Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

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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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

 There has been a prolonged period of instability as there has been no registered manager in the home. The home manager is in the process of being registered with Ofsted and he has been interviewed for this.  Young people’s records and consent agreements are not up to date. Some medication agreements and vulnerability risk assessments have not been updated for several years and in one instance, for over five years.  The statement of purpose uses language that is outdated and stigmatising. It is only partially reflective of the service provided.  A new placement was ill thought through and staff were unable to meet the young person’s needs. Placing authority assessments are not available in the home.  The manager’s monitoring of the home, while regular, is not evaluative. It does not consider trends and patterns. The home’s development plan has not been updated.  Staff do not receive regular supervision. None of the staff have had an

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The children's home provision requires improvement because:

appraisal of their performance for over a year.

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The children's home’s strengths

 Staff have a strong understanding of young people’s skills and abilities and are able to detail the progress they have made.  Staff work well as a team and hold the young people’s needs and positive experiences central to planning how each shift is run.  Young people are comfortable in their home and are confident approaching staff. They use a variety of communication techniques, which staff understand, to ensure that their views and wishes are understood.

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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

In order to meet the standard, the registered person must ensure that: (2)(a) children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose.

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Requirement Due date

This also includes gaining relevant information from the placing authority to determine if the home can meet the needs of the child or young person. 15/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children's home a statement (‘the statement of purpose’) which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) This document must accurately reflect the home and be worded in a non- stigmatising manner. 15/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees undertake appropriate continuing professional development; receive practice-related supervision by a person with appropriate experience; and have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(b)(c)) 15/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that, within five days of the use of the measure of restraint, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35(3)(c)) 15/02/2017

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that children's case records for each child which are kept up to date. (Regulation 36(1)(b)) 15/02/2017

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Recommendations

To improve the quality and standards of care further, the service should take account of the following recommendations:  Each child should have permission for staff to administer first aid and non- prescription medication from a person with parental responsibility for them recorded in their relevant plan. For children looked after, this permission should be sought and arranged by the child's social worker. Where appropriate, the child's family should be involved in supporting their child's health needs as well as in providing permission for treatment. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.14)  Staff should have the skills to respond to each child's individual behaviour. Where necessary they should manage conflict, maintain constructive dialogues and react appropriately if challenged by a child in their care. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 39, paragraph

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Recommendations

8.14)  The registered person is responsible for deciding what each review 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. The 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 the home and how those actions will be addressed. The whole review process and the resulting report should be used as a tool for continuous improvement in the home. Additionally, this information should aid the formulation of a development plan for the home. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the

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Recommendations

quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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Information about this children's home

The home is owned and run by an organisation. It provides care and accommodation for up to four young people who have learning disabilities.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement 17/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness 29/07/2015 Full Requires improvement 03/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness 18/11/2014 Full Good

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Requires improvement

Young people are at ease in their home and in the company of staff. Relationships are strong and staff have an excellent understanding of young people’s needs. They are able to share how each young person has progressed and know the areas they are currently working on. Parents say that staff are ‘brilliant’ and one commented that their son has ‘made more progress this year by using his communication book’. Concerns raised by a parent that others in the home take more staff time than their son have some merit. Staff recognise this and ensure that he also has quality time with them.

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Requires improvement

Staff are interested in young people’s views and spend time seeking these using communication styles appropriate to each individual. Records are clear, and key work sessions and young people’s meeting minutes demonstrate how staff have responded to individual requests. It was observed that staff do not always sit with young people at dinner time, missing an opportunity to seek their views and create a homely atmosphere. When appropriate, advocates and independent visitors are made available for young people, and staff are skilled advocates for those they care for. In-house care plans are comprehensive, and give an excellent level of detail to young people’s families and their composition, aiding staff to understand their individual identities.

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Requires improvement

One young person has been admitted to the home and subsequently moved on, since the last inspection. The pre-placement risk assessment was lengthy, but did not indicate how their placement would negatively impact on the others living in the home, although the individual’s needs were significantly different to those already in placement. The placement was unsuccessful and their behaviour was beyond staff’s skills and training. In response the home manager has altered the registration categories for the home.

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Requires improvement

All young people are engaged in education and the staff have excellent links with teachers and education staff. Joint working ensures consistency across settings and that goals and plans are cohesive. Young people have access to a wide range of socially and emotionally stimulating activities, such as youth clubs, trampolining and swimming. Staff are not risk averse and encourage young people to have enjoyable experiences in line with their peers, such as visiting the beach and fairgrounds.

