Children's Home run by Strode Park Foundation for People with Disabilities 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 children’s home is strong. The Registered Manager is a good role model; she leads an experienced and committed team. Staff are motivated to provide high quality care.  Placement plans are thorough and informative. Staff are aware of any changes to care plans, this enables them to provide a consistent approach to young people’s complex care needs.  Other stakeholders highly value the quality of the service. The Registered Manager and staff liaise closely with parents and professionals to ensure that they are kept informed.  Staff ensure that young people are able to make choices in all aspects of their daily lives. Young people communicate using a range of communication methods, including eye pointing and objects of reference. Key work sessions for young people who live at the home are effective; however, one young person who has short break care has not had a key work session for almost a

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The children's home provision is good because:

year. This means that he has not had protected time to share his views.  Staff are fully aware of fire regulations and undertake regular fire drills. However, an annexe used for short break stays is not included in waking night staff guidance. Personal evacuation plans had not been completed. Risk assessments to identify the young people who could use this building had not been carried out. This was rectified prior to young people’s stays.

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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 (England) Regulations 2015 and the Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards. The registered person(s) must comply with the given timescales.

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Requirement Due date

12: The protection of children standard In order to meet the protection of children standard with particular reference to the protection of children who reside in the outer building the registered person must ensure that staff:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(a) (i) assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangement to reduce the risk of any harm to the child 11/01/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that the home adheres to the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (2)(b), specifically the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulation made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home in relation to young people who reside in the outer building (Regulation 25 (2) (b)

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation(s): Children must be consulted regularly on their views about the home's care to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided, especially in relation to key work sessions for young people who have short break care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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Information about this children's home

The children’s home provides care and accommodation for you up to three children under short break arrangements and for a further six children/adults who live in the home. Facilities are in place to meet the needs of children who have either physical disabilities, learning disabilities or both. It is operated by a local charitable foundation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

31/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

18/03/2014 Interim Satisfactory progress

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Good

Staff focus on young people’s well-being and support them to make sustained progress. Staff monitor young people’s goals to ensure that they remain attainable. They are encouraged to develop basic care skills, social and independence skills, for example, one young person’s confidence has grown and she is now more sociable with her peers. Another young person previously became stressed when unable to manage her ritualistic behaviour, persistent guidance from staff has helped her to cope better and self-calm. A Social Worker reported ‘my young person has stopped hurting herself as much since she has been at the home’. Another Social Worker said ‘my young person is now able to tolerate wearing shoes, something that she was not able to do previously’.

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Good

Young people enjoy good relationships with attentive staff who create a calm, welcoming atmosphere. One young person said that the home was ‘good’. Young people were observed to be happy in the home. Staff are aware of the young people’s needs and respond to them sensitively, for example, they reassure young people by treating them with dignity and keeping them fully informed. This increases their feelings of security. A parent said ‘my daughter is happy there, the carers are interested in her’, another parent said ‘he bounces out of the car to go in’.

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Good

Young people have thorough placement and behaviour plans, which are highly individualised to their age and understanding. They are consulted about their plans and when appropriate agree any revisions. Staff regularly review these at team meetings to ensure they remain effective. Staff work together to provide consistent and predictable care.

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Good

Staff are committed to listening to the wishes and feelings of young people. They enable those who communicate non-verbally to use a range of communication methods. This includes eye pointing and objects of reference, meaning they can express themselves and make choices. Children’s meetings inform young people about any changes in the home as well as recording their preferences for meals and activities. Key work sessions for are creative and effective, however, one young person who has short break care had not had a formal key work session for a year. He is able to vocalise his preferences but has not had protected time to talk to a trusted adult.

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Good

All young people attend school; staff liaise closely with teachers and attend multi- disciplinary meetings to share information and expertise. Young people made good progress, for example, one young person’s behaviour impacted on her school attendance; she now attends the whole school day and is able to travel on school transport.

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Good

Specially trained staff care for young people with complex health needs. Staff have excellent relationships with health professionals and therapists to ensure effective application of specialist health care and behavioural strategies.

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Good

Young people benefit from the home’s facilities. The resources include a sensory room, quiet lounge, hot tub and a large well-equipped garden. Young people enjoy days out to places of interest, for example, ice skating, theatre, cinema and indoor play centres. Staff support young people to socialise with friends who are able to visit the home and join in with activities. Judgement grade

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Good

Safeguarding practice is professional; policies are clear, robust and research based. Well-trained staff understand safeguarding issues and procedures ensuring that young people are protected. The Registered Manager has good relationships with the local safeguarding children’s board and local designated officer, all staff are aware of whom to contact if they have safeguarding concerns.

