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 provision is good because:

 Close, individualised support from staff aids the development of warm, trusting relationships and a sense of stability, security and belonging for young people living in the home.   Consistent and cohesive support from a dedicated staff team provide a nurturing environment. This is having a significant and positive impact on the young person’s well-being.   Managers and staff work very proactively with external professionals, advocating on behalf of the young person to ensure that he receives the support that he requires to achieve positive outcomes.   The registered manager has implemented improvements at the home, significantly raising the quality of care and strengthening measures to protect young people.   Risk assessments require more clarification in relation to the behaviour that is the cause for concern and an absence of ambiguity in relation to the level of staffing required to protect the child.

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further the service should take account of the following recommendation:

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Recommendations

 Staff should continually and actively assess the risks to each child and the arrangements in place to protect them. In particular, risk assessments should clearly outline the cause for concern and be unambiguous in relation to the measures to reduce the risk of harm. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 42, paragraph 9.5)

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Information about this children’s home

The home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The home is privately owned. The manager is registered to manage this home and another of the organisation’s homes, located next door.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/03/2016 Interim Declined effectiveness 26/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 10/02/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 11/12/2014 Full Good

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Good

Staff have created a caring, nurturing environment in which warm and trusting relationships develop and where the young person is able to relax, settle and develop emotionally. Staff listen, value the young person’s views and opinions, and involve him in care planning. Staff consult him on a weekly basis on topics such as ideas for the menu and activities, his views on the support that he is receiving from staff and any concerns that he may have. Frequent key-work sessions also provide opportunities for him to express his feelings and act as a forum for individual discussions on a range of issues related to his specific needs. Continuous praise from staff for positive achievements promotes self-esteem and self-confidence.

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Good

Managers and the staff team are committed to ensuring that the young person receives appropriate education. When difficulties arise, they advocate strongly to ensure that the young person’s educational needs are met. Staff are proactive in supplementing the young person’s education through interactive educational activities such as gardening, cooking and art. Staff recognise the importance of supporting the development of appropriate social skills. This helps young people to manage peer relationships in group settings and cope with the demands of school life and community interactions.

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Good

Staff recognise the importance of leisure activities in young people’s development. Activity support plans guide staff in building confidence for the young person to participate in activities such as Scouts, swimming lessons and fundraising for charity. This sensitive and thoughtful approach helps to build self-assurance and extend social experiences.

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Good

Staff work in close partnership with health services and professionals to promote well-being. Close monitoring of physical and emotional health ensures that specific needs are identified and met. Staff offer advice and guidance on a healthy lifestyle, provide varied and nutritious meals and encourage physical activity.

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Good

Preparation for the transition to adult life is incorporated into the care plan at an early stage. The young person willingly helps with chores as part of the daily routine. He is acquiring daily living skills at a level and pace appropriate to his stage of development within the family-like environment.

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Good

Staff work proactively with the young person’s family to promote and maintain positive and meaningful relationships. Judgement grade

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Good

Through close supervision by thoughtful, consistent and responsive staff, trusting relationships develop. These are at the heart of all practice, including safeguarding, providing the young person with stability and a sense of protection. Clear boundaries, routines and structure contribute to his sense of security.

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Good

The young person is actively involved in his care plan, which is comprehensive, current and with strategies to support his current developmental needs. Staff implement appropriate measures through risk assessments to protect the young person, although the behaviour that initiated the concern is not always clear. There is also insufficient clarity as to whether two staff should always be available to support the young person.

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Good

Staff consistently follow a detailed plan, which includes rewards and incentives, to promote appropriate behaviour successfully. Trusting relationships foster improvements in behaviour and managing emotions. Staff use physical intervention only when necessary to reduce the risk of harm. Staff undertake regular training to manage such incidents safely. Incidents are properly recorded, including details of a de-briefing with staff and a discussion with the young person to allow reflection, improve support strategies and ensure safe practice.

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Good

Incidents involving the young person being reported as missing are rare. Staff follow agreed procedures to safeguard the young person and minimise the risk of harm. Return interviews are completed and inform the preventative work undertaken through key-work sessions to develop an awareness of how to keep safe. Staff have undertaken training in safeguarding and are aware of the risks facing young people, including the risk of child sexual exploitation and online safety.

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Good

A robust recruitment process helps to protect young people from unsuitable adults working with them. All checks on prospective employees are undertaken before they commence working at the home.

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Good

Systems are in place to check all health and safety matters. Appropriate fire safety measures are routinely applied.

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Good

An experienced and qualified registered manager has been in post since 2013. Assisted by knowledgeable and skilled senior staff, she provides strong, effective leadership and support for the staff team, based on a clear understanding of the individual needs of children. Staff reported, ‘Support from managers is great and they are always available to give advice and guidance.’

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Good

To implement the improvements required by recent inspections, the registered manager has made significant changes to the team of staff. They are now working consistently and cohesively with the young person, who is responding positively to this stable, nurturing approach. Training for staff has a high priority. The registered manager is clearly determined to ensure that staff are competent in their roles and equipped with the knowledge and skills to meet the young person’s specific needs. In addition to face-to-face and online training, the registered manager has compiled workbooks on relevant topics to enhance staff members’ learning. A recent workshop for staff that focused on safeguarding issues is being followed up in individual supervision sessions to consolidate staff members’ learning and awareness of protecting children. Supervision is regular and centred on developing a reflective attitude in staff practice to improve the strategies to meet the young

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Good

With a strengthened senior management team at the home, monitoring is now more effective. Systems are in place to monitor records weekly, with monthly reviews of trends in young people’s behaviour and overall progress. The quality assurance process includes feedback from the young person and external professionals, and detailed reports from the independent visitor. There is now a committed approach by managers in addressing any shortfalls and improving outcomes for the young person. The requirements made at the last inspection have been met.

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Good

Staff work positively and effectively with other agencies and professionals. A social worker commented, ‘Staff are fantastic – very helpful’, and noted the consistently proactive attitude of managers, particularly in investigating suitable education placements for a young person who has been out of school for a considerable period. She stated, ‘The home is more proactive than any other home that I have worked with’.

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Good

The home’s statement of purpose is clear and informative. The home meets the expressed aim of providing a safe nurturing environment which is as homely as possible, where a young person is able to grow and mature into a responsible, respectful and caring individual.

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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’. 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

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What the inspection judgements mean

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 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 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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