them to address and understand their previous and current situation. Young people are taught to appreciate individual cultures and to be respectful towards others. They feel valued and see the home as a stable and long-term part of their lives.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people receive good health care and make good progress in addressing areas such as attending regular dental and medical appointments. During their placement they are supported to understand the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and, where possible encouraged to take responsibility for their own health. Staff know all specific health needs and access to specialists are facilitated. Staff regularly review health care plans to ensure they meet individual needs, and that changing needs are quickly addressed. In addition, health care is supported through healthy eating and encouraging young people to exercise, such as walking, indoor skiing and cycling. This ensures they maintain an overall healthy lifestyle.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people are supported to engage in education and make good progress, considering their starting point. Their educational needs are considered at the referral stage and plans are put in place so they can continue with their current placement or change to a more conveniently located educational establishment. The staff work closely with the local authority virtual head teacher and social workers to ensure young people attend regularly and make good progress. Young people achieve well with the support and guidance of staff that place a high priority on young people experiencing positive education. As a result, young people have greater opportunities for learning and achievement.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

Young people enjoy a variety of activities that they can choose. All trips and outings are risk assessed. Young people enjoy the company of staff and learn from their new experiences. They are suitably safeguarded when engaging in all activities. Young 6 of 10 people are also suitably safeguarded when meeting family and friends. Restrictions of contact, such as supervised contact arrangements are known and supported. Staff provide practical and emotional support to facilitate positive family contact.

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Outcomes for children and young people good

The home has an independence programme in place for young people to commence with the support of staff. Staff are well informed of individual challenges and readiness of young people to engage positively in the independence programmes. As a result, young people are able to develop at their own pace.

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Quality of care good

The staff provide good quality of care where young people are at the centre of practice. Young people quickly develop positive and constructive relationships with the staff team and enjoy the time they spend with staff. As a result, young people easily express their views, opinions and worries knowing they will be taken seriously. Additional avenues exist for young people to voice the views; such as regular key worker sessions, involvement in placement reviews and in the planning for their care. Care plans contain detail on all aspects of the young person’s physical, emotional, health and well-being. They also provide targets for staff and young people to work towards. Young people feel valued and respected.

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Quality of care good

Staff are clear with their expectations of behaviour, encouraging positive behaviour. Staff work with clear and strong boundaries that promote good parenting. Young people respond well to this practice.

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Quality of care good

Young people know how to make a complaint although none have been recorded since the last inspection. There is information around the home of independent people for young people to contact if necessary. Young people say they feel confident in raising concerns to the staff and manager.

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Quality of care good

The value of education is embedded into the ethos of the home and staff work hard to improve the life chances of young people. They benefit from the support and guidance of staff to develop socially as well as academically. There are good relationships with educational establishments and as a result staff are well informed about young peoples’ academic progress.

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Quality of care good

During challenging times, staff work closely with educational establishments to ensure re-engagement is swift. This effective communication enables young people to maintain educational placements and to continue making good progress. In addition to good communication with educational establishments, the staff team work closely with all professionals involved in young people’s lives, such as social workers and mental health services. This supports the co-ordinated approach to young people’s care.

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Quality of care good

Good quality care plans, detailed and individualised, outline how each young person’s 7 of 10 needs are met. They contain detailed information, are regularly reviewed and take into account any changes or heightened risks. This ensures young people benefit from maintaining good physical, emotional and psychological health. Young people have access to services such as the dentist, the looked after nurse and child and adolescent mental health services. Staff work closely with social workers and the mental health services to promote quick referral and engagement. Young people receive medication as prescribed delivered by competent staff. Staff follow a robust medication policy, however the information for managing medication errors is brief and does not provide detailed action to take.

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Quality of care good

Young people enjoy the food provided. Food choices involve young people as does shopping for and preparation of the meals. Meals are taken in a supportive family style environment enabling social manners to be applied and learnt. Young people say the food is varied, healthy and of good portion size.

