Children's Home run by Rubicon Children and Family Services 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:

 Young people form and sustain warm, friendly and harmonious relationships with staff and one another. This collaborative culture enables young people to successfully reach their developmental goals and milestones.  The delivery of comprehensive care planning and effective behaviour management strategies results in stable placements. Disruptions and negative behaviours are uncommon. Young people with prior histories of less settled behaviour have achieved and maintained stability.  Young people make good progress across all aspects of their lives. They gain self-confidence and self-control. They express themselves effectively, helping to shape and influence their own care. Young people feel valued. They know that their opinions are important to staff and are used to promote the continuing development of the home.  Staff members understand the vulnerability of young people. The need to keep them safe and protect them underpins all aspects of their practice. Where

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The children's home provision is good because:

young people have more complex behaviours, staff reflect on their practice and seek out supervision and training opportunities to enhance their skills.  There has been an absence of a registered manager since November 2014, but interim management arrangements have been effective in sustaining stability and progress. However, Ofsted judges the impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers as ‘inadequate’ where there has been no manager in post for over 26 weeks.

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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

13: The leadership and management standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the leadership and management standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(f) understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home . 30/07/2015

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(1) (i) ensure that staff assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child's relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child. 30/07/2015

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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 that the home maintains a nurturing and supportive environment that meets the needs of the children and comply with relevant health and safety legislations; this relates in particular to fire safety planning (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

Ensure that staff receive good quality supervision which allows them sufficient time to reflect on their practice and discuss matters relating to the children assigned to their care. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Information about this children's home

This section should outline: This home is privately owned and is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to five young people with emotional or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

24/02/2015 CH - Interim sustained effectiveness

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good

Young people form and sustain warm and respectful relationships with staff members and their peers. Staff members effectively guide them to learn and develop social skills which results in harmonious relationships. Their self-confidence grows as a result. One young person states, ‘It is really the staff that make the real difference here, they are the most important feature of this home’. Another young person says, ‘I value my relationships with staff more than anything else’.

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good

A Social Worker commented that the home has made a ‘real difference to the young person’s life, staff have engaged with them, helped and supported them and brought stability and purpose. The home has consistently and effectively provided the care that we agreed’.

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good

The implementation of individual and unique placement plans ensures young people’s needs are understood and met. Young people shape and influence these plans through close and effective liaison with staff in their day-to-day contact and one-to-one meetings.

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good

Effective independence planning achieves positive results. One young person says, ‘I have learnt to shop, cook and take care of myself better through the support I have received from staff’. Such planning is ambitious, yet realistic. This enables young people to undertake and develop skills targeted to their unique needs. As a result, they learn in a safe and nurturing environment, and any difficulties are used as further learning and opportunities.

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good

Staff members understand the importance of learning. They enthusiastically drive individual education programmes for young people. Planning for education is part of the matching process to ensure that young people have the learning support and infrastructure immediately they move into the home. Close liaison with local schools, further education providers, and the provision of a home tutor, demonstrates the range of provision provided to each young person.

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good

Well-managed health care plans support young people's core health and medical needs. Although a record is made of all incidents, greater accuracy is required to ensure that records accurately reflect the situation and incidents. Where more specialist services are required, close liaison and effective planning between the home and health agencies results in excellent support for the young people. Managers commission consultant mental health services and therapeutic interventions which have been effective in supporting young people. Young people fully engage with their healthcare plans. They seize opportunities provided by key working meetings to make their views, wishes and feelings known. They learn to take greater responsibility for themselves. One young person says, ‘staff helped me look at some of my problems, which enabled me to seek the help I really needed’.

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good

One young person has taken responsibility for designing and producing a young person’s guide. The young person stated ‘I discussed with staff that for this document to be meaningful it need to be designed by young people, and I have consulted with other young people and designed something that really reflects us’.

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good

Young people say that they feel safe. They know staff members care about them and that they will protect them and keep them free from harm. They are confident to speak to staff and share with them any worries and concerns that they might have.

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good

Fire safety assessment on the whole provides the action necessary to ensure safe means of escape from fire and that the staff team are able to protect young people in the event of a fire. Historically fire extinguishers are stored behind locked doors to prevent fire extinguishers being used maliciously. However, risk assessment pre- dates the young people currently resident and therefore the acting manager is carrying out an immediate review of these arrangements.

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good

Risk assessments typically provide comprehensive action plans that reduce risks. Staff members demonstrate their skill and knowledge in using risk guidance which results in the reduction of risks for vulnerable young people. The implementation of the protocols agreed with the police ensures that prompt and effective action is taken when a young person does go missing or absent. Great progress in this area has significantly reduced episodes of young people going missing. There are some examples however, where a few of the protocol documents contain limited information. Although the practice of experienced staff is effective, less experienced staff could be left unclear of practice expectations.

