Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) 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:

 It is a well-managed, child-focussed home in which children and young people make good progress in all areas of their lives.  Children and young people are kept safe through good relationships with staff, careful planning and, over time, learning to keep themselves safe.  The manager and staff provide effective nurturing care within which children and young people develop improved self-esteem and begin to flourish.  They make progress socially and in education. Poor behaviour is changed and young people are helped to develop a sense of belonging so that they want to change.  The manager knows the young people very well and their best interests are at the heart of decision making. They are consulted with at all stages and have a say in their home.  One young person does not yet have a sufficient education package and some personal education plans are missing from files.  The home is well maintained and homely but does not reflect the particular

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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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Statutory Requirements

In order to meet the education standard the registered provider must: (2)(a)(vii) help a child who is excluded from school to access educational support throughout the period of exclusion and to return to school as soon as possible. 15 January

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Statutory Requirements

The registered must maintain in the home all records specified, in particular ensure the personal education plans are on file for all young people. (Regulation 36(1)(a)) 15 January

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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

The managers should contribute more fully to children’s understanding of ‘who we are and where we come from’, in particular by making the artefacts and routines of the home reflect the individual culture identities of young people placed. (Guide to the Quality Standards p16 paragraph 3.14)

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Information about this children's home

This privately owned children’s home is registered to accommodate up to seven young people who may have emotional and behavioural disorders. In practice it has accommodated no more than six but retains the higher overall numbers. The home is operated by a small local provider which has other similar homes in the vicinity and it also has a school which young people may attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

p.5

Recent inspection history

24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

p.5

Good

Children and young people are well engaged. All identified one or more staff whom they could trust, they draw security from the relationships they have built. Staff know and understand them in detail, take an interest in their daily lives and are sensitive to the particular circumstances of each child or young person. Staff are strong and thoughtful advocates on their behalf.

p.5

Good

Children and young people have a real say in their lives, through both formal and informal systems. This has included imaginative developments, for example, a dog was purchased for the home. It was identified in advance who would most benefit from this, and some young people were closely involved in the decision.

p.5

Good

Young people use their time in the home constructively and staff engage them in thinking closely about their own roles in keeping themselves safe, taking responsibility for their actions and understanding their past lives. This is not always easy, but the relationships with staff are secure and non-judgmental and, to varying degrees, all children and young people have made discernible progress.

p.5

Good

Generally children and young people attend education well and make progress in educational attainment. On the first day of the inspection one young person was missing school because of a health reason, but attended on the next day. One young person is achieving exceptionally well in school and realistically expects to complete academic A levels after her GCSE’s. It was noted that one young person has yet to secure a place in a school, although there was evidence that this is actively being sought. He is not, at this time, engaged in close to 25 hours per week of purposeful education and efforts to address this need to be given still greater urgency.

p.5

Good

Staff take a genuine interest in children and young people’s schooling, they attend parent evenings and liaise closely with schools. They support young people to complete homework, encouraging them and working directly on occasions. This is a stimulating home which gives children and young people a sense of ambition.

p.6

Good

Outside of school children and young people engage in a range of age appropriate sporting and social activities. Staff actively seek young people’s views; they have supported young people to mix with peers whilst ensuring arrangements are safe and suitable. They have also promoted sibling contact and are keen that childhood is as normalised as it can be.

p.6

Good

The home accommodates children and young people from diverse backgrounds. There have been real attempts to express the diversity, for example through themed evenings. However, the artefacts, menus and life of the home do not reflect the backgrounds even of children who have lived in the home for some time and this could be improved. The managers have noted the ambivalence that children and young people may express about their backgrounds, but this need not prevent reinforcing their identities.

p.6

Good

Young people learn to take responsibility for themselves and have some opportunities to learn life skills including shopping and cooking. While preparation for independence is thought through this is essentially a nurturing home which seeks to care for children and young people so that they learn to value and care for themselves. At the time of this visit no young people were actively being prepared for independence and this reflects their current need and the commitment made to them.

