Children's home in Thanet

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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because:

 Staff morale is low. Staff sickness and injury have an impact on the team and not all staff feel that management listen to their concerns. This affects their work with children.  The impact of a few new admissions has made some children feel unsafe at times and has exposed some to new risks.  Matching is not always effective. Staff have struggled to meet a few children’s special needs and challenging behaviour. Children have not liked the disruption to their home.  There is some slippage in maintaining general and essential records.

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The children’s home’s strengths

 Thorough recruitment checks help to ensure that staff are suitable to work with vulnerable children.  Some staff show commitment to the children and provide positive role models to them.  Staff help children keep in touch with their families. Children like the support they get from staff.  Describing what is good about the home, staff say, ‘It has a homely feel and all the children are made aware of the support network offered,’ and, ‘The staff are supportive of each other.’

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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: ( 1) The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to: (b) ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate (c) ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child (d) ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child. 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The following measures may not be used to discipline any child: (f) imposing a financial penalty, other than a requirement for the payment of a reasonable sum (which may be by way of instalments) by way of reparation. With specific regard to making it clear to children and in records that they are not being fined, but making reparation. (Regulation 19 (2)(f)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must maintain records (case records) for each child which: (a) include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child (b) are kept up to date, and (c) are signed and dated by the author of each entry. (Regulation 36 (1)(a)(b)(c)) 30/11/2016

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Requirement Due date

The independent person must produce a report about a visit (‘the independent person’s report’) which sets out, in particular, the independent person’s opinion as to whether: (a) children are effectively safeguarded, and (b) the conduct of the home promotes children’s well-being. (Regulation 44 (4)(a)(b)) 30/11/2016 12: The protection of children standard

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Requirement Due date

In order to meet the protection of children standard: ( 1) The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (2) In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure: (d) that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. This is with particular reference to:  ensuring that impact risk assessments are carried out more effectively, considering the likely impact one child’s admission may have on existing residents and staff  ensuring that the garden is maintained in a safe condition, particularly, free of brambles and stinging nettles. 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 recommendations:  Ensure that children are provided with nutritious meals suitable for each child’s needs. This is with specific reference to providing greater encouragement to some children to eat before their evening meal, and further supporting some to make healthier choices regarding a reliance on energy drinks. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.8)  Make suitable arrangements under Regulation 23 to manage and dispose of any medication. This is with specific reference to seeking guidance from health professionals on any medical implications for children when they refuse medication, and on disposing of medication prescribed to previous residents. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

 Make sure that case records are kept up to date. This is with specific reference to ensuring that key work and other significant discussions with children are recorded to evidence that these take place and are useful to the child. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)  Ensure that when a child returns to the home after being missing from care or away from the home without permission, the responsible local authority must provide an opportunity for the child to have an independent return home interview. Homes should take account of information provided by such interviews when assessing risks and putting arrangements in place to protect each child. This is with specific reference to providing greater challenge to those local authorities who do not provide these interviews and recording this, and the outcome of any interviews to help reduce the number of missing episodes and

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Recommendations

therefore children’s safety. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.30)

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Information about this children’s home

A limited company provides this home and a number of other children’s homes. The home’s registration enables it to provide care and accommodation for up to five children who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 31/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/12/2015 Full Good 18/03/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness 17/12/2014 Full Good

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Requires improvement

Children feel that sometimes management ‘lets the wrong children in’. This has upset the atmosphere in the home and has made some children anxious about protecting themselves. Management has provided training to meet the specific needs of children admitted to the home, but this has been several months after their admission. Therefore, staff have struggled to manage behaviour and meet children’s needs.

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Requires improvement

There are positive relationships between children and some of the staff. However, some children feel that staff attention focuses on those who have high needs to the detriment of others. This has an impact on how children feel included. Some children feel that they do not get regular key work sessions but do like spending time with individual staff.

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Requires improvement

Children’s views of their progress vary. One child feels very little has improved for them apart from ‘feeling better’ emotionally. Another feels they ‘think more before they do things’ and this reduces their impulsiveness. One is starting to settle and get used to the home’s routines.

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Requires improvement

Health outcomes vary. Children have access to general health services. Some benefit from starting to engage with health professionals to support their emotional needs. Those who smoke continue to do so, and are not ready to cut down despite staff encouragement. Children benefit from a home cooked meal at night. Some do not eat throughout the day and would benefit from greater encouragement to do so. Those with food addictions which have an impact on their health receive some support to change their habits, but they would also benefit from more support to change. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘Addictions are not really being addressed.’

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Requires improvement

Education progress and achievement is variable. For example, one child has settled well in school and attends regularly. Attendance is not yet at the minimum 25 hours a week (nor for any of the children) but is slowly increasing. Another receives virtual education, but their engagement is variable and they want to be in mainstream school. Tuition arranged for a child recently placed in the home is due to commence soon.

