Children's home run by We Are Beams in Sevenoaks

Good

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

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The children’s home strengths

 Children enjoy life-enriching breaks, which enable them to maximise their potential. Leaders and staff are highly aspirational for children. Staff do not put limitations on children’s abilities.  Individual targets focus on personalised outcomes. There is clear evidence of meaningful progress. Care planning clearly outlines what success looks like for each child.  A strength of the service is its promotion of independent living skills. Children learn not only to take responsibility for themselves, but also to serve others. There are improvements in their personal care and household tasks.  Children benefit from a wide range of positive experiences. They participate in a variety of activities in and outside of the home. Children also get to try new experiences, an example being snowboarding.  Safeguarding practices help to protect children and promote their welfare. There are exceptionally strong links with the local safeguarding personnel

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The children’s home strengths

and a wide range of training.  Effective boundaries ensure that behaviour management is not an issue. There is a strong emphasis on preventative strategies and liaising closely with schools and families to provide consistent care.  The organisation provides an extensive range of additional services to families. It has been recognised for its achievements, having recently reached the final of a county-wide charitable award scheme.  The service continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of children. There is a strong determination to improve the quality of care and provide a life-enhancing service for children. There are purposeful partnership arrangements which benefit the children.  Shortfalls are minor and do not have a detrimental impact on children. These relate to keeping a written record of all staff supervision and updating the disciplinary procedure and location risk assessment.

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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

33: Employment of staff The registered person must operate a disciplinary procedure which, in particular: provides that the failure of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present, in relation to a child is grounds on which disciplinary proceedings may be instituted. (Regulation 33 (2)(b)) 01/05/2017

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Recommendations

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

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Recommendations

 Ensure that a record of supervision is kept for staff, to evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with Regulation 33 (4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)  Review the location assessment at least annually. The review should include the identification of any risks and opportunities presented by the home’s location and strategies for managing these. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.1)

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Information about this children’s home

This home is registered to provide short breaks for up to six young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties, learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities. The home is operated by a charitable organisation.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

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Recent inspection history

15/12/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

07/03/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness

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Recent inspection history

30/03/2015 Interim Declined in effectiveness

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Good

Children lead purposeful, enriching lives, and one child described their breaks as ‘fun’. Children receive effective care from staff who do not put limitations on their abilities. Leaders and staff are highly aspirational for children. There is a strong emphasis on helping children to maximise their potential and exceed expectations. The uniqueness of each child is valued. The children receive the confidence to try new things. There is clear evidence of meaningful progress. Parents confirm that staff take pride in providing a ‘home away from home’. Care plans are written in a person-centred language, and they clearly outline what success looks like for each child. Individual targets focus on personalised outcomes and each child’s ability. A strength of the service is helping children learn the skills needed for adult life. A social worker stated that they ‘have made requests at funding panels for more overnights as part of a child’s transition to adulthood.’

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Good

Social workers and parents commend the progress in children’s independent living skills. A parent highlighted how their son is ‘stripping his bed at home now’. Children boast about their ability to make a cup of tea. There are improvements in children’s personal care, they take responsibility for making their bed and doing their laundry. They undertake household tasks, helping to set and clear the table, and assisting with cooking and baking. Additional improvements include children’s mobility, table manners and general behviour. There is good continuity of care due to the effective relationships with schools. A parent gave an example of staff using the same symbols as used in school. This enables children to communicate their needs effectively. There are marked improvements in children’s communication skills. A social worker highlighted the significance of children building peer relationships, stating, ‘otherwise, they would

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Good

be isolated and limited in life opportunities’. Children influence individual and collective decision making. They exercise choice during their daily routines. Residents’ meetings enable children to contribute to activity and menu planning. Children were additionally part of the consultation process regarding the organisational rebranding. Children benefit from a wide range of positive experiences. Internal activities include relaxing in the sensory room, playing pool, watching DVDs and using the computer. Children can creatively express themselves through art and crafts sessions, playing musical instruments, dancing and singing karaoke. Children enjoy regular outings to places of interest, both locally and further afield. Examples are trips to the seaside, parks, the cinema, bowling alleys, aquariums and exhibitions. Children also get to try new experiences, such as going to the golf driving range.

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Good

Children benefit from good health arrangements. They receive encouragement to lead healthy lifestyles, through regular exercise They enjoy using the outdoor play equipment, bike riding and playing football. A registered nurse provides specialist training, which includes medication administration and infection control. Staff are trained in managing a range of health needs, which include epilepsy and gastro- feeding. Staff are also available to help with physiotherapy exercises.

