Children's home in Tonbridge and Malling

Requires improvement

The children's home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 Staff members have not received appropriate training in safeguarding on keeping young people with physical and learning disabilities safe.  External monitoring of the home is effective. However, it is not robust in monitoring the safeguarding of young people and the promotion of their well-being.  The home’s policies are not sufficiently child-focused and have not been updated, particularly the safeguarding and missing from care policies.  Behaviour support plans and risk assessment do not adequately reflect the work completed by the staff team and the progress that young people are making.  Some members of the staff team do not hold appropriate level 3 qualifications.  The home’s location risk assessment requires revision to reflect all potential risks for young people.  A fully completed workforce development is not in place.

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The children's home strengths

 Young people are supported to enjoy their short break, playing with staff and participating in appropriate activities.  A committed and enthusiastic staff team cares for young people during their stay.  Young people appear to feel safe and are safe during their short-break stay.  A wide range of purposeful activities means that young people have the opportunity to try new things and have positive experiences.  Good partnership working and communication with parents and placing social workers ensure that young people experience consistency in routines and that their needs are met.  Continuing significant improvements to the service have enhanced the warm and welcoming feel to the building.

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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

The registered person must keep the statement of purpose under review and, where appropriate, revise it. (Regulation 16 (3)(a)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that individuals who work in the home have the appropriate qualification by the relevant dates. (Regulation 32 (4)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development. In particular, ensure that all staff complete suitable training in safeguarding children with disabilities and the ‘Prevent’ agenda. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy which is intended to safeguard children accommodated in the children’s home from abuse or neglect and sets out the procedure to be followed in the event of an allegation of abuse or neglect. (Regulation 34 (1)(a) and (b)) 31/10/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (‘the missing child policy’) setting out the steps taken, and to be taken, to prevent children from being absent without permission and the procedures to be followed, and the roles and responsibilities of persons working at the home, in relation to a child who is, or has been, so absent. (Regulation 34 (4)(a)(b)) 31/10/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)  The behaviour management strategy should be understood and applied at all times by staff and must be kept under review and revised where appropriate. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 46, paragraph 9.34)  Continue with the development of a workforce plan, which can fulfil the workforce related requirements of Regulation 16, schedule 1 (paragraphs 19 and 20). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.8)  The registered person should review the home’s premises location risk

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Recommendations

assessment and include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented in relation to radicalisation and child sexual exploitation and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children's home

A charitable organisation runs this home on behalf of the local authority. It provides residential short breaks for up to 10 children and young people who have learning disabilities and who may also have a physical disability and/or sensory impairment. The service is for children living in the borough and access to the service is through the children with disabilities team.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Requires improvement

There is a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the home. Significant redecoration to the home together with the use of soft furnishings has greatly contributed to this. Young people clearly enjoy their short break and are supported to have a fun and enjoyable time. A parent commented, ‘My son cannot wait to come here. He will often push pass me, find his favourite staff and off he goes.’ Another parent commented, ‘The manager and staff will go the extra mile to accommodate our needs and support us particularly during a crisis. This service has saved our family and prevented my son from going into care.’ Staff know many of the young people well and their interactions are thoughtful, nurturing and engaging. All young people have an allocated key worker, who works closely with parents to ensure that established routines continue during their short break. For example, one young person makes a telephone call to his mother

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Requires improvement

at a set time to wish her good night. Another young person brings in a doll’s house to enable her to settle. These actions result in young people benefiting from consistent routines ensuring a seamless handover between the family home and the short break. Young people have achievable goals and targets in place. They develop skills through structured routines. They learn how to do basic care such as helping to dress themselves, brush their teeth and improve personal hygiene. However, progress is not consistently and accurately recorded, making it difficult to track and evidence young people’s achievements and progress. A varied range of purposeful and enjoyable activities are accessible to young people both in the home and out in the community during their short break. These include use of the sensory room, crafts, music and dance. The large and well- equipped garden enables young people to take part in a range of fun and sensory

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Requires improvement

play. Trips outside of the home are varied. For example, young people travel to the seaside, theme parks and to local swimming pools. Previously, parents had commented on the lack of activities in the home. However, the development of a worker with specific responsibility for activities has resulted in better planning, choice and innovative activities. For example, identification of the Paralympic park to enable young people with disabilities to have equal access to swimming and other activities. Parents and social workers have commented positively on this improvement. Equality and diversity is threaded throughout the service, irrespective of how profound the young person’s disability. Staff ensure that young people’s specific cultural and spiritual needs are met. For example, staff take young people to an appropriate place of worship, ensure that dietary and skin care needs are understood and in place and ensure positive role models in the staff team.

