Children's home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited in Epping Forest

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:

 Staff provide close supervision and individualised support so that young people develop a sense of safety when living in the home.   Young people develop positive relationships with staff, enabling them to accept the support staff offer.   Young people are making significant progress in attending education and showing improvements in their behaviour.   A new registered manager, well supported by an experienced registered individual and deputy manager, leads enthusiastic staff who are committed to promoting young people’s welfare and supporting them to develop and make progress.   Effective monitoring of the home enables managers to identify and address weaknesses to maintain high standards of care.   Comprehensive care plans guide staff to support young people and reduce the potential for harm.   Shortfalls relate to compiling a clear development plan for the home, ensuring that staff have opportunities to discuss any safeguarding concerns

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The children's home provision is good because:

in their supervision sessions and developing a more restorative approach to sanctions.  

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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 within 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) (h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, have clear development plans that are implemented to continually improve the experiences and care of children. 30 September

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  Ensure that supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)  Ensure that any sanctions used to address poor behaviour are restorative in nature, to help children recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other children, the staff caring for them and the wider community. (‘Guide to the children's homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.38)

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Information about this children's home

The home is privately owned. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

23 February 2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Good

A new group of young people are settling in to the home with close staff supervision. A young person commented that life at the home ‘is a bit hectic but I think I am settling’. They are developing positive relationships with staff and enjoy living at the home ‘because of the staff, who are kind and care’. He added ‘the home has helped me and I’ve made progress since living here’. Staff have meaningful consultations with young people. Records of young people’s meetings demonstrate that staff actively seek their views on menus, activities, their education and day-to-day matters affecting their experience of living at the home. Action plans result from these meetings, making it clear to them that their views are important to staff. Individual key work sessions give young people opportunities to express their feelings and opinions and provide staff with opportunities to address young people’s individual needs relating to managing their

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Good

emotions. A young person remarked that he would give staff ‘five stars – staff listen’. All young people are engaging in education and showing improvements in their attendance. One young person has significantly increased the number of hours he is able to attend. Another young person, who prior to his placement at the home did not engage in education for 17 months, is now attending full-time. Staff work in partnership with education staff to promote young people’s learning. Staff encourage young people to participate in activities and pursue their personal interests such as boxing, cinema and youth club, giving them a sense of identity and belonging in the local community. They enjoy weekend activities when they venture further afield on trips to London or theme parks. Because of positive relationships with staff, young people who prior to living at the home did not engage in social activities are now extending their social experiences and gaining

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Good

self-confidence and self-esteem. Staff monitor young people’s health needs effectively. Staff work in partnership with external health professionals to provide support for specific health needs, including sexual health and emotional and psychological well-being. A clinical psychologist noted that a young person ‘has made significant progress. His attendance at school and improved interactions with his family ae largely due to the extra support provided by the home’. Staff help young people develop their independence and daily living skills, preparing them for their transition to adulthood. Young people do their own washing, help cook and shop using an incentive scheme encouraging them to take more responsibility for themselves. Young people benefit from the positive approach by staff to communicating with their families, helping to develop and maintain meaningful relationships.

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Good

Staff provide young people with a safe environment. Clear boundaries and close staff supervision protect young people. Individualised and detailed 24-hour management plans and care plans give staff comprehensive guidance to support young people and keep them safe. Staff identify and understand the risks associated with each young person. Appropriate measures reduce the potential of harm. Managers monitor the level of risk presented by young people and increase staff ratios when necessary to provide added protection when their behaviour presents a threat to young people and staff. A parent commented that they have no concerns about the safety of the young person living at the home. A young person remarked, ‘I definitely feel safe and the staff protect me’. Staff adopt a positive approach to behaviour management, focusing on rewarding, praising and recognising good behaviour. Managers consider sanctions to ensure

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Good

that they are appropriate and are an effective tool in supporting young people to modify their behaviour. Further training and support for staff is required to develop a more restorative approach to poor behaviour and help young people recognise the impact of their behaviour on themselves, other young people, staff and the wider community. Staff are trained in using physical intervention, which they use as a last resort and managers closely monitor such incidents to ensure that staff apply safe practice. Recording of such events is appropriate and demonstrates that managers have a discussion with staff and the young person to allow reflection, improve support strategies and ensure safe practice. There have been no incidents of staff reporting young people as missing since December 2015. Currently, while young people are settling in to the home, they do not have unsupervised time away from it. Risk assessments, vulnerability

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Good

assessments and appropriate protocols with the local police are in place to ensure that appropriate protective measures safeguard young people if they leave the home without permission. Staff have undertaken training in safeguarding young people so that they are aware of the risks facing young people, including the risks of child sexual exploitation, radicalisation and self-harm. Robust recruitment processes protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they commence work at the home. Health and safety checks are up to date. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied.

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Good

A new manager is in post and he was registered with Ofsted in March 2016. He is suitably qualified and experienced for the role. Since his appointment, he has received close support and guidance from the experienced registered individual to manage the home confidently and effectively. Also supported by an experienced deputy manager, the management team work well together to maintain high standards of care and promote the progress and well-being of young people. Staff undertake an induction programme and training relevant to their role to develop their knowledge and skills to protect young people and further their development. Staff who have completed their probation period are qualified to the required level or are working towards the qualification within the required timescale. Staff supervision is regular and in line with the home’s policy. Although discussion includes an emphasis on the needs of individual young people, it does

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Good

not include a specific focus on any safeguarding concerns that staff may have. Continuous monitoring by managers of the functioning of the home ensures that records are up to date and accurate. A new system for monitoring incidents is providing managers with clear information to assess behaviour patterns and trends to evaluate the effectiveness of support strategies for young people. Managers use the monthly reports by the independent person constructively to address identified shortfalls and improve the service. The registered manager completes internal monitoring reports at six monthly intervals. He intends to formulate the development plan for the home following the completion of the next report but there is no current development plan in place. The requirements made at the previous inspection have been met. Managers have received two complaints since the last inspection. One complaint did not relate to young people living at the home and the other was dealt with and

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Good

resolved satisfactorily, including a personal letter of apology from a young person to a neighbour. The registered manager takes an active role in reviewing and evaluating young people’s care plans to ensure that strategies promote their progress. Proactive work with other professionals and agencies such as the child and adolescent mental health service, school staff and health professionals enhances the support that staff offer young people with complex needs. The home’s statement of purpose is up to date, clear and informative. Staff are meeting the expressed aim of providing high quality services within a safe and nurturing environment while providing an integrated and cohesive range of opportunities in line with young people’s individual needs.

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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 children looked after 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 that 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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