p.6

Good

Children and young people enjoy good health and managers and staff support this systematically. Any ongoing health needs are met as unobtrusively as possible. This is done sensitively, and children and young people are supported to take control and responsibility for their own health to a level commensurate with their age and understanding.

p.6

Good

There have been a small number of incidents in which young people have put themselves at risk, for example, of exploitation. The service has managed these effectively and ensured that young people are kept safe including the timely involvement of all other relevant professionals. Staff are knowledgeable about child sexual exploitation and exercise effective caution in managing those at highest risk. They have helped young people to keep safe, including persuading them to cooperate with restricted lifestyles if this has been necessary.

p.6

Good

Staff have a good understanding about risks faced by young people generally and have a real grasp of particular issues affecting those in the home. There is a nurturing approach within which children and young people are encouraged to use their good relationships with staff to keep them safe. At the time of this inspection only one young person was having substantial free time, but this was managed so that access to activities and some controlled free time, i.e. in a specific location, with peers was frequent. This ensures young people are safe and are only taking risks when it is clear they are able to make mature choices.

p.7

Good

The managers and staff understand the risks associated with internet use and this is controlled carefully for young people at highest risk.

p.7

Good

There have been a number of episodes of missing from home. These have reduced significantly since alternative placements were found for young people whom the service struggled to keep safe. The protocol if young people go missing is well known to staff and closely followed. It has been effective in reducing risk when missing and ensuring they understand the concern of those that care for them. The arrangements for independent interviews when young people return have been effective.

p.7

Good

Managers work proactively with other agencies, for example placing authorities and the police, to ensure that plans for young people are agreed by all relevant parties and are followed in practice.

p.7

Good

Behaviour within the home was very good on the day of the inspection. Records and discussion demonstrate that this is mostly so now after a more challenging period. It is notable that some episodes of challenge, including violence to staff, have been worked through well and young people concerned have, reflected on and amended their behaviour. Behavioural management plans are in place and guide staff to be consistent in their approach.

p.7

Good

The group dynamics of the young people are not straightforward, with quite a wide age range and types of need. This is well considered in planning admissions and the current group, though diverse are compatible and give each other space or respect.

p.7

Good

The recruitment arrangement for new staff follow safer recruitment guidance and ensure that staff employed are suitable to work with children.

p.7

Good

The home is effectively managed by a well-qualified and highly motivated Registered Manager who has formed a good and purposeful relationship with young people. They identify her as some-one they can trust, but also have strong relationships with other staff. This hands-on style of management ensures that she has her finger on the pulse and is in good control of how young people are responded to by the staff group.

p.8

Good

The manager is qualified to Level 5. She is supported by an equally motivated deputy manager and they provide good oversight and decisive responses to events in the daily life of the home.

p.8

Good

Managers supervise staff formally and informally, staff value this and say it is helping them develop in their roles. The manager and deputy recognise the impact the work has on staff and help them to build resilience to provide consistent support to children and young people including when the challenges have been substantial.

p.8

Good

The placement plans are on file and known to staff, and more detailed care plans covering behaviour, health and risk assessments have been developed which guide the care staff give. Not all young people have personal education plans on their files, although managers have made links with the education providers for all children and young people.

p.8

Good

The home’s development plan is suitably ambitious. The manager has set child focussed goals and these have been met or partially met. Some young people have enjoyed holidays abroad this year; the use of clubs and facilities in the local area is well considered although with limited uptake.

p.8

Good

The premises are homely and well maintained. There have been some ‘forced’ bedroom moves because of damp in one room, which will remain unoccupied until remedied. Lounge and dining areas are well decorated and young people were all pleased with their personal accommodation. The ground floor bathroom was being refitted at the time of this inspection.

p.8

Good

The monitoring of the home through independent visitor reports and the managers quality assurance have been effective tools to drive improvement.

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Good

Three requirements were made at the previous inspection, and these have been complied with: the statement of purpose now reflects the information on the registration certificate; care plans have been reviewed at suitable times; and consent to surveillance by audible door sensors is now on young people’s files.

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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

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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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