Children's Home run by The Drive Care Homes Ltd 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:

 Leadership and management of the home is strong. The Registered Manager ensures that staff provide a high standard of consistent care by effective use of internal and external monitoring.  Young people make good progress supported by staff who help them to develop their independence and self-care skills. They devise simple tailored targets which are adapted to ensure they suit the young person’s abilities.  Young people are encouraged to make choices using a range of communication methods, including pictorial exchange, pointing and body language. Staff listen to young people and act on their wishes.  Inter-agency working is strong. Excellent relationships exist with stakeholders and professionals results in consistency of approach.  Confidential information about young people was stored in an unsecured cupboard. This meant that young people’s important information was not kept safe. This was addressed immediately.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): All children's case records must be stored securely whilst they remain in the home. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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Information about this children's home

Dartford House is a registered children's home, accommodating six young people, who are diagnosed as having mild, moderate, and severe learning disabilities with other associated complex needs. These may include sensory needs, communication difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder and health needs e.g. epilepsy.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

17/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

05/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress

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Good

Staff support young people to manage their own behaviour. Staff work closely with external services, for example a psychiatrist, to help them to develop strategies and inform their practice. One young person is more able to cope whilst out in the community as a result. Staff are to meet the young people’s complex needs.

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Good

Young people have good relationships with staff who interact well with them. They sought out staff company and showed that they are happy to be with staff. One young person said ‘I like going out’ and ‘I like my room’. He indicated that he liked to do things with a staff member by initiating games.

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Good

Young people participate in house meetings where they can make choices about a range of matters, including meals and activities. Staff use a range of communication aids including photographs and observation. Staff listen to young peoples’ requests and respond positively, for example, a young person indicated that he wanted a double bed by seeking out another young person’s room and lying on his bed. The Registered Manager responded by purchasing him a new bed.

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Good

Young people enjoy a range of activities within the community, for example bowling, swimming and cinema trips. This increases their confidence in social situations and encourages a sense of community. Staff ensure that young people are able to pursue their individual interests, for example attending church or the mosque. Staff promote young people’s culture by providing dietary preferences and ensuring they adhere to religious traditions and festivals.

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Good

Staff foster good relationships with young people’s families. Parents speak favourably about the effect that the staff have had on their child. One parent said ‘staff have improved my son’s behaviour, he is much calmer now’. A Social Worker commented that ‘staff have really supported the young person to keep his relationship with his family, they facilitate contact, for example, his aunty visits the home to cook his traditional meals’. Another Social Worker reported that ‘staff go above and beyond’ in relation to facilitating contact.

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Good

Staff work proactively to ensure that young people access school or further education; they transport young people to and from school. Staff encourage young people to attend after school clubs where they are able to mix with their peers and develop social skills.

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Good

The environment is homely, staff encourage young people to personalise their bedrooms by helping them chose soft furnishing and decorations. Recent refurbishments include a new kitchen and wet rooms. Staff promote a sense of belonging and pride in the home.

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Good

Clearly written plans include risk assessments and are reviewed every three months or when changes are identified. The Registered Manager ensures that all staff take responsibility for young people’s welfare and work together to provide consistent care. Young people are encouraged to contribute to their care plans and this has been a success. Young people attend meetings, contribute verbally, or through questionnaires or staff observations.

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Good

Regular house meetings ensure that young people have a say in the running of the home. They pick activities, meals and holidays. A range of communication aids are used to ensure that all the young people are able to have a say.

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Good

Staff promote young people’s health needs by taking young people to all medical appointments and supporting their recovery from medical procedures. One young person needs support to manage her reluctance to attend dental visits. The Registered Manager plans to seek advice from the allocated psychiatrist. Judgement grade

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Good

Individual risk assessments identify young people’s vulnerability to child sexual exploitation (CSE) and the steps needed to prevent and reduce risk. Young people have recorded missing from home profiles, including photographs. Staff ensure that descriptions of young people’s clothing are noted daily so that they can be easily identified if they go missing. Staff have up to date training in safeguarding for adults and young people, which includes CSE. They are able to describe the procedures to follow if a young person went missing from the home.

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Good

The Registered Manager effectively tracks safeguarding referrals through recording and auditing systems. He has close links with the local children’s safeguarding board (LCSB). The Registered Individual has undertaken PREVENT training, which will be shared with the staff group. The LCSB has contributed to the comprehensive location risk assessment. This enables staff to be aware of the potential risks that young people face in the community.

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Good

Daily records and young people’s files were found in an unlocked cupboard in a communal area. This posed a risk that visitors to the home could access young people’s confidential information. The cupboard was secured immediately.

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Good

Physical interventions are not required because staff intervene effectively to manage young people’s behaviour. This is a positive indicator of the success of de- escalation techniques, consistent working and use of relationship to defuse situations. Incident reports are accurate, the Registered Manager evaluates and analyses their use to ensure that sanctions are proportionate and adjustments to care plans reflect lessons learnt.

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Good

Recruitment arrangements are satisfactory, good practice is in place in relation to checks regarding staff identity. A robust induction programme ensures that staff are confident and well informed about the young people prior to working directly with them.

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Good

There are safeguards in place to ensure that young people cannot access unsafe internet sites. Staff talk to young people about e-safety, however, a more formalised preventative approach would offer additional safeguarding.

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Good

The Registered Manager has been in post since 2013. He has a Level Five Diploma in Leadership for Health and Social Care. He is well qualified and experienced to manage the home. He is a strong manager who motivates the staff to provide a high standard of care and consistency.

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Good

The statement of purpose reflects the ethos of the home. The policies are adhered to by staff, for example, the high level of supervision provided ensures that young people have individualised care. The children’s guide is developmentally appropriate and available in a format suited to the young people’s level of learning difficulties.

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Good

Team meetings are constructive and focus on the young people’s care plans. The Registered Manager promotes an opportunity to use team meetings to support staff to build a strong sense of team identity. A variety of topics includes monitoring, research, staff morale and plans for the young people’s activities. A staff member reported that ‘that there is a good listening culture at team meetings’.

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Good

Staff receive six weekly, reflective supervision, which focuses on young people’s needs, staffing development and policy. Staff report that supervision is of a high calibre and that the Registered Manager is approachable and supportive. Staff report that ‘supervision is good as it gives me opportunity to challenge, ask questions, and clarify the work’ and ‘I am able to express views about what I need to develop and improve upon’.

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Good

Good professional relationships between the home and partner agencies result in effective multi-agency working. Staff work closely with schools, the local authority and health professionals to help young people progress in agreed targets across all settings. A Social Worker reported that ‘the Registered Manager and staff always attend meetings and write reports detailing the young person’s progresses’. Another Social Worker said ‘I am very pleased, the young person has made huge progress’.

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Good

Communication with stakeholders is excellent, ensuring a transparent approach to the young people’s care. Staff send weekly reports detailing all aspects of young people’s lives to social workers and parents. A Social Worker reported that ‘communication is very good, I always receive updated care plans, and anything I ask for I receive within five minutes of asking’. A parent commented ‘the staff talk to me regularly; I don’t have any concerns’.

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Good

The Registered Manager is committed to developing the service with effective internal and external monitoring processes. The independent visitor provides a high level of scrutiny, which is valued by the Registered Manager who strives for continual improvement. A business plan devised evidences the Registered Manager and organisations commitment to continued improvement for the benefit of the young people.

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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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