Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 1 SC465579 Registered provider: Benecare Limited

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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 registered to provide care and accommodation for up to three young people who have emotional and/or behavioural difficulties. It is operated by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

Inspection dates: 14 to 15 November 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: 28 February 2017

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people are making good progress in all areas of their lives as result of the genuine commitment shown to them by staff and managers. Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 2  Young people have developed strong and trusting relationships with staff, and are confident that staff will care for them and keep them safe.  Staff and managers have formed excellent relationships with professional partners to the benefit of the young people  Staff and managers are tenacious in their approach to ensuring that services are provided which meet young people’s needs, and have no hesitation in escalating matters when this is required.  Careful consideration of placements has led to young people forming positive relationships with their peers  Staff and managers ensure that young people have a voice in making decisions about their lives and their home, making sure that young people understand that their opinions are truly valued.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Clear safeguarding procedures guide staff to ensure the effective protection of young people  Young people’s successes are celebrated, resulting in positive developments in their confidence and self-worth.  The management of the home is efficient and effective. The manager is described by staff as inspirational and supportive.  The manager understands his service well. His rigorous monitoring of young people’s safety and progress ensures that immediate actions are taken to address any shortfalls identified.

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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 have been two occasions when the manager has not notified HMCI of concerns about a young person which are believed to be serious.  The children’s guide is not written in a manner which is conducive to the individual needs of young people. This was addressed during the inspection.  The verification of references during the recruitment process for new staff is weak.

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

28/02/2017 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2016 Full Good 26/02/2016 Interim Sustained effectiveness 02/11/2015 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 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 registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety. (Regulation 32(1) (schedule 2(4))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to providing full and satisfactory response in respect of all questions asked of a referee. 22/01/2018

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Requirement Due date

(4) The registered provider must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if:

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Requirement Due date

(e) there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(e))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, this relates to incidents where a child is taken to hospital and/or emergency medical treatment is sought. 22/01/2018

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are making very good progress. They have strong and trusting relationships with staff, who demonstrate a detailed understanding of young people’s needs and how to meet them. Young people identify staff whom they are able to go to if they are worried and upset, and have particularly strong relationships with their key- workers. These relationships have enabled young people to build their self-confidence, and they are learning to express themselves effectively. Social workers are particularly complimentary about the dedication of managers and staff and how far the young people have progressed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Planning, prior to young people’s admission to the home, is robust. Detailed compatibility assessments are undertaken, which identify the potential impact of young people’s needs and behaviours upon each other. Clear strategies are outlined which guide staff to Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 4 address issues that may arise in this regard.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people know that their opinions are important to staff and managers, and changes are made when they express their wishes and feelings. Staff work hard to maintain harmonious relationships between young people, meeting with them to negotiate the intricacies of group living. As a result, young people know each other and are empathetic to each other’s needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff and managers are proactive in working with other professionals, and are tenacious in ensuring that services are provided to meet young people’s needs. A virtual head described the manager as ‘committed and focused, and will do everything possible to ensure that appropriate further education provision is secured for one young person’. The manager has challenged education providers relentlessly to ensure that a placement is offered to the young person, and that her rights to further education are honoured.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One young person who has particularly complex needs is making excellent progress in school due to the stability and consistency that he is given by the manager and staff. His deputy headteacher commented that he has been particularly impressed with the progress made by the young person and how well the staff know him. He said that communication between care staff and the school has been a particular strength. This has resulted in consistency for the young person, and has provided him with security in the knowledge that those who care for him work closely together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are taking greater care and interest in the own health because staff have supported them to understand the importance of this. One young person said that this has helped her to think more carefully about her lifestyle choices. Staff ensure that young people understand the purpose of their health service appointments, and are consulted about their healthcare planning. For one young person, this approach has strengthened the foundations of her preparation for adult life.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that young people participate in activities which are designed to heighten their social awareness and develop empathy for others. Young people are involved in fund-raising activities, cake baking for local elderly people and supporting local charities for those in need. Staff promote young people’s cultural identity, while educating them about other cultures and religions through activities and participation in cultural events.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff provide support to young people to develop their social and independence skills appropriate to their age and understanding. Staff encourage young people to practise key skills for adult life through providing assistance with budgeting, meal planning and food preparation, and through assessed risk-taking activities. One young person who has particularly complex needs has made considerable progress and is now able to choose which clothes he wishes to wear, run his own bath and prepare a shopping list for the meals on the weekly menu. These are small but highly significant steps for the young person. As he has reached puberty, staff have provided exceptional support, which has resulted in the young person gaining a greater understanding of his needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people are clear about how to make a complaint and, although rare, these are Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 5 handled sensitively by the manager who ensures that the issues raised are thoroughly examined and that outcomes are explained carefully to young people. Young people feel that their views are important and valued by adults who care for them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Young people live in a home which is warm, well maintained and spacious. They are provided with privacy and personal space in addition to welcoming communal areas where they can spend time relaxing with staff and each other. Young people are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms, and the decorations and furnishings in the home reflect the young people who live there. There are photographs of the young people, their certificates and their artwork displayed around the home, demonstrating celebrations of their achievements and successes.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children’s guide, while comprehensive in terms of the information contained within it, is not written a way which is conducive to the individual needs of the young people. This results in their understanding of the information provided being somewhat limited. Steps were being taken to address this during the course of the inspection.

