Children's Home run by Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd in Kent

Inspection report children's home: SC416915 1 SC416915 Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This children’s home is owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to seven young people, irrespective of gender, who may have emotional and/or behavioural disorders. There were five young people in placement at the time of this inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 20 June 2017 to 21 st June 2017

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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good

How well children and young people are helped and protected good

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good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers good

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good

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

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good

Date of last inspection: 22 nd February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: SC416915 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are making good progress from their initial starting points since arriving at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people attend and engage in education, and are making progress according to their individual capabilities.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are provided with a wide range of meaningful activities and opportunities, which have contributed positively to their overall well-being.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are developing emotional resilience and are learning positive coping strategies, which enable them to regulate their behaviour and emotions effectively.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Behaviour management plans are robust and consistently delivered, which results in young people feeling more secure.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people report that they feel safe and are cared for by adults whom they trust and are able to confide in.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff support young people to take appropriate risks and to learn from their experiences, which are necessary life skills.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Safeguarding arrangements are robust, and young people are supported to be safe.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Managers and staff work collaboratively with partners and placing authorities to secure the best possible outcomes for young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Placing social workers speak highly about the quality of care provided to young people and the outcomes which young people are achieving.

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Key findings from this inspection

The children’s home’s areas for development:

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Key findings from this inspection

 There remains a shortfall relating to the delegation and recording of decision- making by the placing authority, in relation to overnight stays with friends.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has not consistently challenged the placing authority when there are inaccuracies or omissions in review minutes.

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Recent inspection history

Inspection report children's home: SC416915 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

Good Inspection report children's home: SC416915 4

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Recommendations

 Decisions about overnight stays with friends should be delegated to children’s home staff by the placing authority for looked after children. The level of delegated authority should be recorded in the placement plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 38, paragraph 8.9)

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Recommendations

 Staff should be familiar with the home’s policies on record keeping and understand the importance of careful, objective and clear recording. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.4)

