Children's Home run by Compass Children’s Homes Kent Limited in Kent

Good

The children's home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 A new Registered Manager leads this home with a drive for good standards of care and high expectations for children’s outcomes. The introduction of new working practices and improved staff training underpins improvement.  Strong and effective links with the local safeguarding children board (LSCB) mean that this home has a strong safeguarding foundation. All staff have up to date safeguarding training, including newly introduced radicalisation training.  Children make good progress in education, all attend school full time and have 100% attendance. Staff support children’s education through close communication with teachers, structured homework time and daily reading.  Observation during the inspection was of warm caring relationships between staff and children. Children develop trusted relationships with staff; they share their concerns and receive the support and advice that they need.  Professionals praise the child-centred work of staff. An Independent

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The children's home provision is good because:

Reviewing Officer said ‘they have him as the focus and have given him 100%. It would be hard to improve what the unit is offering him at this time’.  There are shortfalls, while children’s views are welcomed, they do not always receive clear and timely responses to their suggestions and requests. There is no radicalisation policy to guide staff in identifying and reporting concerns. The home’s missing from care policy does not always align with that of out of area placing authorities, risking confusion in the plan of action to protect missing children, including the provision of return home interviews.

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Ensure that children are consulted regularly on their views about the home's care, to inform and support the continued improvement in the quality of care provided. Children should be able to see the results of their views being listened to and acted upon. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Recommendations

 Prepare and implement policies setting out arrangements for the safeguarding of children, particularly in respect of radicalisation. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 44, paragraph 9.19)

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Recommendations

Ensure the home's procedures for absent and missing children take into account the views of appropriate local services and have regard to police and local authority protocols for responding to missing person's incidents in the area where the home is located. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 45, paragraph 9.29) 

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Information about this children's home

This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 10 children and young people who have emotional or behavioural difficulties. Therapy is available to all children and young people if required. There is a registered school on site, with additional educational facilities in a linked setting nearby.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 CH - Interim Declined in effectiveness

p.5

Good

Children live in a stable environment with consistent staff who work in their best interests. A member of staff said ‘we help these children; there is a future for them. We stick with them and help them to change’. Observation during the inspection was of warm caring relationships between staff and children. Children develop trusted relationships with the staff who care for them.

p.6

Good

Careful transition planning ensures that, wherever possible, children move into the home in a planned way. They receive information about the home and visit before moving in. Children personalise their bedrooms; one child has designed her own wardrobe, which a carpenter made; other children have chosen the colour for their upcoming bedroom decoration. Children undertake daily household chores alongside staff; they learn lifeskills and invest in the life of the home, developing a sense of belonging.

p.6

Good

Children contribute to decisions about their life. They attend their looked after children review meetings and receive help from staff to present their wishes and feelings. Within the home monthly consultation and weekly children’s meetings allow children to participate in decision-making. The home welcomes children’s views, however, children do not consistently receive prompt response to the issues that they raise; this disempowers children and undermines their engagement.

p.6

Good

An accessible children’s guide equips children with information about the home and clearly explains the complaints procedure. Children complain infrequently, when they do, their complaints receive thorough investigation and timely management response. The home promotes advocates for children; all children placed have an advocate or independent visitor to provide external support.

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Good

All children attend full-time education on site. They are progressing well educationally and have 100% attendance. Children can identify their improvement at school; one child said, ‘I don’t get any detentions at school now, before I used to get lots of detentions’. The head teacher describes effective daily communication between home and school that provides stability and consistency for children. The home provides set homework time with individual staff support, as well as daily reading with children. This structured educational support enhances children’s progress.

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Good

Comprehensive health care plans ensure that children receive the health services that they require. All children register with appropriate health services and their immunisations are up to date. Healthy meals and readily available fruit snacks promote a healthy diet. Children receive in-house therapeutic support as required; initial therapeutic assessment lead to specialised ongoing therapy delivered by qualified therapists. All staff have current training in first aid and the safe administration of medication. Children in this home are in good health; their health improves due to the provision of targeted health support.

p.6

Good

The home provides committed support of contact, including where this is long- distance. Staff transport children to see their family and parents visit the home. Family therapy is available to support the re-integration of children to their family. Regular keywork time with children helps them to understand their contact arrangements and to speak about their anxieties.

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Good

Children participate in recreational activities at their own pace and according to their interests. One child plays football; children and staff from the home attend her matches. A recent carer-leaver described himself on arrival at the home as lacking confidence to go out in the community on his own and to make friends. He said ‘look at me now; completing my GCSE’s; making lots of friends and having a social life’. Staff empower children to develop self-esteem and confidence that allows them to achieve their goals.

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Good

Children in this home receive proactive safeguarding and protection. Staff have up to date safeguarding training and demonstrate a good working knowledge of procedures to keep children safe.

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Good

Children can identify trusted adults with whom they share their concerns. Regular keywork sessions provides structured discussion time. Keywork communication is open and honest and results in support and advice for children. For example, in one keywork session staff helped a child to practice techniques to stay calm when he felt angry. Purposeful keyworking helps children to manage their feelings and behaviour.

p.7

Good

Well-trained staff recognise that children’s emotions can affect their behaviour. Thoughtful behaviour plans that are known and understood by staff guide the de- escalation of children’s behaviour. Consistent staff boundaries allow children to feel secure and promote positive behaviour. One child said ‘I think I’ve changed, before I came here I was really naughty and used to get restrained lots. Staff have helped me to improve my behaviour, now I haven’t been restrained for months’. The use of physical restraint is only where de-escalation is ineffective, and is always to regulation. Management oversight notes patterns and trends to pre-empt challenging behaviour wherever possible.