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Good

Young people do not go missing due to the high level of supervision. Staff are aware of what to do if a young person goes missing from the home or is at risk of child sexual exploitation. The Registered Manager consults with professionals and the community services to ensure that local environmental risk factors are known. She has close links with the police community support officer.

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Good

An atmosphere of transparency and learning from significant incidents ensures that practice remains safe. Lessons learnt are shared with all staff at team meetings and supervisions. Informal complaints are dealt with appropriately and recorded for evaluative purposes.

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Good

Young people’s placement plans include management of complex health and safety issues, for example, a young person has open access to a children’s ward at the hospital in order that emergency medical care is provided by health professionals that can meet her complex needs. The Registered Manager works proactively to address young people’s health needs. Risk assessments inform staff about how to reduce risk.

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Good

Young people’s emotional well-being is of prime importance to staff. Restraints are rare due to staff’s ability to manage challenging behaviour. A calm and measured approach is adopted to diffuse incidents. Restraint interventions are minimal. Staff report de-escalation techniques, which are analysed by the Registered Manager. Staff consult with young people and record their responses. On occasions the behaviour of young people has an impact on others in the home. Staff are quick to support young people to help them feel safe.

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Good

Staff supervise young people to ensure they can use electronic devices safely. Staff have a good knowledge about e-safety and educate young people. Software prevents young people accessing inappropriate sites.

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Good

Fire risk assessments and regular fire drills protect young people in the event of a fire However, an annexe used for short break care stays is not explicitly included in waking night staff guidance. Specific risk assessments identifying which young people are suitable to stay without staff presence has not been completed. Staff are well rehearsed in the evacuation policy; however, personal emergency evacuation plans are needed for young people to ensure that procedures are clear. These shortfalls were rectified prior to young people’s next stays. Judgement grade

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Good

The Registered Manager provides strong leadership of the home. She has been registered with OFSTED since June 2011 and is well qualified and experienced for the role. She has a Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management.

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Good

The Registered Manager ensures that staff have an annual appraisal, which includes discussion about young people. She implements a training plan, matching the personal development of staff with the needs of the young people placed in the home. The young people have complex physical and learning disabilities and staff are trained by health professionals to provide competent health care. A staff member said ’I have been trained to administer oxygen, use suction machines and gastrostomy care, all organised by in- house training’.

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Good

Supervision is of a high calibre and is regular and effective. Accountability and reflection underpins the learning for supervisees, which increases their confidence and competence. The focus is on young people, staff and team development. The Registered Manager is valued by staff; one person said ’the manager ensures we talk about our own developmental goals as well as the young people’s needs.’ Another staff said ‘the manager is experienced and always has time to talk to you’.

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Good

There has been some recent changes in staffing, staff have left and some new staff recruited were not reliable. This has been challenging for the Registered Manager, the impact has been minimised due to her commitment and the support from the team. Regular, familiar agency staff have covered shifts to ensure that those who know them well care for young people. Recruitment files demonstrate that care staff, including agency, are suitably vetted and checked prior to employment. New staff shadow experienced staff prior to working directly with young people. The Registered Manager is committed to only employing staff of the highest calibre.

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Good

The Registered Manager ensures there is close liaison with other professionals. Communication is effective with those who care for young people. A Social Worker reported ‘staff are brilliant, we work well together, I had daily updates at the beginning of the placement because the young person’s needs were so challenging’. Another social worker said ‘staff are fantastic, they communicate any concerns and will respond promptly to any requests, they are proactive in communicating with me’.

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Good

The Registered Manager and staff listen to parents and react immediately to any concerns or requests. A parent said ‘the carers are interested in her and are supportive and helpful, the seniors respond to anything promptly’. Another parent said ‘they went out of their way to accommodate my child when I had an emergency’.

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Good

The statement of purpose is up to date and clearly states the ethos of the home and the Registered Manager’s aims. The children’s guide is appropriate for the young people who stay there; it includes an interactive tour of the home.

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Good

The Registered Manager has devised a comprehensive development plan, which focuses on improving outcomes for the young people. She is clear about the strengths and weaknesses of the home and aims for continual improvement to ensure a sustained high level of care and protection.

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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.2c

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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

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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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