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Recommendations

This relates specifically to the careful recording of all actions taken by staff with and on behalf of young people, including actions taken to challenge any inaccuracies or omissions on the part of the placing authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is well cared for, warm and homely, and meets the needs of the young people who live there. Young people say that they value their home and that they are encouraged and supported by staff to personalise their own rooms. Young people report a sense of belonging, with one young person saying that she wishes she could live there forever.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and young people are positive. Staff know young people extremely well. Managers and staff demonstrate passion and care for young people. This results in young people feeling an enhanced sense of security and well-being, and improves their confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff undertake frequent key-work sessions with young people, allowing them to talk through individual challenges, develop relationships and build trust. Staff provide a positive approach to managing young people’s behaviour, and spend time with young people exploring the more negative aspects of their behaviour constructively. This helps young people to recognise the choices they have in relation to their behaviour, and the positive impact this can have on their relationships. As a result, young people begin to Inspection report children's home: SC416915 5 develop an understanding of the importance of positive relationships, and have a foundation for preparing themselves for independence and adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff have devised detailed care and support plans for each young person, which evidence their knowledge of young people’s strengths and areas for development, as well as their emotional, health, educational and social needs. Staff are aware of young people’s likes and dislikes and build these into the overall planning in the home. They have compiled a detailed analysis of how to manage each young person’s behaviour safely, identifying strategies which work well. Staff review these plans on a regular basis, ensuring their continued effectiveness.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are beginning to regulate their own behaviour, and are able to communicate the issues that worry or distress them. Staff demonstrate an understanding of behaviour as a means of expression, and work to separate young people from their behaviour and provide guidance to help young people to express themselves more constructively.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff recognise the importance of effective communication in relation to young people’s daily needs and development, thus ensuring a consistency of approach. This results in young people feeling more secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making good progress in all areas of their lives. Managers and staff recognise the importance of young people’s successes, and ensure that these are reinforced and celebrated, which enhances young people’s confidence and self-esteem.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are listened to well. Staff and managers ensure that they consult with young people at every possible opportunity and incorporate their views and wishes into day-to-day life in the home. Young people and staff meet as a group on a regular basis, and young people are provided with the opportunities to discuss some of the intricacies of group living, and how some of the challenges this brings can be addressed. Young people report that they are consulted with about most aspects of their lives and that they feel listened to, because staff take actions as a result of young people’s input and ideas. Care is individualised, and there is a good balance with the promotion of group living and shared experiences.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All young people are involved in education, with one young person having recently taken seven GCSEs. Another young person is provided with home tuition while an appropriate educational placement is secured. The manager has been proactive in challenging the local authority in relation to securing an educational placement, and legal directions have resulted.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Communications and relationships between the home and the school are excellent, with daily feedback between the two establishments. This allows for constructive sharing of information, a continuation of young people’s learning opportunities, consistency of approach in managing young people’s behaviour, and reinforced acknowledgment of their successes. Inspection report children's home: SC416915 6 Staff have high aspirations for young people. Young people’s education is supplemented by creative and enjoyable activities and outings. These serve as a vehicle for strengthening relationships between staff and young people, while providing them with new experiences and broadening their awareness of opportunities available to them in the local community.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Contact with family members is promoted effectively, and parents are appropriately informed of young people’s progress. One young person has regular contact with his younger brother, who comes to the home for overnight stays, and this arrangement is reciprocated by the young person visiting his brother and enjoying overnight stays in his brother’s foster placement. This results in the young person having a sense of belonging to his own family and reinforcing his sense of identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Partnership working is characterised by clear and regular communications between staff and placing social workers. Social workers report good relationships with staff and provide feedback which demonstrates value for their work with young people. One social worker described the progress his young person had made as beyond his expectations. Another social worker said that staff have worked hard to ensure that the young person is kept safe, and have supported her in gaining a wider understanding of the more risky aspects of her behaviour, and how to reduce these. As a result, the social worker’s aspirations for the young person’s future have significantly increased.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers ensure that when young people leave the home, photographs and memories are captured in a digital photo frame which the young people take with them. This allows young people to reflect positively on their time in the home.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff and managers proactively demonstrate that safeguarding is a central philosophy in their support of young people, and consequently young people are safe. Staff and managers undertake comprehensive risk assessments as part of the pre-placement process, in order to identify and evaluate the risks to each young person, and to ensure that young people are well matched. There is evidence that young people have been declined a placement when it was felt that their needs could not be met, or that the risks to other young people were likely to increase. As a result, young people say that they generally feel safe and comfortable with their peers.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff have an in-depth understanding of the risks to each young person, and these are recorded in detail and regularly reviewed. There is a strong emphasis on the relationships between staff and young people, and a recognition that these relationships help to keep young people safe. Young people are confident to talk to staff about their lives and relationships, and tell them all about where they have been and what they have done. The good relationships are underpinned by strong communications across the staff team which forms the basis of good safeguarding practice. Inspection report children's home: SC416915 7 Young people receive the levels of supervision and monitoring that they need. Staff empower young people to take age-appropriate risks, and carefully monitor these, thus enabling young people to learn safely from their own mistakes.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

One social worker commented on the quality and detail of the risk assessments compiled by staff, in addition to the thoroughness of the regular communications staff have with her. The social worker said of her young person, ’Staff really know her and understand her, and support her to take very appropriate risks. They are preparing her to be able to safeguard herself when she is ready to live alone, as well as ensuring she has all the practical skills required to live independently.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Young people say that they feel safe and protected. Young people are clear about who they can go to. They can make choices, and were seen to approach staff confidently. One young person said, ‘I know that I am safe and I feel safe. I know that staff care about what happens to me. They help me to believe in myself and make me feel more confident. They worry about me and that feels nice but sometimes I don’t think they need to worry as much as they do because I really am OK.’

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff and managers are knowledgeable about the actions which should be taken if a young person makes an allegation or disclosure. The manager has developed effective links with other agencies who have safeguarding responsibilities, and seeks advice and guidance as appropriate.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Mutual respect is part of the culture of the home. Positive behaviour management strategies, implemented consistently by staff, have made a difference to young people, and have reduced their opportunities for bullying. Staff embrace de-escalation techniques, and are confident in their use of conflict management and resolution. As a result, the use of physical intervention is infrequent and, when used, is of minimum duration and physicality.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff respond appropriately when young people are missing from care. They keep detailed records of the actions to be taken in relation to each individual young person, including the arrangements for return-to-care interviews.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Managers have updated the home’s location risk assessment to reflect all factors around the home and in the local area. Staff have links with local police, who regularly visit the home to support it.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff and managers have implemented health and safety measures which keep young people safe, yet do not compromise the warm and homely environment. Fire evacuation and equipment checks are undertaken at appropriate intervals. Staff ensure that young people have a good understanding of health and safety matters in order to keep themselves safe, now and in the future. Staff are supporting one young person who is approaching adulthood, and is preparing to live independently. The young person demonstrated a thorough knowledge of health and safety issues, and understood the importance of implementing these in her own home. Inspection report children's home: SC416915 8 The staff recruitment process is robust, with managers ensuring that all of the required checks and references are in place, in line with safer recruitment guidance.