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Good

Safeguarding practices help to protect children and promote their welfare. A parent said, ‘I know my son is well looked after’ and that they had ‘no problems, no fears and no worries’. Recruitment and employment practices meet regulatory requirements. This helps to prevent unsuitable persons from working with children. There are no issues with children going missing. They do not go out unsupervised. The premises have good security arrangements, which restrict the ability of unauthorised persons from interacting with children. The environment has protective factors to take into account the needs of children with self-injurious behaviour. Certificates confirm the safety of the premises, and staff undertake regular health and safety checks. The risk management system appropriately highlights associated risks in relation to individual children, the environment and specific activities. Elements of the risks

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Good

related to the location are found in various documents. Leaders and managers are aware of the need to review this area. This will ensure they identify and take into account the full extent of geographical risks. There are exceptionally strong links with the local safeguarding personnel. The responsible individual is an integral part of the local safeguarding children board, delivering training on their behalf. Staff benefit from extensive training, which includes child protection and working with sexualised behaviour. Training helps to raise staff awareness of gangs, preventing radicalisation and child trafficking. Consistent boundaries ensure that behaviour management is not an issue in the home. There are appropriate sanctions, rewards and restraints. A differentiation is made between physical interventions used as part of care planning. There is a strong emphasis on preventative strategies and liaising closely with schools and

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Good

families to provide consistent care. Children enjoy their breaks and they have amicable relationships with staff. A social worker highlighted the staff’s ability to identify solutions when managing children in crisis. An example is when parents struggled with an escalation in challenging behaviour. They commented that staff, ‘Are able to give support and parents have confidence in their expertise.’

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Good

The service succeeds in meeting the wide-ranging needs of children and their families. A parent described the service as ‘amazing and well organised’. Leaders and staff offer practical and emotional support to parents. A parent appreciated that staff take an interest in their well-being, saying that the service ‘takes care of parents as well as children’. A parent gave an example of a manager writing a letter of support for their child’s college appeal. Parents can receive specialist training and advice through the family advice team. A direct payments service assists them to purchase the services they need. Children benefit from attending the organisation’s holiday activity scheme. The organisation provides an extensive range of additional services to families. A parent expressed their thankfulness for the service, ‘For being able to keep our family together with the respite you provide.’ Leaders and managers have strong links with the host borough. A social worker

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Good

commented on the effective working relationship. They appreciated the flexibility of the service and the staff’s ability to support families in crisis. The service is additionally available to surrounding authorities, current examples being Greenwich and Medway. There are purposeful partnership arrangements which benefit children. The links with a local football team enable children to regularly attend matches. Through their relationship with another charity, children can access their facilities. These include a huge sensory and soft play room, a music room and recording equipment. There is also an alliance with a local specialist school, which enables older students to use the facilities to work on their independence. This is advantageous, as some of these children also have short breaks at the unit. The service continues to evolve to meet the changing needs of children. Independent monitoring reports provide constructive feedback and clearly highlight

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Good

strengths of the service. Leaders and managers regularly undertake their own evaluation of practice. They demonstrate a strong determination to improve the quality of care and provide a life-enhancing service for children. Leaders and managers have addressed the two requirements from the last inspection. This leads to a better quality assurance system and management of restraints. Records now evidence that leaders and managers debrief staff, which enables staff to reflect on the use of each restraint. The organisation is currently being re-branded and changes are being introduced from 1 April 2017. The new name, Beams, reflects the warm, positive support given to children with disabilities and their families. The organisation’s statement of purpose clearly details their aims and objectives. Children have their own guide, which provides a concise overview of the home. Leaders and managers are currently updating documentation to reflect the

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Good

rebranding of the service. This includes reviewing policies and procedures. The disciplinary procedure has not been updated to reflect new requirements. This specifically relates to the failure of an employee to report an incident of abuse, or suspected abuse, whether past or present. This failure could lead to disciplinary proceedings, but the current disciplinary procedure does not explicitly outline this. Although staff are aware of the child protection procedures, inclusion in the disciplinary procedure highlights their personal responsibility. A parent described staff as ‘fantastic’, adding that they ‘go the extra mile’. Staff enjoy making a positive difference in children’s lives. They express an appreciation of their supportive leaders and managers. The management structure enables staff’s views to be heard, which positively influences decision making. Staff receive ongoing training, and vocational training is in progress, when required. Team-

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Good

building days also assist with staff cohesion. The competent, experienced staff team has a broad range of skills. Some staff have prior experience of working with children with disabilities from their personal lives or volunteering in the organisation. The organisation contributes to the social care sector through their apprenticeship scheme. Apprentices gain valued experience, enabling them to develop the practical, professional and interpersonal skills necessary for their career and adult life. They additionally act as a positive role model for children. Staff appraisals highlight their strengths and areas requiring further development. Staff receive supervision, which enables them to reflect on their work. The majority of staff have face-to-face supervision and there is a record of these meetings. One staff member receives informal supervision and records were not fully available. There are plans to address this issue to ensure that the extent of practice-related

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Good

supervision is appropriately documented. Children have their breaks in a pleasant environment, suitably adapted for their needs. Hoists, modified bathrooms, beds and a range of specialist adaptations make children’s daily routines easier. There is a range of communal spaces, which include a sensory room, a soft play room with a ball pit, and a television lounge. The interactive garden has Astroturf for football, and outdoor play equipment. It also provides a sensory experience through fragrant plants, lights and sounds.

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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 the ‘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 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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