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Requires improvement

Young people are encouraged to do as much for themselves as possible, such as self-care and domestic tasks. However, the plans are not always clear and individual success is not consistently recorded. Young people have access to all the physical and emotional health services they require. Procedures for the storage and administration of medication are safe. However, consents to administer medication and treat young people in emergencies are, in some instances, over five years old and agreements with the general practitioner to use various homely remedies are up to four years old. This potentially places young people at risk as their medical needs have changed in this time. Additionally, files contain written consent from parents to use practices to administer medication that are not permitted. Staff document any injuries, marks or bruises on body maps. However, this information does not easily cross-reference

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Requires improvement

to explanations, if any, of how the injuries occurred.

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Requires improvement

Young people live in a physically and emotionally safe environment. Their demeanour and actions show that they feel safe in their home and they approach staff with confidence. Staff have an excellent understanding of individual needs and vulnerabilities, and work to reduce risk while allowing young people access to age- appropriate activities and experiences.

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Requires improvement

Staff are confident in action to take should they be worried for a young person’s safety or well-being, and have a sound knowledge of risks such as exploitation in all forms and e-safety. There have been no child-protection referrals made since the last inspection. All young people’s plans include a flow chart of how to respond to any safeguarding concerns and who to report them to.

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Requires improvement

Young people do not go missing from the home. Key information sheets including photographs of each young person are available in case of emergency. Each young person has a vulnerability assessment to consider the risk they would be at if they were alone in the community. These are a valuable resource, but are out of date, with one not having been reviewed for over four years.

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Requires improvement

Positive behaviour is actively promoted within the home, with a social worker saying ‘staff are proactive in managing challenging behaviour’. Plans are clear and focus on redirection and de-escalation. Some staff require further guidance on how to respond to behaviours typical for the individual, and not internalising these. Restraint is used when necessary, and records demonstrate the need for the measure. Young people’s views are not captured in these records. The police have been called to the home to support staff with the behaviour of one young person who was in placement for a short period because staff could not meet his needs. Bullying is not raised as a concern in the home. Staff are aware of how young people feel about those they live with, and monitor behaviour and interactions to ensure interactions are acceptable to all.

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Requires improvement

Young people are protected from avoidable risks through regular checks of the home and grounds. Maintenance personnel are available to remedy any damage swiftly. Young people experience practice fire evacuations, and the equipment and alarm system are checked at regular intervals. Two doors identified as fire escapes were locked. This was remedied during the inspection, with twist locks fitted to ensure easy exit when needed. Suitable checks are undertaken prior to staff working in the home.

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Requires improvement

The home has been without a registered manager for over a year, however the delay until recently was primarily caused by Ofsted’s procedure to determine the suitability of the previous applicant. This delayed the current home manager’s application, but he has now been interviewed by Ofsted and is awaiting registration pending references. He is experienced in a similar service and holds relevant qualifications for the role.

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Requires improvement

The management team review the service through reports produced by the independent visitor in line with Regulation 44. Additionally, they monitor the home regularly, but six-monthly reports are not evaluative of trends and patterns. The development plan for the service also requires review and updated targets. The home manager recognises this is as a shortfall.

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Requires improvement

The statement of purpose uses outdated language that is inaccurate and stigmatising. It partially reflects the service provided. However, staff have an excellent understanding of the aims and proposed goals for each young person’s placement and how they will work cohesively to ensure that they are met.

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Requires improvement

Young people’s plans are regularly reviewed for effectiveness and identify some progress. Records require updating to ensure that all the information staff convey regarding young people’s skills and progress is recorded effectively. Young people’s daily records are clear and provide a narrative of their achievements, activities and mood for the day. Their case files have recently been streamlined, but require a further review to ensure that all information, risk assessments and permissions are up to date. The management team review young people’s plans with key workers and quickly recognised that one young person was inappropriately placed in the home. However, the pre-placement assessment process was not robust, resulting in this failed placement and upheaval for the young person and others who live in the home.

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Requires improvement

Staff have undertaken training in the last year to develop their skills in young people’s communication styles and techniques. This has led to greater consultation with young people, and staff saying that they feel that young people are responding better to their requests and making further progress. Staff also benefit from mandatory training and all hold a relevant level 3 qualification. Staff, however, do not receive regular supervision and have not had their performance appraised for over a year, due to the lack of permanent manager.

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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 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 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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