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Requires improvement

Managers are keen to encourage young people’s feedback on their experiences during their short break. Pictorial communications systems in place promote this. For example, an interactive feedback board enables young people to comment on the quality of activities. Staff develop positive relationships with parents, ensuring that they have a voice in the care and support that their children experience during their short break. Planned family activities and the setting up of a parents’ group ensures that the views of parents play an essential role in the development of the service. Parents describe a fantastic resource, where their children and young people are happy and safe.

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Requires improvement

Local policies and procedures for promoting the safety of young people and the procedures to follow should a young person go missing are not in place. Parents say that they are confident in the staff to safeguard young people. However, should an allegation be made or a young person go missing, strategies are not in place to enable staff to have a comprehensive approach on the procedures to follow. For example, staff do not know the name of the designated safeguarding officer and lack awareness of the local authority safeguarding board. Staff lack training that addresses areas of safety, such as safeguarding children with disabilities, radicalisation and female genital mutilation. This is of concern, particularly given the level of communication and disabilities that young people have who receive a short-break service. Risk assessments are of variable quality and do not fully identify the support needed to keep young people safe and the strategies to reduce risks, particularly in

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Requires improvement

accessing the local community. Behaviour support plans lack information to guide interaction and for some young people, information is incomplete with significant gaps in key areas. High levels of staff supervision and an appropriately secure environment keep young people safe and protect them from going missing. For example, the door security uses a keypad system, reviewed regularly and is known only by permanent staff. This ensures that young people with good mobility are safe while only appropriate individuals gain access to the service. Sanctions have little meaning to young people due to their level of understanding. Staff use diversion techniques to encourage good behaviour and to divert young people from potentially stressful and difficult situations. Staff have received training in physical intervention. However, young people’s behaviour rarely warrants these interventions. Parents confirm that they understand how to make a complaint although have

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Requires improvement

rarely needed to. In the event of a complaint from parents, there is rigorous follow up. The registered manager is reflective in her management of complaints and can demonstrate where lessons have been learned if areas for improvement are identified. As a result children and young people are protected by appropriate complaint and safeguarding systems. Young people and staff alike are safe living and working in the home. Regular health and safety checks are maintained in the home. Young people have individual evacuation plans, which identify the individual support that they need and ensures that they stay in a physically safe environment.

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Requires improvement

The manager registered with Ofsted in March 2016. She does not yet hold a suitable level 5 qualification. However, she expects to achieve this by the end of the year. She has over five years’ experience in social care. The workforce development plan is not fully developed. As a result, there is no central point of reference in the home from which to analyse the skill set of the current staff team. Records on actual and planned training for staff are inconsistent. The service lacks a matrix of training. This can lead to confusion in the actions to be taken to safeguard young people. The provider has not ensured that long-serving staff members have achieved an appropriate qualification within the required timescales. However, these staff members have good experience of working with young people staying at the home, so there is no current impact on the quality of care that they receive. However, staff professional awareness and competence have the potential to be

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Requires improvement

undermined when key training has not been undertaken. External monitoring of the home continues to take place monthly. However, the external visitor does not comment on their opinion of whether the young people are effectively safeguarded in the home. This shortfall does not support the effective monitoring of the home. The registered manager has undertaken a review as to appropriateness and suitability of the location and premises of the home. This identifies low risk in relation to crime in the community. However, there is little information on risks of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation or strategies for managing these. The registered manager has been successful in developing a positive staff team, where morale is high and there is a commitment to prioritising the needs of young people and improving the quality of care provided. She is aware of the improvement needs of the service and was open and honest on these matters

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Requires improvement

throughout the inspection. The home is adequately resourced and delivers the service and support outlined in the statement of purpose. However, the document is not an accurate reflection of the current staff structure and qualifications. The registered manager ensures high staffing levels and meets the individual assessed needs of each young person, with staff members allocated to support each young person throughout the day. New staff receive a good induction process that helps them to settle well. They are supported through regular supervision and team meetings. Staffing levels are appropriate with a full complement of staff in place.. This provides improved consistency and stability for the young people. The registered manager has grown in confidence and understanding of her role and leads by example. A member of staff commented, ‘The manager is always available to us. She has made tremendous improvements in team morale.’

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has a vision for the service and is passionate about improvement. She understands the strengths and is committed to improving all areas highlighted by inspections. However, a development plan is not in place to confirm how this is to be achieved. The service continues to lack a clear child- focused direction from senior managers, resulting in many aspects of the service not yet fulfilling its capacity for improvement.

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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 that 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

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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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