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How well children and young people are helped and protected: good

Staff ensure that young people have a copy of the organization’s children’s guide, and that young people are aware of how to make a complaint. There have been no complaints since the last inspection.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager demonstrates ambition for young people and has created a culture of high aspiration which is understood by staff and young people. She has a good understanding of the service, including its strengths and its areas for improvement, which are supported by development plans arising from her oversight and management.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows young people well, and her presence is visible to them. She regularly meets with young people and ensures that their views are incorporated into the design of the home. Young people requested a ‘chill out area’ where they could have quiet time, and the manager actively ensured that this was available. As a result, young people feel listened to and connected to their home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe the manager as supportive and energetic, and a strong advocate for young people. Staff report a strong and cohesive culture in which they can confidently challenge themselves and each other. This provides a safe environment for them to evaluate the impact of their own practice. One staff member described their supervision as, ‘meaningful and young-person focused, providing me with an opportunity to reflect on the impact of the work I do with the young people, because that is why I work here.’ Records of staff supervision and appraisals demonstrate that the manager maintains high standards of care for young people, and ensures that staff have clear direction and targets in their work.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One young person described the manager as ‘an inspiration’, saying, ‘she makes me believe in myself, has confidence in me, and so I worry less about my future.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Young people’s care plans address their needs comprehensively. The manager monitors and reviews young people’s progress, and acts quickly to address any areas of concern which are identified. To evaluate the quality of care, the manager adopts effective systems and processes which focus on improving the service and meeting the needs of young people. The manager ensures that young people’s progress is recorded in detail, and that reports are sensitive and accurate, and are conducive to the needs of young people who may wish to access their records. One shortfall, however, relates to the recording of conversations and discussions which take place with and on behalf of young people. This shortfall specifically relates to the recording and checking of the minutes of review meetings, and challenging the placing authority when there are inaccuracies. Inspection report children's home: SC416915 9 Monthly reports from the independent visitor provide an additional layer of scrutiny and

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

challenge. These reports are scrutinised, and shortfalls are promptly addressed through service development planning.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are suitably qualified, and new staff are working towards the required qualification. Induction and training is thorough, and staff benefit from a comprehensive training programme which equips them to meet the needs of young people from wide-ranging backgrounds, who have varying levels of need. The core training includes a focus on safeguarding, and working with young people who are at risk of child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Access to training is smooth and is characterised by the manager’s creative approach to meeting individualised training needs. One member of staff has a particular interest in training in counselling, and is supported by the manager to achieve this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A clear statement of purpose is in place, which provides an accurate reflection of the purpose of the service and how this is provided.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has addressed effectively most of the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. The use of physical restraint has been reviewed, and detailed plans of agreed strategies and approaches for each young person are in place, which clearly outline when the use of physical restraint is not acceptable. Arrangements for the handling and disposal of medicines have been revised appropriately. The use of door alarms in the home has now been reviewed. Young people who are not in formal education have a specific timetable of educational activities and support which has been agreed with their placing authority.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One unmet recommendation relates to the delegation of decision-making by the placing authority, in relation to overnight stays with friends. All decisions should be informed by a rigorous assessment of the young persons’ needs, should be properly recorded and kept under review. First steps were taken to address this recommendation during the inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors have looked closely at the experiences and progress of children and young people. Inspectors considered the quality of work and the differences made to the lives of children and young people. They watched how professional staff work with children and young people and each other and discussed the effectiveness of help and care provided. Wherever possible, they talked to children and 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.

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Information about this inspection

Using the ‘Social care common inspection framework’, this inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000 to assess the effectiveness of the service, how it Inspection report children's home: SC416915 10 meets the core functions of the service as set out in legislation, 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’. Inspection report children's home: SC416915 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Acorn Homes (UK) Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 424 Margate Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT12 6SJ

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Inspector(s)

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children's home: SC416915 12 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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Inspector(s)

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