Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

 Young people benefit from living in a home where staff are warm and nurturing, and provide them with close, individualised support. They develop trusting relationships with staff, which give them a sense of stability and safety.   Young people respond to the support, guidance and understanding shown to them by staff. Their behaviour, self-confidence and self-esteem improve as they come to trust and allow staff to help them through their difficulties.   The registered manager provides strong and committed leadership and effective management of a staff team that is motivated to provide high- quality care which promotes positive outcomes for young people.   Protecting young people is clearly a priority for staff and is evident throughout their practice. Care plans and risk assessments are current with appropriate strategies in place to support and safeguard young people.   Shortfalls identified relate to recording the effectiveness of sanctions,

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The children’s home’s provision is good because:

ensuring that young people can access the kitchen at all times and not punishing young people when they return after being missing. 

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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 ensure that within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(vii)) 30/12/2016

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  The registered person should have regard to ‘Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, specifically in relation to ensuring that when a child returns, running away should not be viewed as behaviour that needs to be punished. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 45, paragraph 9.25)  Just as in a family home, children should be able to access all shared areas of their home unless there are specific reasons why this would not meet a child’s needs. Limits on privacy and access may only be put in place to safeguard each child in the home. In particular, children should be able to access the kitchen at all times, unless a decision to restrict such access is taken following a rigorous assessment of that child’s needs. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations

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Recommendations

including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.10)

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to four children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 12/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/11/2015 Full Good 26/03/2015 Full Good 04/02/2015 Full Inadequate

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Good

Young people living in the home are making significant progress from their starting points. They benefit from living in a stable environment with individualised support where they form trusting relationships with staff. Their levels of self-esteem and confidence grow as they respond to the support, guidance and understanding shown to them by staff. Young people begin to share their thoughts and feelings with staff and consequently reduce their challenging behaviour as they come to trust staff to respond to their needs and difficulties.

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Good

Staff value young people’s views and opinions as they develop into young adults. Weekly young-people’s meetings provide opportunities for them to express themselves on day-to-day matters and issues arising from living in a group. Individual key work sessions focus on helping young people to achieve the goals which are outlined in care plans. This individual support also helps them to acquire alternative ways of thinking about difficult issues and acts as a forum for them to discuss their feelings.

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Good

All young people are engaged in education. When difficulties arise, managers liaise closely with school staff to ensure that young people receive appropriate support to maximise their educational opportunities. Attendance at school for some young people has improved considerably, from being in school for one hour a day before admission, to attending full time within one month. Managers are strong advocates for young people in making sure that they have access to suitable educational placements to advance their future life chances.

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Good

Young people access social and recreational activities according to their personal interests. Community activities include the cinema, gym, swimming and trips to London. One young person supports young people with learning disabilities at a local youth centre. Through such activities, young people are building their self- confidence, extending their social experiences and developing a sense of identity.

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Good

Young people receive effective support to maintain their health and to lead healthy lifestyles. Staff closely monitor their physical and emotional health and work in partnership with external health services to promote young people’s well-being and ensure that their specific needs are met. Young people receive support from specialist health professionals, such as sexual health nurses and the child and adolescent mental health service. They are receiving the specialist support they need to promote their development. Their physical health is improving, as is their emotional well-being. As young people develop into young adults, they receive appropriate support to build their independence skills and develop their awareness of taking responsibility for themselves. Young people appreciate the way staff recognise their transition to the next stage of their lives. One young person commented: ‘I don’t feel like a child

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Good

in care. The place feels very homely. I feel independent, as if I am an adult.’ Staff successfully balance young people’s desire for independence with their need for care, support and protection.

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Good

The home provides comfortable, spacious living accommodation for young people. However, young people do not have access to the kitchen at all times. This is not conducive to providing young people with a homely, family-like environment where young people should be able to access all shared areas of their home.

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Good

The home provides a safe environment for young people who have experienced unpredictable and unsafe situations in their past. In a caring and nurturing environment, young people develop warm and trusting relationships with staff who respond to their individual needs. These positive relationships provide young people with a sense of protection and stability. Clear boundaries, routines and structure, implemented consistently by staff, provide young people with an increasing awareness of security.

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Good

Staff identify and understand the risks associated with each young person. Appropriate measures are in place to protect them from harm. For young people with a history of placing themselves at risk of sexual exploitation, staff correctly focus on developing their awareness of the dangers they face. Such strategies are proving successful, to the extent that the risk of sexual exploitation has dramatically reduced for one young person.

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Good

Following incidents of young people being reported as missing, staff ensure that young people access the Local Safeguarding Children Board’s courses on child sexual exploitation and e-safety and also follow up with return interviews and key working sessions. Procedures are in place to ensure young people’s safe return when incidents occur. Young people currently receive a sanction following an incident of them leaving the home without permission and being reported missing. This is not in accordance with ‘Statutory guidance on children who run away or go missing from home or care’, which clearly states that when a young person returns, running away should not be viewed as behaviour that needs to be punished. Staff generally take a positive approach to behaviour management with a focus on praise and reward. Behaviour management strategies provide staff with supportive interventions specific to each young person. Young people receive appropriate

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Good

support to manage their behaviour and emotions effectively. A young person commented that, ‘They know when to leave me alone and help manage my mood swings.’ Consequently, the use of physical intervention is low and is used only when necessary to reduce the risk of harm or serious damage to property. Managers closely monitor such incidents to ensure safe practice. However, records of sanctions do not demonstrate that staff are considering the effectiveness of the measure.

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Good

Thorough recruitment processes are in place to protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they start working at the home.

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Good

Health and safety checks are up to date. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied.

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Good

The registered manager has been in post since May 2015 and is suitably qualified and experienced. He provides strong and effective leadership and support for the staff team, based on a clear understanding of the individual needs of young people. Supported by an enthusiastic and efficient deputy manager, the registered manager leads the staff team with energy and drive.

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Good

Staff follow a comprehensive induction programme and training relevant to their roles to ensure that they are confident and competent in meeting young people’s needs. Staff have either achieved the level 3 qualification or are working towards the diploma within the required timescales. They receive regular, reflective supervision, focusing on practice issues and matters relating to young people’s development. Managers use supervision constructively to improve the quality of care and foster positive team working.

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Good

Managers are committed to maintaining high standards, addressing any shortfalls and improving outcomes for young people. Weekly management checks of records and monthly monitoring of young people’s progress contribute to a thorough understanding of activity within the home and the effectiveness of support strategies for young people. Feedback from young people and social workers is an important aspect of the quality assurance system in evaluating the effectiveness of the quality of care and the impact on young people’s progress. The monthly reports by an independent person are an effective tool for identifying action to advance improvement. The requirement and recommendation set at the previous inspection have been met.

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Good

Proactive work with other professionals and agencies, such as the virtual school, health professionals and social workers, is ensuring that through partnership working young people receive support appropriate to their needs. These constructive relationships allow managers to challenge plans and proposals when they consider them not to be in the young person’s best interests.

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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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