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Requires improvement

Some children benefit from pursuing their own interests outside of the home. Staff encourage them to research and participate in activities, such as attending a course or attending a uniformed organisation. This helps them to have fun and gain confidence, and provides an opportunity to make friends outside of the home, which is particularly important for those not attending school. Some children have identified interests and talents which staff have not yet explored due to changes in placement planning.

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Requires improvement

Children enjoy some activities with staff, such as shopping trips to buy food for the home or to spend their clothing allowance. Activities like trips to the cinema are organised at weekends. Children say that sometimes activities are difficult because not enough staff are on duty and staff say there is not enough money for unplanned activities. However, management reports that there are always sufficient funds for impromptu activities. Children have not experienced a holiday, which some would have liked. Instead, they planned some activities with staff, such as go-karting and a trip to the theatre during the summer.

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Requires improvement

The admissions process has not been sufficiently robust at times. Some children say that they have not felt safe at all times because of others’ behaviour and feeling bullied. However, they say staff helped them. Staff and children felt that ‘one child ran this home’ at one point in the last year. Some children feel safe ‘but there are arguments’. A social worker said, ‘Other children have not been suitable and have increased risk.’

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Requires improvement

There have been periods of calm but also some very challenging incidents. Staff have used restraint only once in this period but it is not clear if sometimes it may have been appropriate to use it more often, for example to prevent staff injuries. Evidence of children learning from incidents is not always apparent. For example, children do not always record their views about the incident and some key work sessions following incidents have not taken place. Therefore, children do not always reflect on incidents to improve their behaviour.

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Requires improvement

Staff use positive behaviour management and talk to children about the consequences of their behaviour. Sanctions are reasonable. These include financial reparation for deliberate damage. However, records describe these as ‘fines’, which are not a permissible sanction.

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Requires improvement

The home has a high number of incidents of children going missing. The manager advises that a significant number are occasions when a child returns to the home soon after being reported missing, so they are at less risk. Staff attempts to locate missing children and bring them safely home are sound. A social worker sees progress in that the child placed ‘always returns’. Some children have influenced others to abscond with them and placed them at high risk, for example of sexual exploitation.

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Requires improvement

Some local authorities have not offered an independent return home interview to all children. This prevents children from having the opportunity to speak to someone who is independent of the home and to try to reduce the risk to children of going missing.

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Requires improvement

Medication is stored safely but overall medication requires some improvement. Medication records show children sometimes refuse their medication for a few days. Management have not explored with health professionals if this may have an impact on the child’s health. Some gaps in records mean that there is not a clear audit trail and medication belonging to a previous resident is not disposed of.

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Requires improvement

Some children smoke in their rooms, despite this being against the rules and them being discouraged from doing so. During the inspection, management took steps to ensure that the fire safety system will alert children if they smoke in their rooms as smoke alarms are not triggered by cigarette smoke.

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Requires improvement

Children sign agreements about e-safety. However, some say that they can access inappropriate material on their devices. They also have televisions in their rooms so are not always viewing programmes with adults. Staff talk to them about how to protect themselves from the risks of electronic media and improve their safety.

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Requires improvement

The recruitment process is thorough. Clear records show that management conduct all checks before new staff start to work in the home, which complies with regulation.

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Requires improvement

In her monitoring report in May 2016, the registered manager acknowledges a ‘significant number of changes in the child group’, which has caused a ‘degree of instability within the home’. Although ‘steadied’, further disruption has occurred since.

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Requires improvement

While acknowledging that homes do not always receive full information in referrals, some placements have had a significant impact on the home, staff and children. The company has provided training to help staff deal with conditions out of their experience, but after children’s admission. As a result, some staff have struggled to manage challenging behaviour and meet some children’s needs. Staff feel that this has changed the nature of the home, which is no longer focused on meeting the needs of those with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Requires improvement

Asked in surveys what the home could do better, staff said, ‘Be more consistent with the children,’ and, ‘Meet the needs and feelings of staff.’ During this inspection, staff reported feeling demoralised, tired and stressed. They feel that the mix of admissions has an impact on their ability to meet children’s needs and help them achieve good outcomes. They have raised some issues with management but do not feel listened to or that management acts upon their concerns, such as the impact on them and their family life of working long shifts. The manager states that she has offered alternative shift patterns.

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Requires improvement

Regular monitoring by an independent visitor helps to identify the home’s strengths and weaknesses. Their reports make useful recommendations, for example about many gaps in record keeping. However, they do not include the visitor’s opinion about the safety and well-being of children, so do not completely meet regulation.

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Requires improvement

The registered manager has worked at the home since its registration. She has a suitable level 4 qualification and updates her skills through training. At times she has had to work as a team member when there have been staff shortages. This has taken her away from management tasks. However, she has approached senior management for help and a new area manager is providing support. This includes trying to catch up on records. Staff report finding it difficult trying to update records on only one shared computer in a crowded office.

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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 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, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It inspects services for children looked after 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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