Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Kent

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection and sustained effectiveness at the subsequent interim inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people make good progress as a result of living at the home. They enjoy positive and nurturing relationships with staff, and form some strong attachments to them. Young people are confident that they will be supported, and approach staff with any worries, questions or concerns. They also enjoy the company of staff to play and chat. Staff are demonstrably concerned for young people, and take time to hear how their day has been. Young people are incredibly positive about the home and staff. One said that they felt that they would have ‘ended up in prison’ without the help and guidance received, while another said, ‘Staff really care. If you go missing, they spend hours looking for you – I don’t go missing anymore.’

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three young people remain in placement since the last inspection. They are mostly making good progress. One has recently completed GCSE exams and is attending a sixth form provision in order to improve her grades further. She has applied for college for the next academic year and is keen to widen her peer group. Another has significantly reduced his offending behaviour since living in the home, and has engaged really well with his youth offending worker. The third young person is progressing, but external influences have led to periods of being missing from care. Staff have engaged him well, but have also determined that an alternative placement (provided by the same organisation) may be in his best interests, to reduce the episodes of going missing.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Three young people have moved into the home since the last inspection. They have benefited from strong pre-placement planning, including robust impact risk assessments. Young people have the opportunity to visit the home prior to placement to meet others in the group and the staff who will be caring them. Staff are aware of any risks and concerns prior to placement and do all that they can make transitions smooth. Two young people have moved on since the last inspection. One has moved to a placement more able to meet their needs, while another was an unplanned move when the home determined that it was unable to keep the young person safe. The process for placing both of these young people was sound, based on the information available to the home at the point of referral. When a placement ends unsatisfactorily, the management team reflects on what could be done differently in the future.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

There are purposeful plans for all young people. They include clear and achievable targets for them, and make clear the aims of their placement. Key workers have a good understanding of the needs of young people in the home and review plans regularly. Reports for child looked after reviews are thorough, highlighting the individual’s successes and areas for continued development. Staff work well with partner agencies, including social workers, to devise plans and set targets. An independent reviewing officer said that they had ‘confidence in the care’ that the home provides.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Young people say that they feel safe in the home, and have staff to whom they would go if they were worried or upset. Staff are confident in their roles, and know how to respond if they are worried or concerned for a young person’s safety or welfare. Safeguarding and child protection concerns are managed well and are reported to the appropriate external agencies. Staff are curious and will explore anything that they do not feel comfortable with. For example, they challenge young people if they unexpectedly acquire new belongings and will share their concerns with police. Staff are open and honest in their safeguarding practice to ensure that young people feel that they can approach them and understand why staff have responded in the manner that they have.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Incidents of being missing from care have significantly reduced for most young people in placement. Some young people continue to go missing from care and there is a coordinated response, should this happen. Staff will look for young people in any known locations, and constantly try to contact them or their friends and family while they are away from the home. They liaise with the police to ensure a safe return. On their return, young people are welcomed back and encouraged to talk about where they have been, and what led to them going missing. Any information which may prevent them from going missing in the future is shared and informs their plans. When being missing remains an ongoing concern, strategy meetings are held to consider how best to keep the individual safe in the future. Staff are clear on the risks that young people face when they are missing, and understand the risk of exploitation in all forms. They recognise the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

vulnerability of young people engaging in criminal activity and substance misuse, and link to local agencies to support young people with this.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Positive behaviour is consistently promoted in the home, with young people understanding what is expected of them. When appropriate, young people have busy schedules of activities to keep them occupied, reducing the chance of undesirable behaviour. Sanctions are fair and proportionate. Young people have the opportunity to share their views and to consider how they may be able to do things differently in the future. Restraint is used when all other options have been exhausted. There have been no physical interventions since May 2016.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The registered manager and management team continue to run the home to a good standard. They evaluate the service regularly in line with regulation 45 and learn from areas noted for improvement by the independent visitor. However, there is no formal plan demonstrating how the home will be developed in the coming year, including how to improve the quality of care, the fabric of the building, and staff skills and training.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

The management team recognises that there are areas to improve with regards to the fabric of the building, and redecoration and maintenance are underway. Some repairs and remodelling (by external contractors) have not been completed to an acceptable standard, and this is being challenged. However, some areas still require further attention. The use of bedroom door alarms has not been agreed with the placing authorities and, where some locks have been removed, there are unsightly holes in doors. The use of a card swipe to exit the home to the garden or gain access to the office seems institutional, as many staff wear an ID card to double as the access swipe. Moreover, the swipe to the front door has already been removed to allow young people easier access and egress of the home. Young people have been involved in choosing new decor for their bedrooms and, when able, have helped to paint their rooms themselves.

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 01/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 18/11/2015 Full Good 24/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 22/05/2014 Full Adequate

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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 may only use devices for the monitoring or surveillance of children if the child’s placing authority consents in writing to the monitoring or surveillance. (Regulation 24(1)(b)) 30/11/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendation(s):  For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely, domestic environments. Children’s homes must comply with relevant health and safety legislations (alarms, food hygiene, etc.); however, in doing so, homes should seek as far as possible to maintain a domestic rather than ‘institutional’ impression. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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Recommendations

This is with specific regard to the use of an ID card pass system for the back door and office, resulting in many staff wearing ID cards at the home.

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Recommendations

 The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review of the home should focus on, based on the specific circumstances of the home at that particular time and any areas of high risk to the children that the home is designed to care for, such as missing or exploitation. They will also consider what information or data recorded in the home will form part of the evidence base for their analysis and conclusions. There is no expectation that the registered person will review the home against every part of the quality standards every six months – registered persons should use their professional judgement to decide which factors to focus on. The review should enable the registered person to identify areas of strength and possible weakness in the home’s care, which will be captured in the written report. The report should clearly identify any actions required for the next six months of delivery within

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Recommendations

the home and how those actions to focus on. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home – such as a development plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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 0300 123 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, work- based 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

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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