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

Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 1 SC469396 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

The home is registered to accommodate four young people aged 11 to 17 years old who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. Placements are medium or long term for young people who have suffered abuse or neglect and who may display challenging behaviour due to their emotional difficulties. The home is one of several managed by this independent provider.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

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

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: Good

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Enforcement action since last inspection:

None Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 2

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are making good progress across all areas of their development.  Young people are provided with support and encouragement in learning how to manage their own behaviour and anxieties.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Staff work collaboratively with families and other professionals to secure the best possible outcomes for young people.  Young people are provided with a wide range of activities and opportunities which contribute positively to their overall well-being.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s successes are celebrated, resulting in positive improvements in their confidence and self-worth.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people feel safe and are able to express their views, wishes and feelings confidently.

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Key findings from this inspection

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

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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

 The recording of some of the supervision meetings does not include all of the required information.  The manager has not fully considered available information during the admission process, resulting in deficiencies in planning and assessments for one young person.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The manager has not yet secured all the necessary consents.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/07/2016 Full Good 18/05/2016 Full Inadequate 24/02/2016 Interim Improved effectiveness Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 3

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Statutory requirements

This section sets out the actions that the registered person(s) must take to meet 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 quality and purpose of care standard

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to –ensure that staff – protect and promote each child’s welfare provide personalised care that meets each child’s needs, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans, taking into account the child’s background. (Regulation 6 (2)(b)(ii)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure that all available information is read, understood and considered in the assessment, planning and provision of care. 01/10/2017

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Requirement Due date

In particular the standard requires the registered person to ensure – That 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. (Regulation 14 (2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, ensure when considering new placements, that the registered manager gives full consideration to the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of young people. 01/10/2017

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Recommendations

 A record of supervision should be kept for staff, including the manager. The record should provide evidence that supervision is being delivered in line with regulation 33 (4)(b). (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 4 quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.3)

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Recommendations

 The registered person must challenge (under regulation 5(c)) any placing authority who asks them to accept a child in the absence of a complete and current relevant plan. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.5) In particular, ensure that consent is provided by the appropriate authority.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are cared for in a warm and homely environment by staff who have developed positive and trusting relationships with them. These relationships ensure that young people feel secure and cared for. One young person said, ‘I feel happy here. All of the staff are great and I can go to them about anything. If I am worried they listen to me and help in any way they can. This is my longest placement ever and I think that is because the staff really care about me.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff show interest and care for young people thoughtfully, sharing positive interactions and experiences. This supports young people to recognise their own strengths and abilities, and results in an improvement in their confidence and self- esteem. One young person has a keen interest in football and is taken by staff to both watch and to play. This has raised his aspirations for himself in addition to broadening his interest in an activity which provides him with opportunities to make friends, and keeps him active and fit.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff actively promote young people’s educational progress. Two young people are in full-time education and are making exceptional progress. One young person, who had refused to attend school in her previous placement, now attends school regularly. The young person reported that she really enjoys school. She said, ‘I hated going to school before, but staff encourage me and support me, and help me with my work. They make it interesting for me, so now I enjoy learning. I am going to be taking seven GCSEs, and my teacher says that I should get really good results if I carry on working hard.’ Another young person said, ‘I don’t like the school holidays. My school is brilliant and I would rather be there because the holidays are just too long.’ Staff support young people’s learning with interesting and educational activities, which young people see as fun. The manager has actively challenged the local authority in relation to

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

another young person’s education and has been successful in securing one-to-one tuition, with a view to the young person engaging with the organisation’s own education provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Relationships between staff and teachers are good, with regular communication between them. This allows for the constructive sharing of information and reinforcement of young people’s successes, and a consistency of approach in managing young people’s Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 5 behaviour.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support young people to focus upon their behaviour through the use of positive and negative consequences. They approach negative behaviour in a constructive manner, by helping young people to understand why their negative behaviour is unacceptable and the impact which this has on others. As a result, young people begin to develop a sense of empathy, which in turn enhances their ability to build positive relationships with others.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff proactively encourage young people to become involved in decision making about their own health. Young people are encouraged to take responsibility for their health, and are supported to take regular exercise, eat healthily and to avoid substance misuse.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people meet with their key workers on a regular basis and are supported to express their views about their care plans and to contribute ideas and strategies designed to help them when they are anxious. Staff creatively use a key word with one young person in order to successfully deter unwanted behaviour. This has resulted in the young person becoming more aware of his own behaviour and, as a result, he is now beginning to regulate this. For the young person this is a small but very significant step, and the staff ensure that they celebrate his successes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people experience care which is responsive to their identity and experiences. Staff are skilled in promoting young people’s understanding of faith and culture, and ensure that this is respected. Staff spend time with young people in key work and group meetings, promoting their cultural heritage and individuality.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Partnership working is integral to the work undertaken by the managers and staff, who have developed positive relationships with families and a range of professionals. Staff effectively support contact with family members, and provide support to young people who become anxious as a result of these experiences. Staff work closely with placing social workers and other professionals involved in young people’s lives. One youth offending team worker said, ‘The staff know [young person] really well. They have worked tirelessly to support her to be able to express herself, in particular when she is becoming upset or anxious. She is now much better at this, and this means that rather than running away, she now talks to staff about how she feels. As a result, she is much happier and more settled than she has ever been.’