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Good

An anti-bullying policy guides staff in understanding and taking action against bullying. Where issues arise between children, staff take effective action. One child said ‘sometimes other children here wind me up; staff help to sort things out’. Proactive staff monitoring and support of children’s relationships means that there is no bullying within the home.

p.8

Good

The Registered Manager has excellent links with the LSCB; as a result, her safeguarding knowledge is current. She has recently completed LSCB training to safeguard children from radicalisation; this is now mandatory training for all staff. All staff receive training in online safety and safeguarding children from sexual exploitation (CSE); a staff CSE champion leads this area of safeguarding. Children benefit from staff that are highly trained in safeguarding.

p.8

Good

Organisational safeguarding policies and procedures undergo regular review and are up to date. Radicalisation is newly included as staff training; however, there is no radicalisation policy to guide staff. This means that staff may be inadequately equipped to report any concerns related to radicalisation.

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Good

A good working relationship with the local authority designated officer (LADO) provides safeguarding advice, particularly in respect of allegations. Allegations and safeguarding concerns are shared with appropriate agencies without delay; timely reporting enhances the safety of children.

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Good

Children’s risk assessments contain full information on their risk taking behaviour with action plans to minimise identified risks. Risk assessment updating is regular and always after the identification of any new risk taking behaviour.

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Good

Children who go missing receive an effective safeguarding response in line with organisational procedures. Organisational policy defines ‘absent’ and ‘missing’ and guides safeguarding action accordingly. In some cases, this definition does not align with that of placing authorities. This risks confusion in the plan of action to protect missing children, including the provision of return home interviews.

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Good

Staff and children are aware that health and safety is everyone’s responsibility. Health and safety checks in the home are up to date and fire drills are completed with diligence; this ensures the safety of everyone.

p.8

Good

The appointment of a new Registered Manager since the previous inspection brings significant improvement to this home. She has over ten years of work experience with looked after children, including 3 years as manager. She has achieved the Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Residential Childcare. The Registered Manager demonstrates drive towards continual improvement in standards of care and has high expectations for children’s progress and outcomes. All requirements and recommendations from the previous inspection are complete.

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Good

The Registered Manager has instigated new systems and procedures for the home; providing training for staff to instil new working practices. Excellent management monitoring ensures that staff effectively follow new procedures. Independent monthly monitoring supplements internal monitoring; the Registered Manager implements recommendations made to improve standards.

p.9

Good

Regular staff supervision and annual appraisal have a focus on supporting staff to develop their working practice, and evidences professional challenge where practice is below expected standards. Staff value supervision, one staff member said ‘supervision is helpful, I get feedback on my practice, both positives and development points. Where there are development areas I link with a senior member of staff to support me and help with my learning’. Careful recruitment results in the appointment of high calibre staff. Recruitment meets regulatory requirements; this protects children. The commitment to improving standards is evident in all aspects of the functioning of the home.

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Good

Improved referrals processes mean that only children whose needs the home can effectively meet are accepted for placement. Matching risk assessments for new and existing children help to ensure placement stability and a settled environment for all. The home is not full to capacity; the stability and progress of current children is the home’s priority.

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Good

Effective monitoring of children’s progress begins with a baseline assessment of need with ongoing monitoring that maps progress. Where children are not progressing, their care plan undergoes review. Weekly multi-disciplinary meetings map each child’s holistic progress, with the provision of targeted support where there is identified need.

p.9

Good

The home has full staffing to meet the needs of children in placement. This provides children with consistent care provided by staff who know them well. Thorough staff induction ensures that new staff have a good understanding of their role and responsibilities; staff understand how to meet children’s needs. All staff have achieved the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare, or are due to complete this to timescale. Ongoing comprehensive training equips staff and ensures that they have up to date knowledge to meet children’s specific needs.

p.9

Good

Proactive partnership work with specialist services ensures that children receive the help that they need, and enables staff to gain consultation and advice to enhance care. Effective links with substance misuse services provide expert training for staff. Visits to the home by local police community support officers, establish positive links between children and police, and provides age-appropriate safety training for children. Partnership links meet the individual needs of children in placement.

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Good

The physical environment of the home is well maintained and homely. The home is spacious, and offers a choice of communal space and numerous bathrooms. Outside facilities include an enclosed garden with trampoline and swimming pool. There is space and opportunity for children to undertake activities together and to have individual time with staff.

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What the inspection judgements mean

The experiences and progress of children and young people are at the centre of the inspection. Inspectors will use their professional judgement to determine the weight and significance of their findings in this respect. The judgements included in the report are made against Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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What the inspection judgements mean

An outstanding children's home provides highly effective services that contribute to significantly improved outcomes for children and young people who need help and protection and care. Their progress exceeds expectations and is sustained over time. A good children's home provides effective services that help, protect and care for children and young people and have their welfare safeguarded and promoted. In a children's home that requires improvement , there are no widespread or serious failures that create or leave children being harmed or at risk of harm. The welfare of looked after children is safeguarded and promoted. Minimum requirements are in place, however, the children's home is not yet delivering good protection, help and care for children and young people. A children's home that is inadequate is providing services where there are widespread or serious failures that create or leave children and young people being

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What the inspection judgements mean

harmed or at risk of harm or result in children looked after not having their welfare safeguarded and promoted.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people living in the children's home. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the difference adults make to the lives of children and young people. They read case files, watched how professional staff work with children, young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care given to children and young people. Wherever possible, they talked to children, young people and their families. In addition the inspectors have tried to understand what the children's home knows about how well it is performing, how well it is doing and what difference it is making for the children and young people who it is trying to help, protect and look after. This 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 Children's

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Information about this inspection

Homes (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. the guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted, which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, workbased learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for looked after children and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Information about this inspection

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Information about this inspection

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Information about this inspection

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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