Children's Home run by Kites Children Services Limited in Southend on Sea

Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 1 Registered provider: Kites Children’s Services Ltd Interim inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

This home is one of two operated by a private provider. It is registered to provide accommodation and specialist therapeutic care for five young males who may have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. The provider also operates a school and an independent fostering agency as part of a separate but linked company.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

This home was judged good at the last full inspection. At the interim inspection, Ofsted judges that it has improved effectiveness.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Meticulous planning and transition work ensures that the home is able to meet each child’s particular needs, therefore there have been no placement breakdowns. Equality and diversity is threaded through the service, and each child’s needs are considered in detail. One social worker said, ‘The home is really, really very good. They offer the specialist support, routines, therapy and nurture which are really helping him.’ The children feel safe and talk positively of their experiences, rating their home as ‘brilliant’. Consequently, the children experience successful stable placements where they thrive.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children consistently make positive progress in all aspects of their lives. One parent said, ‘He [the child] is a completely different child. He is now confident, resilient, Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 2 charming and flying high. I am so proud of him.’ Another parent said, ‘He seems much more happy and confident. I was worried about him going that far away, but it’s been perfect for him.’

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are supported to live healthy lifestyles. Medication arrangements are safe and meet statutory requirements. However, in order to fully safeguard children from being given medication which is unsuitable for them, the home’s list of available non- prescribed medication should be approved by a suitably qualified medical professional.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

Relationships between the children are positive, and behaviour management systems are effective. Consequently, sanctions are rare and there have been no incidents of physical restraint. When conflict does occur, the staff help the children reflect on how to avoid conflict in the future, and rebuild fractured relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff receive training in therapeutic approaches and are emotionally available to the children. One parent said, ‘They’ve always been there for him. He always talks about the staff as having a ‘big heart’.’ The staff help the children to develop the emotional vocabulary to express their feelings in a personally safe space. Consequently, the children feel well supported. The staff and children develop positive relationships, and speak very warmly of each other. The children consistently say that the staff are the best thing about the home. These nurturing relationships underpin the good progress that the children make in all aspects of their lives. One social worker said, ‘It’s lovely to see how he interacts with them [the staff]’. The children reflect on how the staff have helped them to mature and make positive decisions about their lives.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The staff have high aspirations for the children and, as a result, the children make good educational progress from their individual starting points. For example, all of the children are regularly attending and engaging in their education. Some have become quite enthusiastic in particular lessons, and enjoy doing homework with the staff’s support. This is a huge improvement for these children, many of whom, prior to placement, were disaffected and non-engaging.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children enjoy a lively house where activities of their choice regularly take place. They particularly enjoy the outward-bound challenges, such as night-time park games and breakfast on the beach. The staff describe giving them a ‘chance to be children’, and have fun. Opportunities for enrichment, such as singing, sport and music tuition, are available to all of the children. One child recently sang with their school choir at the local community Christmas light ‘switching on’ event. These enrichment opportunities enable the children to gain in confidence and explore their particular interests and talents.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The children are well safeguarded, and any risk-taking behaviours they engaged in at the time of placement, such as going missing or offending, have reduced. The staff help the children to better understand and manage risk, promoting improved self-regulation. Since the last inspection, record-keeping has improved, giving a clearer sense of individual events and the progress each child is making. There is improved documented guidance for staff on how to manage risk effectively for each child. Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 3 The children’s views are consistently sought and considered in all aspects of the care and support provided, allowing them to regain some sense of control over their lives. Consequently, the children understand exactly why they are placed and the expectations of them. The staff and managers have built close and effective partnerships with other agencies which promote the children’s well-being. Families describe strong partnership

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

working, which helps promote improved long-term relationships.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

A successful recruitment campaign means that the home now has sufficient staff. As a result, the children receive high quality support and supervision without the need for staff to work excessive hours. This better promotes both the children’s and staff’s welfare. The staff are well supported, with regular practice-based supervision. This is further enhanced with therapeutic supervision and support, which promotes the staff’s individual emotional resilience. Improved staff training and group clinical supervision has provided the staff with the space and direction to develop truly reflective practice. As a result, the therapeutic ethos threads through the service, and the staff have a clear understanding of the model of care and the strategies used for each individual child.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The building is well maintained, spacious, clean and safe. The high level of security and supervision does not detract from the warm homely atmosphere. Since the last inspection, suitable closures have been placed on all fire doors, improving the fire prevention arrangements in the home.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has a clear understanding of the quality of care and support provided, and is continually striving for improvement. For example, he is reflecting on how the quality assurance mechanisms can, while retaining rigour, be more proportionate and effective in driving improvement. The manager notifies the local authority of any changes in the resident group, and this enhances the authority’s understanding of local demographics and potential future service needs.

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and young people since the most recent full inspection

The manager has driven improvement in the home, ensuring that all of the requirements and the vast majority of recommendations set at the previous inspection have been met. While one recommendation from the previous inspection remains, no new requirements have been set at this inspection. The remaining repeated recommendation does not detract from the overwhelmingly positive outcomes and experiences of the children.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/06/2017 Full Good 20/10/2016 Interim Not judged

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What does the children’s home need to do to improve?

Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 4

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Recommendations

 Medicines must be administered in line with a medically approved protocol. Records must be kept of the administration of all medication, which includes occasions when prescribed medication is refused. Regulation 23 requires the registered person to ensure that they make suitable arrangements to manage, administer and dispose of any medication. These are fundamentally the same sorts of arrangements as a good parent would make but are subject to additional safeguards. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 35, paragraph 7.15)

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Recommendations

In particular, ensure that all non-prescription medication is from a list which is approved as suitable by either a pharmacist or medical practitioner.

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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

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

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’.

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Kites Children’s Services Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Langham, Colchester, Essex CO4 5PX

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Rosslyn Parsons Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 5 Registered manager: Peter McGugan

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Inspector

Joanna Heller, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1230268 6 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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