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

Young people live in a safe and secure environment. They each have a key worker in whom they can trust and confide; young people also report that they feel able to approach any staff member for support or to express their concerns. Staff are knowledgeable and are able to respond to risks and concerns quickly and sensitively.

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

Staff demonstrate a good knowledge of safeguarding practices and insight into risk factors. They understand the organisation’s policies and procedures and are clear about Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 6 the actions to be taken should they have any concerns of a safeguarding nature. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities and updates, which refreshes their knowledge and experience. This includes information relating to child sexual exploitation and radicalisation.

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

Staff report that safeguarding is a common thread in all aspects of their work. The registered manager has good links with the placing authorities and safeguarding professionals. There have been no allegations made against staff members since the last inspection.

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

Risk assessments are undertaken as part of the matching process for any new young person. Risk assessments are reviewed at this point for all young people in order to incorporate strategies to reduce risk as a result of any change in group dynamics. Risk assessments detail the actions and interventions which will keep young people safer. Staff review and update risk assessments on a regular basis, and the manager ensures that this information is shared with staff and other involved professionals. One shortfall relates to the lack of proactivity on the part of the registered manager in gathering all available information in respect of one young person, and fully utilising this to inform ongoing risk assessments.

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

Staff use sanctions appropriately, and young people understand the reasons for the sanction. The manager ensures that the sanctions used are effective and are reparative in their nature, where possible.

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

Staff are vigilant about young people’s use of social media. They ensure that young people are able to use the internet appropriately and that security measures are in place. Smartphone usage is monitored carefully, and young people’s phones are checked by staff on a regular basis.

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

Diligent and effective health and safety measures help to keep young people safe. Fire evacuation and equipment checks are undertaken regularly, and one young person proudly explained the details of exactly what to do in case of a fire or an emergency. Young people demonstrate a good awareness of issues of health and safety in their home, which additionally provides them with a foundation for independent living.

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

Staff are trained in the safe use of physical intervention. There have been a number of incidents which have required physical intervention in relation to one young person who is experiencing a particularly difficult period in his life. Staff and managers, together with the young person, have devised a detailed plan of the de-escalation strategies to be used in the event that the young person becomes distressed, and review the effectiveness of their intervention after each incident. The manager carefully monitors these incidents, and staff regularly discuss and review their effectiveness.

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

The location risk assessment considers many risk factors within the local community. External information and resources have been fully utilised, and staff have developed good relationships with local police and neighbours. Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 7 Staff recruitment practices include all of the required checks and references, in order to ensure that young people are safe and not exposed to adults who may harm them or put them at risk.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The registered manager is suitably qualified and experienced and has been in post since September 2016. She demonstrates a good understanding of the strengths of the home and the areas which would benefit from improvement. She is passionate and committed, and her approach is young-person focused. The manager knows some of the young people well, and her presence is highly visible to them. She engages with young people well and continues to take an active role in working with them.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager meets with staff and young people regularly and ensures that young people are consulted and their views incorporated into the operation of the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff meetings take place on a regular basis, and these are used to discuss young people’s progress and the work undertaken by staff to support this. Staff report that the meetings provide an invaluable forum to discuss and challenge practice and to evaluate the effectiveness of strategies used to support and protect young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff benefit from a thorough core training programme. This includes a focus upon child sexual exploitation and radicalisation. Staff report that they are able to easily access specialist training relating to young people’s specific needs, which does not form part of the core training programme.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager works closely with the independent visitor and utilises positively the reports presented, in order to make any necessary improvements.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Young people’s records are clear, and provide a good analysis of their progress. However, a shortfall relates to the manager’s failure to consider information available in relation to one young person. This resulted in the formation of plans and assessments which were not fully reflective of the young person’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff are supervised on a regular basis, and described this as supportive. This provides them with an opportunity to reflect of their own practice and the impact of this upon young people’s progress. However, the recording of supervision meetings is sparse, resulting in a poor audit trail to reflect upon.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager had not given consideration to one young person’s legal status when obtaining the necessary consents. This resulted in inaccurate consent information being held in the young person’s records.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager has not fully addressed the recommendation made during the last inspection, by considering the impact that a placement will have on the existing group of young people. Detailed consideration of impact is given once a young person is in Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 8 placement, and this is reviewed on an ongoing basis. This approach does not minimise the risks to young people at the point of placement and results in an increased likelihood of early placement breakdown.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

There is a clear statement of purpose which provides an accurate reflection of the purpose of the service and how this is provided.

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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 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: SC469396 9

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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 CT12 6SJ

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Inspector

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC469396 10 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

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Inspector

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Inspector

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