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Quality of care good

The home is appropriately located and designed and well maintained. Young people can make choices about the décor of their bedroom. Suitable risk assessments take into account the rural location. Maintenance schedules are effective and prompt ensuring that the home’s environment is kept in a manner that is appropriate and safe in meeting the needs of young people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are kept safe because staff understand their needs and their vulnerabilities. The care they provide ensures that they are safeguarded first and foremost.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff spend time with young people and help them understand safety and how to keep themselves safe. Young people feel safe because they believe that staff value their welfare and look after them well.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Staff ensure that young people learn about risks and how to keep themselves safe from harm and exploitation, they understand their rights not to be bullied or intimidated. Through this support, young people engage with staff and gain increased insight and become better prepared at keeping themselves safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people rarely go missing from this home. This is because staff work hard with young people enabling them to resolve problems and difficulties without the need to go missing or absent. All young people are supported through key working and one- to-one working to understand the dangers of going missing and running away.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

In the event of the young person going missing, staff are well prepared and take prompt and effective action in searching, reporting and returning young people to the 8 of 10 home. Staff are aware of the role they play and the roles of other agencies such as the police and the local authority. This awareness has enabled effective dialogue to take place with these agencies and protocols and strategies to counter going missing are robust and effective keeping young people safe.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people typically behave positively and this is as result of the well-established and consistent behaviour management strategies deployed by the staff. Young people are given clear boundaries and understand how to behave acceptably. Key working and one-to-one work with young people helps them understand these concepts and young people feel engaged.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

One young person commented that staff have helped them focus on parts of their behaviour that were less positive. Young people take greater responsibility for managing their behaviour and as a result develop positive views about themselves and understand how their behaviour affects others.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are rarely subjected to physical interventions because effective behaviour management strategies divert them from negative behaviour. Staff are provided with training and guidance which helps them understand how to manage conflict and de-escalate challenging behaviour.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

All staff are carefully selected and vetted to ensure that they are suitable and that they will put young people's needs first. Well-managed recruitment process prevents young people being cared for by unsuitable people.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Young people are further protected by robust and comprehensive child protection and safeguarding procedures and guidance to keep them safe. Any suspicions of harm or allegations are well-managed and promptly responded to ensuring that young people's protection remains paramount.

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Keeping children and young people safe good

Careful risk assessment ensures that young people are kept safe and protected from known or suspected hazards from their environment and as a result of their behaviour. These assessments are completed with the young people and they are instrumental in these strategies and plans which help keep them safe. This collaborative approach has enabled young people to better understand and manage risk therefore keeping themselves safe from harm.

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Leadership and management good

This home is managed by an experienced and suitably qualified acting manager who has submitted an application and awaits interview to become a Registered Manager. The manager provides effective leadership and has a long and sustained history in the care sector managing in similar roles. 9 of 10 The acting manager understands the importance of helping staff develop both as individuals and also performing as a team. Training and supervision has a strong focus on the professional development of staff and achieving team cohesion to ensure practice is effective and consistent. Staff talk about being well supported, feeling valued and having confidence in their acting manager within their respective roles.

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Leadership and management good

Staff members are further supported in their development through effective supervision that is focused on their individual performance and goals. This enables staff the greatest opportunities to achieve and develop their professional practice and identify relevant training. Training is focused at the right level and closely matched with the skills and competencies of the staff.

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Leadership and management good

No requirements or recommendations were made from the previous inspection. However, the manager and staff team are committed to continuing improvement and the performance of the home. As a result several systems of practice have been reviewed and revised. Individual one-to-one working with young people is more focused, structured and targeted. This has enabled care planning targets to be more closely defined and measured.

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Leadership and management good

Missing persons and absence from the home has been reviewed with more focus on understanding triggers, indicators and the signs and symptoms of going missing. As a result staff are more proactive in identifying behaviours and situations where young people may be more likely to go missing. Risk assessments have also been reviewed with improved recording comprehensive guidance. This has enabled staff to better understand risk and further reduce or remove risks for young people. These reviews have been targeted and focused in areas most likely to promote welfare and to improve the outcomes for young people and this demonstrates a commitment to improving performance.

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Leadership and management good

No external complaints have been received since the last inspection and the home has good systems in place to make appropriate, although infrequent, notifications to Ofsted and the wider organisations. This demonstrates the home’s desire and ability to work transparently and openly with their regulator and the placing authorities.

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Leadership and management good

Regular quality assurance checks are carried out both by the acting manager and the independent visitor. The standard of care in the home is measured in terms of the trends and patterns of behaviour and performance. This results in a detailed analysis of the needs of the young people and how the home meets these. Where shortfalls or areas for development are identified, prompt and effective action is taken to make the necessary improvements and improve outcomes for the young people. 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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