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

A strong safeguarding culture is promoted within the service. Staff undertake detailed risk assessments as part of the placement planning process. Risks posed to each young person are identified and their impact upon other young people is carefully considered. The manager ensures that the young people are well matched and has declined placements where it is believed that young people’s needs cannot be met or where risks to other young people may increase.

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

Staff understand young people’s behaviour as a means of expressing their emotions, and there is a particular emphasis on the trusting relationships developed between staff and young people.

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

Good staff ratios and staff vigilance in their supervision and monitoring of young people reduces identified risks. Staff demonstrate a good understanding of the strategies used to support and protect young people, and ensure that these have been discussed and agreed with the young people. Staff utilise de-escalation techniques confidently, which has resulted in a significant decrease in the number of incidents of physical restraint. Where this approach is used, it is of minimum duration and physicality.

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

Young people report that they feel safe and are clear about whom to approach should they have any concerns. Staff ensure that young people have access to an independent advocate should they request this or where staff feel that this is beneficial.

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

The manager has developed relationships with other safeguarding professionals including the police and local authority designated officer. He attends local safeguarding forums and disseminates learning and developments in practice to his team.

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

Staff have undertaken appropriate training in relation to safeguarding, and in particular have undertaken training in relation to self-harm, child sexual exploitation and Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 6 radicalisation, demonstrating in practice an understanding of the interface between these.

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

One social worker said; ‘My young person is very well cared for by the staff and is making good progress. They know her very well and she trusts them and feels secure. This is evidenced by the reduction in the number of concerning behavioural incidents, and my young person has an improved ability to deal with her anxieties, recognise these and talk them through rather than expressing them through her behaviour. The staff really show my young person that they care about her, and she feels valued by them. This shows in her increased self-esteem and the positive way in which she now feels about herself. She has grown in confidence and is much more positive about her future.’

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

The manager gives diligent consideration to health and safety matters, and measures are in place to keep young people safe.

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

Staff recruitment processes include all of the required checks. However, verification of required references is lacking in detail. This means that the registered person has not fully satisfied himself as to the suitability of potential employees.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has been in post since 1 August 2017. He has a level 5 diploma in leadership and management in health and social care, and is suitably experienced. The manager is committed and passionate and knows the young people well, ensuring that he harnesses the services required to meet their needs. His presence is visible to young people who approach him with ease. Staff describe his approach as inclusive, supportive and inspirational. He monitors activity and progress carefully, and acts on any shortfalls or concerns in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

One staff member said of the manager, ‘He ensures we are consulted and he values our opinion and skills. He is focused upon the young people and really believes in them. He has built up excellent relationships with them and they absolutely love him.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff describe supervision as motivational and reflective, and focused on the needs and progress of young people, ensuring they are at the centre of practice. One staff member reported that they are appropriately challenged in a safe and productive manner. The recording of supervision meetings is detailed, ensuring that staff members are clear about the expectations of themselves and young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff meetings take place on a regular basis and provide a forum for insight and challenge of the practices and strategies used to protect and help young people to develop. The manager has completed a comprehensive service development plan, which is reviewed in staff meetings, ensuring ownership of this on the part of the whole staff group. Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 7 The organisation provides a structured core-training programme for all staff. However, specialised training is available to staff which is focused upon the particular needs of the young people placed. Staff report that such training can be accessed with ease.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager works closely with the independent visitor, demonstrating value for her input and monitoring role. Monthly reports are shared with the staff team, and any recommendations highlighted are incorporated into the service development plan, and monitored by the manager until achieved.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a clear and useful statement of purpose that provides a detailed and accurate reflection of the purpose of the service and how this is provided. The statement of purpose is reviewed as necessary and a copy is submitted to HMCI.

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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: SC465579 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 113a St Johns Hill, Sevenoaks TN13 3PE

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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Stephen Richmond

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Inspector

Jacqueline Georghiou, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC465579 9 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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