Children's home run by Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 1 Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) 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

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

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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: This is the first inspection since the home was registered.

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good

Overall judgement at last inspection: not applicable

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people are responding to the individualised, nurturing support provided by the staff. They are making significant progress in improving their behaviour and engaging with their education. Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 2  The staff support the young people to re-establish relationships with their families.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The young people’s risk-taking behaviour has reduced and they are becoming increasingly safe. Through sensitive and consistent care, with clear structure and boundaries, the young people are forming meaningful relationships with the staff and experiencing a sense of security and stability.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Despite early management changes shortly after the home opened, the current management arrangements are effective in promoting positive outcomes for the young people and their welfare.

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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

 Young people do not have unlimited access to all appropriate areas of the home. There is no risk assessment in place to demonstrate that such limitations are necessary to safeguard young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 There is no specific system for monitoring incidents of bullying to ensure that appropriate action is being taken to support the young people.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Fire safety checks are not being undertaken at regular intervals. Fire safety equipment is not promptly attended to when it has been tampered with.

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Key findings from this inspection

 The statement of purpose requires amendment in line with the regulations.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people’s complaints are not always appropriately recorded.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Some of the interior décor requires attention to give the home a more homely feel.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Compatibility risk assessments are not always compiled before a decision is taken to offer a young person a placement at the home.

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Key findings from this inspection

 It is not clear how decisions have been taken when employment checks on prospective employees reveal salient information.

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Key findings from this inspection

 Young people do not have access to a computer and the internet.

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Recent inspection history:

this is the home’s first inspection Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 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 ensure that children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises, and any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises is intended to safeguard each child accommodated at the home; is necessary and proportionate; is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21(b) (c)) 04/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that promotes their welfare. In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13(1)(b) and 13(2)(h)). Specifically, compile an effective means of accurately monitoring incidents of bullying. 04/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

After consultation with the fire and rescue authority, the registered person must take adequate precautions against the risk of fire, including the provision of suitable fire equipment in the children’s home (Regulation 25(1)(a)). Specifically, ensure that fire safety checks are undertaken at regular intervals and fire extinguishers that have been tampered with are promptly attended to. 04/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must compile in relation to the children’s home a statement ("the statement of purpose") which covers the matters listed in Schedule 1. (Regulation 16(1)) 04/05/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that a record is made of any complaint, the action taken in response, and the outcome of any investigation. (Regulation 39(3)) 04/05/2018 Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 4

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Recommendations

 For children’s homes to be nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children, they will, in most cases, be homely domestic environments. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9). Specifically, ensure prompt maintenance and attention to the interior décor to give the home a homely feel.  The registered person should only accept placements for children where they are satisfied that the home can respond effectively to the child’s assessed needs as recorded in the child’s relevant plans and where they have fully considered the impact that the placement will have on the existing group of children. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 56, paragraph 11.4). Specifically, ensure that compatibility risk assessments are carried out prior to the decision to offer a placement to a child.

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Recommendations

 As set out in in regulations 31-33, the registered person is responsible for maintaining good employment practice. They must ensure that recruitment, supervision and performance management of staff safeguards children and minimises potential risks to them. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1). Specifically, ensure that there is a system for decision making when employment checks reveal salient information.  Children should have access to a computer and the internet to support their education and learning, unless there are specific safeguarding reasons why this would be inappropriate. In such cases, the home should consider whether and how it can support the child to access a computer and the internet safely. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the quality standards’, page 29, paragraph 5.19)

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

During the short time the home has been in operation, the young people have responded to the individualised, nurturing care provided by the staff and are making significant progress. Through encouraging and warm relationships, the young people are experiencing a safe and stable environment and developing a sense of protection and trust in the adults who care for them. Their risk-taking behaviour has reduced.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The managers and the staff are committed to ensuring that the young people receive appropriate education. Young people who previously had poor school attendance and engagement with their education now have much improved attendance. One young person has a 100% attendance record since living at the home. The managers and the staff recognise the young people’s specific aptitudes and talents. They provide them with encouragement and opportunities to develop their skills and particular interests, thus developing their self-esteem and confidence in pursuing their interests as they reach Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 5 adulthood.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff pay close attention to the young people’s physical and emotional health needs. Young people who have previously been reluctant to engage with health services are now agreeing to visit the local GP and agreeing to health assessments. The staff support them to establish healthy eating patterns and engage in physical activity so that they benefit from a healthy lifestyle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff value the young people’s views and opinions. Through key-work sessions and informal conversations, the young people have opportunities to express their views and voice their concerns. Young people’s meetings provide them with a forum to discuss day- to-day matters. The staff support the young people to engage in more open discussion and to be confident in discussing their views. The young people are aware of the complaints procedure and use it as a way of making their views known. The managers follow up and resolve complaints, demonstrating to the young people that their opinions are important and valued. On one occasion, a complaint by a young person was not properly recorded.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The young people receive beneficial support to establish and sustain contact with their families. Significantly, a young person is re-establishing contact with his parent after a considerable time.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

