Children's home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Thanet

children and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the full inspection. At this interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has sustained effectiveness . The home has a settled group of young people. No young person has left since the last inspection. Young people like living here and progress well. Young people said that staff care for them and that they trust staff. Staff talk to young people about the things that they think matter, and young people said that the staff listen. Young people confirmed that staff will talk to them about any difficult issues that they are grappling with. Positive behaviour is promoted and encouraged. Staff understand young people’s needs, abilities, likes and dislikes and use this knowledge to help young people to behave well or to distract them. Although one serious issue arose during the last few months, this has not resulted in changes to young people’s behaviours. There have been improvements, such as increased school attendance, a reduction in the

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

numbers of sanctions issued and the number of times when young people have gone missing. No restraints have occurred since the last inspection. All of the young people engage in education and talk about their aspirations for the future. Educational success is prioritised and encouraged successfully by staff. Additional support, such as the provision of tutors, is arranged if it is agreed that it will help a young person to gain better exam results. Staff develop effective, supportive relationships with young people, which help them to reflect on their behaviours and to make decisions about their futures. Staff challenge other agencies if they consider that they are not providing young people with timely responses and they advocate effectively on young people’s behalves, for example, to ensure that young people’s views are taken into consideration by the professionals who work with them. The quality of care plans varies. In one case, care being provided for a particular

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

need was not reflected in the young person’s care plan. In another, the specific support needed for the young person was comprehensively detailed and reviewed regularly. Inconsistencies in recording result in an inaccurate picture of some young people’s current needs and strengths. Safeguarding is understood by staff who make referrals and ask for advice appropriately. However, staff took too long to inform the local authority safeguarding team of another referral in one case. Although this did not affect decisions made in this instance, it is important that every concern is referred immediately to the local authority safeguarding team as well as to the young people’s social workers. The premises have been improved. A large new kitchen is being completed and, in line with the requirements and recommendations of the last report, changes are being made to improve bathroom facilities downstairs. The manager has arranged

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

for a separate staff bathroom to be provided in March 2017. Further work is also planned to update other areas of the home. The old dining room will become a games room, and the lounge area is to be decorated. Young people contribute to decisions about the refurbishments, and their views are recorded. The management team understands the priorities and challenges for developing services and is further improving its quality assurance and monitoring systems. This is especially in relation to recording and collecting the views of others about the services that the team provides. The five requirements and six of the eight recommendations made at the last inspection have been met. The remaining two recommendations are in progress. These relate to reviewing the statement of purpose and keeping risk assessments up to date. Plans are in place to ensure that the recommendations are completed in the next two months, therefore, no further recommendations are made.

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

Keeping accurate records in appropriate timescales remains an area of development. Managers are continuing to work on this by providing greater support to the staff team. Monitoring systems now incorporate weekly ‘target and task lists’, which staff use to demonstrate that they have completed paperwork. Additional guidance is given to newer staff, so that they understand the home’s expectations regarding record-keeping. Records corroborate the managers’ views that this remains an area for improvement. Some records were detailed, signed and carefully monitored by managers. Others did not contain all the necessary information, such as the name and date of the author. Risk assessments are in place. Some are up to date and provide a good picture of current risks and how these will be minimised or eradicated. Others are not up to date. For example, some risks no longer have any relevance to the young person’s

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children and young people since the most recent full inspection

care. Effective relationships with professionals who work with the young people are maintained. Challenges to poor practice, which affects young people, such as the timeliness in finding educational placements, are made when necessary.

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Information about this children’s home

This privately operated home is part of a larger provider, which has a number of homes in the area. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven children and young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The organisation also has a separate school, which young people may attend.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

23/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

19/02/2015 Interim Improved effectiveness

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions which must be taken so that the registered person(s) meet(s) 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 children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe. (Regulation 12(2)(a)(vi)) In particular, the registered person must ensure that they take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare and refer any safeguarding concern immediately to the local authority safeguarding team in the area where the children’s home is located. 20/03/17

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What the inspection judgements mean

At the interim inspection, we make a judgement on whether the home has improved in effectiveness, sustained effectiveness, or declined in effectiveness since the previous full inspection. This is in line with the ‘Inspection of children’s homes: framework for inspection’.

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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 whom it is trying to help, protect and look after. This inspection focused on the effectiveness of the home and the progress and experiences of children and young people since the most recent full inspection.

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Information about this inspection

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 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

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

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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