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:

 Young people respond to the nurturing, individual care provided by staff who place their welfare and well-being at the centre of their practice.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Staff know young people very well, understand their needs and vulnerabilities and continuously seek opportunities to enhance young people’s development and independence skills.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are making good progress in all areas of their lives, particularly in daily living skills, expressing themselves and managing their emotions.    Strong managers and a skilled and competent staff team seek to continuously improve the experiences of young people living at the home to maximise their future life chances.

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The children's home provision is good because:

 Young people are relaxed and happy living at the home. They benefit from positive and meaningful relationships with staff. They trust staff, knowing that staff will respond to their needs and help them through difficulties.   Young people experience stability and safety living in the home. Their levels of anxiety and frustration are decreasing, resulting in improvements in their behaviour.    Leaders and managers have effective monitoring systems in place to maintain high standards and drive improvement. Managers would benefit from having a clear development plan for the home to strategically guide changes.  

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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, the registered person must:

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Requirement Due date

(2)(h) use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. In particular, the registered person must compile a development plan. 06/01/2017

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Information about this children's home

This children’s home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three 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 26/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2015 Full Requires improvement 03/03/2015 Interim Sustained effectiveness 28/01/2015 Full Good

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Good

Young people living in the home are settled and experiencing stability. From the safety and security provided by caring and skilled staff, they are making progress, particularly in developing their independence skills and managing their emotions. A nurse for children looked after commented that the home ‘is a calm, structured environment that nurtures young people to reach their potential and develop’. Staff closely supervise young people, protecting them, promoting their welfare and engaging them in meaningful dialogue and activities. Staff place young people’s welfare and well-being at the centre of their practice.

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Good

Through consistent and predictable care, young people develop trusting relationships with staff and a more positive view of themselves. Staff provide support that is specific to young people’s individual needs in all aspects of their lives. Helping young people to create their self-identity is an important focus for staff. A social worker commented that staff ‘know the young person’s interests and help him pursue these interests’. Staff are sensitive in their approach to extending young people’s social experiences. Activity support plans successfully introduce them gradually to new social situations and leisure pursuits, such as trampolining, so that they gain confidence and are able to participate in the wider community.

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Good

Young people have excellent attendance at school. Staff liaise closely with school staff to ensure that any difficulties which may impact on their learning and educational experience are identified and addressed.

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Good

Young people learn, with well-considered support from staff, the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. With patience and understanding, staff encourage them to eat healthy and nutritious meals. Young people who have previously had a limited, unhealthy diet are now eating a wider range of nutritious, home-cooked meals, and their health is improving. Their specific health needs are closely monitored, with staff working effectively with external health professionals to ensure that they receive healthcare according to their particular needs. With the benefit of staff support and the trust they have in staff, young people with complex medical needs are less anxious about receiving medical interventions and are able to receive the treatment they require. Young people’s emotional and communication needs are taken into account in their care plans. Staff support in these areas is helping young people to make significant progress in their ability to articulate their wishes,

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Good

opinions and feelings, resulting in less frustration and anxiety. Young people respond positively to the staff, who all treat them with dignity and respect.

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Good

Developing young people’s independence skills is a priority for staff. Their progress in this area is evidenced clearly in their life-skills folders, which show them engaged in a wide range of social and daily living activities. Independence plans and key- work sessions prepare them for the transition to adult life, with staff committed to maximising young people’s abilities.

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Good

Staff are proactive in supporting young people to maintain positive contact with their family and former carers, who appreciate this approach. A young person’s former foster carer commented how their contact with the young person ‘is now pleasant and stress-free’.

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Good

As they begin to trust the adults who care for them, young people develop the confidence to express their views and opinions. Staff consult with them and ensure that they have involvement in menu and activity choices. Frequent key-work sessions demonstrate that staff have meaningful dialogue with young people on a range of topics that are important to their development, through which they develop an understanding of issues and decisions affecting them.

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Good

Managers have created a homely and nurturing environment in which young people develop warm and trusting relationships with staff. These relationships are central to safeguarding practices within the home, and they provide young people with stability and a sense of protection. Young people’s levels of anxiety and frustration have decreased as they have developed an awareness that staff understand their needs and respond to them with care, patience and sensitivity. A social worker commented that it is clear that staff provide ‘unconditional, positive regard’. Young people’s behaviour has improved as they have gained confidence that staff will support them and help them through their difficulties.

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Good

Through knowing each young person very well, staff are skilled in de-escalating potentially difficult situations. Staff identify the risks associated with each young person and successfully implement strategies to protect them. Young people who, prior to living at the home, displayed challenging behaviour, are calmer and able to talk to staff about their anxieties. Consequently, physical intervention is not frequently used and is applied only to protect young people and staff. Such incidents are properly recorded, including discussion with the young person and staff involved, and close monitoring to ensure safe practice. Plans focus on promoting appropriate behaviour. Helpful routines, boundaries and structure assist young people to manage their emotions. There have been no incidents of young people leaving the home without permission. High staffing levels ensure that young people are closely supervised.

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Good

Suitable procedures and protocols are in place to direct staff should a young person leave the home without permission.

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Good

A thorough recruitment process safeguards 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

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

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Good

Young people benefit from effective management and strong leadership. The manager has been registered since 2013 and is suitably qualified and experienced for the role. She is the registered manager for another of the organisation’s homes, which is adjacent to this one. She is supported by competent and experienced deputy managers and has recently further strengthened the management team by appointing a further highly experienced deputy manager who works across both homes.

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Good

Staff report that managers are supportive and available for advice and guidance at all times. Managers and the staff team know young people very well. They are committed to meeting their specific needs and supporting them to make progress and maximise their abilities.

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Good

The registered manager is dedicated to improving the quality of care for young people with complex needs and has worked determinedly to develop the home and improve practice. Weekly monitoring of records and monthly reviews of young people’s progress enable managers to rectify any shortfalls promptly. The quality assurance process also correctly focuses on feedback from external professionals, staff and young people to evaluate the service. Detailed, monthly reports from the independent person contribute to this comprehensive oversight. The requirement to improve recruitment practice and the recommendation to ensure that all risks are considered, made at the previous inspection, have been met. Although the registered manager has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the home and a vision for future development, there is no structured development plan to direct the implementation of proposals.

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Good

Staff undertake a comprehensive induction and further training relevant to their roles. They have either achieved a level 3 qualification or are working towards this within the required timescales. Managers are encouraging staff to adopt a reflective approach to their practice, to learn and improve with a close focus on ensuring that young people’s particular needs are met.

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Good

External professionals, such as social workers and the nurse for children looked after, report that their relationships with staff at the home are constructive. Comments such as ‘we have a positive working relationship’ and ‘communication is very good’ demonstrate that staff are keen to work with partner agencies to ensure that the optimum support is available to advance young people’s development. The registered manager is a strong advocate for young people, ensuring that plans for them are in their best interests to increase their future life chances.

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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 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 that 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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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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