Children's Home run by Esland South Limited in Kent

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged Good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judge that it has Sustained effectiveness .

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

At the previous inspection, one requirement was made regarding staff training programs and this has been fully addressed.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three good practice recommendations were set. One was in respect of fire risk assessment, another related to maintaining young people's progress charts and one was in respect of supervision frequency for staff. These good practice recommendations have all been addressed satisfactorily. One recommendation has been made at this inspection in relation to increasing the young people's engagement in house meetings.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff training has been reviewed following the last inspection and each staff member has an individual training profile, which is promoting his or her professional development appropriately.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Programmes detail the training that has been undertaken and the training planned for further staff development. The registered manager has worked with staff to evaluate their professional development ensuring training meets their developmental goals. Training is therefore more focused and targeted ensuring that staff are appropriately skilled for their roles.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager has also undertaken training in safeguarding, whistleblowing procedures and developing supervision skills. She is using supervision, team meetings and practice meetings to disseminate her training, raising staff awareness and ensuring safeguarding and child protection practices continue to develop. In addition, senior staff are beginning to provide supervision for more junior staff, enabling them to impart their practice skills and develop their supervisory skills.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Staff use supervision effectively, discussing both their practice and the progress of their work with young people. They reflect and consider how practice can be shaped and influenced more positively, resulting in supervision that one staff member described as, ‘challenging and rewarding’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The homes fire building risk assessment and plan has been completed and all staff have been made aware of the actions to take in the event of a fire. Equipment is checked weekly and the home uses an external fire consultant to visit the home regularly ensuring fire safety is maintained professionally and objectively. Young people and staff take part in regular fire evacuation exercises, demonstrating safe and timely emergency evacuation.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

All young people learn to manage their own behaviour and work towards their care planning goals successfully. Physical intervention is extremely rare with the last episode taking place over a year ago. The registered manager sees this as partly due to the close relationships that young people develop with staff and also to the use of individual and targeted behaviour management plans. These plans are produced with young people, enabling them to help shape their own behaviour, recognise their triggers and identify strategies with staff to manage these.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Good behaviour and acting responsibly is rewarded by praise and further encouragement. One young person designed, developed and produced a training video highlighting online exploitation, which demonstrates significant awareness and insight. All young people were able to watch the video, which was shown to the inspector during the visit. The young person who had produced the video was taken out to see her favourite pop group as a reward, which she described as ‘fantastic’.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Key working is well managed and records of these sessions demonstrate effective relationships with young people engaging in meaningful and objective discussions. Young people are trusting of these relationships, which they use to speak openly about anything that is of concern to them or that they may be worried about.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Records of young people's meetings however do not always demonstrate their engagement. In the absence of recorded dialogue records fail to evidence how young people are shaping their care or the services that the home is providing. Some meetings are largely being used for discussions about menus. The registered manager is already beginning to address this with staff who have been made aware of the need for improvement. A recommendation has however been made to ensure the planned improvements are carried out.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The home has developed a reflection log for all staff to complete at the end of each shift. This log seeks to evaluate staff performance and to help staff to consider how their practice could have been improved. Each staff member comments on their own performance and the performance of their colleagues. This exercise is creating some useful discussions where staff are much more focused and reflective upon their practice. Discussions are taking place in supervision and team meetings demonstrating some healthy debate and analysis. This has helped staff work more closely together and establish effective, considered strategies in providing care Behaviour management is an area that has particularly benefited from these consistent approaches.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

A permanent registered manager remains at the home, effectively monitoring the quality of care positively and influencing improvements. The home has remained stable and calm providing a good standard of care and support to the young people.

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Information about this children's home

This is a privately owned children’s home offering care and accommodation for up to four young people with emotional and behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

09/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

26/02/2014 Interim Satisfactory Progress

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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 young people are consulted regularly on their views about the home’s care, to inform and support continued improvement in the quality of care provided. In particular use children’s group meetings to gather and record views, wishes and feelings. (The Guide to the Quality Standards, page 22, paragraph 4.11)

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the Inspection of children's homes: framework for inspection.

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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 focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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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