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good

Mandatory training is in place for all staff focused on e-safety and child sexual exploitation. This training enables staff to gain insights into risks and vulnerabilities young people face. One young person confirmed that there is a ’safe’ laptop for young people to use which is monitored and regulated by the staff. Young people are able to learn to use the internet and social media in a safe and controlled environment.

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good

Much of the young peoples’ approach and behaviour is attributed to the excellent opportunities they have to express themselves and make their views known in a constructive manner. Episodes of negative behaviour and sanctions are uncommon because staff members promote a collaborative rather than punitive approach to behaviour management. As a result young people develop self-control and take greater levels of responsibility for their own behaviour.

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good

Rigorous and well-managed staff recruitment practices ensure young people do not come into contact with those who are not suitable to work with them. The effective monitoring of visitors to the home enhances the arrangements to keep young people safe.

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good

Staff members effectively engage young people in dialogue and discussions. By understanding the push and pull factors, staff are able to reduce them. Young people now feel that when they are experiencing difficulties, they can seek out staff members, positively engage and successfully resolve matters without feeling the need to leave.

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good

Staff members understand young peoples’ vulnerabilities and how to keep young people safe and free from harm. They understand their role and the roles of the local and placing authorities in safeguarding young people along with partner agencies such as the police and local safeguarding authority.

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good

Notification to Ofsted and other agencies are uncommon; however they are made promptly when required. Salient information about the event demonstrates the action the home has taken to safeguard and protect the young person.

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inadequate

The home has been without a registered manager for over 26 weeks. Where a home has had no manager for 26 weeks or more Ofsted judges the impact and effectiveness of leaders and managers as inadequate.

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inadequate

An interim manager has been in post since April 2015. They intend to make an application for registration with Ofsted. This manager is suitably qualified with a BA (Hons) Social Work, and Level 5 Leadership and Management Diploma. They have previously been a registered manager with Ofsted managing a similar service.

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inadequate

The director of care and responsible individual provided the management oversight prior to the new manager taking over. These arrangements provided interim leadership, supervision for the staff and the continued delivery of training. Staff members say they felt supported and accountable during this period taking their guidance and leadership from these managers who were accessible and visible.

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inadequate

The home’s development plan focuses on increased self-evaluation against the criteria of the new quality standards and the development of systems to increase feedback from the young people, external professionals and parents. Evaluation of the success and impact of the planning will be considered at further inspections.

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inadequate

Young people are further supported by the recent employment of a teacher and regular therapeutic training programmes delivered to the staff by external professionals. Consultation with young people through young peoples’ meetings has increased knowledge and understanding of young people’s needs shaping the development plan and making this document relevant.

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inadequate

Placing authorities, parents and other stakeholders directly influence the production of the statement of purpose by being asked to comment and give their opinions. Therapeutic and counselling services have developed as a direct result.

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inadequate

Motivated and enthusiastic staff are well supported through team and practice meetings. They describe team meetings as energetic and challenging where they are able to reflect on team and individual practice. Staff members’ views are canvassed and valued. They say their voice has equal status throughout the team. Staff members are confident to take an active role; they gain a sense of ownership of the practices and responsibilities of the team.

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inadequate

Effective performance evaluation, with targeted training programmes ensures staff members develop their individual professional practice objectives. Each staff member has a training portfolio constructed through supervision, appraisal and self-evaluation. Training focuses specifically on the needs of the staff member relevant to their role and their professional and personal objectives. As a result staff members are motivated and committed and very much a part of their own professional development. One staff member stated ‘training gives us the opportunity to really think about what we do and as importantly, how we do it’. Another staff member commented, ‘training is challenging, rewarding and gives you thirst to gain more knowledge’.

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inadequate

New staff have good support mechanisms ensuring young people are looked after by staff with effective induction, training and supervision programmes. To minimise changes for young people, new staff members are provided with time to get to know them, consult their personal files and attend staff meetings. This effectively minimises disruptions and is testament to the importance the managers’ place in providing stability for young people.

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inadequate

Staff are further supported through regular supervision using these opportunities to reflect on their practice and consider approaches, strategies and techniques to support the work with young people. There are many examples of effective supervision. However, a small number of supervision records failed to demonstrate a reflective and evaluative supervision process resulting in the purpose and benefit of these sessions being less clear.

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inadequate

Monthly reports of independent monitoring visits do not demonstrate evaluation or the impact of the events and records examined. These reports fail to evidence the independent person’s opinion as to whether children are effectively safeguarded or whether the conduct of the home promotes young people’s well-being. Consequently, the home is without a robust external critique of its performance. Furthermore, these reports incorrectly identify the national minimum standards rather than the quality standards, which came into effect from 1 April 2015.

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inadequate

Strong partnership working has resulted in effective education and health services being provided to the young people. Specialist therapeutic services are used regularly by the home providing both guidance and formal training to staff members. This results in staff members understanding the roles of others and utilising their services 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. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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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