As the young people develop into adults, they receive appropriate support to build their independence skills. The staff support them at a pace and level that develops their confidence and that is sensitive to their individual needs. Some of the young people are making good progress in acquiring daily skills and taking more responsibility for themselves.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home provides the young people with a comfortable environment, though there are some areas of the home that are in need of maintenance and attention to give a more homely feel. The managers have recognised this, and plans are in place for imminent redecoration. Some areas of the home, such as the kitchen, are locked on occasions. There is no risk assessment in place to justify the young people not having free access to communal areas. The young people do not have access to a computer or the internet to support their education and learning. There is no risk assessment in place to demonstrate any specific safeguarding reasons why access to the internet is inappropriate.

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

The young people are developing positive relationships with the staff and are responding to the nurturing care the staff provide. The manager is acutely aware of the background of the young people and is supporting the staff to create supportive, warm and caring relationships so that the young people have a sense of belonging at the home. Her aim is ‘to give them their childhood back’ in a safe and secure environment where they can flourish and have opportunities to achieve their potential. Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 6 The staff prioritise the safety and well-being of the young people. Through responsive and consistent care, along with clear structure and boundaries, the young people are beginning to form meaningful and trusting relationships. A social worker commented that a young person is, ‘receiving one-to-one nurturing and he loves being looked after’.

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

The staff recognise and respond to the young people’s individual needs. They understand the particular risks relating to each young person. Care plans and risk assessments provide clear guidance for the staff to reduce the potential of harm. Compatibility risk assessments are carried out when new young people are considered for admission. However, these are not always completed prior to the decision being taken to admit a young person. This negates their effectiveness in assessing whether the needs of the young person can be met in the context of the associated risks posed by the young people already living at the home.

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

The staff are resilient when faced with challenging behaviour by the young people. They undertake training to apply physical intervention safely and use this appropriately to manage difficult behaviour. The staff record incidents properly and the managers monitor the records and follow up with the staff and the young people. Through the staff’s commitment to promoting the well-being of the young people, their behaviour is improving. A social worker remarked that, ‘The most important message the staff are giving the young person is that they are not giving up on him despite his challenging behaviour.’

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

Some of the young people have a history, prior to living at the home, of frequently being reported missing with a high risk of being exploited. Since they started living at the home, this behaviour has significantly reduced. A social worker stated that prior to living at the home, ‘The young person was going missing nearly every day. Now he is not going missing. He is receiving wrap around care with positive results.’ When a young person does leave the home without permission, the staff respond effectively, applying agreed procedures to safeguard them and ensure their safe return. Individual key-work sessions provide targeted support to address concerns and raise the young people’s awareness of how to keep themselves safe. The staff have undertaken training in relation to safeguarding issues. Their appreciation of the risks that the young people face increases their vigilance in identifying potential danger and protecting them. The

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

staff are conscious of the young people’s susceptibility to grooming and exploitation and are watchful for any signs that the young people may be at risk.

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

The staff are aware of the group dynamics when young people arrive at the home and begin to form relationships with their peers. They are alert to any incidents of bullying and provide support to the young people to help them live together. However, there is no bullying log in place to enable the manager to precisely monitor bullying incidents and ensure that the staff are taking appropriate actions to protect the young people.

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

Systems are in place to monitor health and safety matters. The staff carry out fire safety checks but these do not always take place at the required intervals. Monitoring of fire safety systems is not effective in identifying and remedying shortfalls. A fire extinguisher Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 7 had required attention for a significant period.

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

Recruitment checks on prospective employees are completed before they commence their employment to minimise the risk to young people. It is not clear from recruitment records, however, how decisions have been made to employ a person when checks reveal salient information.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home recently opened with a manager registered with Ofsted. However, there have been early management changes. The registered manager has left the post and the deputy manager has been appointed as manager. An experienced manager from another of the organisation’s homes is mentoring her, together with the responsible individual. She is applying for registration with Ofsted.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Despite this uneasy start, the current management is effective. Managers are providing the new staff team with appropriate support through good role modelling, guidance, direction and individual supervision. The staff have undertaken appropriate training for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managers are prompt in addressing shortfalls identified in detailed and rigorous monthly reports by the independent visitor. Ongoing monitoring by the managers of staff practice and young people’s progress is resulting in continuous improvement to promote positive outcomes for young people. Managers are keen to develop the home. They are enthusiastic and are committed to providing high quality care. Their current focus is on developing the staff to be confident and skilled in their roles and improving the physical environment to make it more homely for the young people.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The statement of purpose clearly sets out the ethos and aims of the home. Staff are working to meet these aims, but the statement of purpose requires amendments to meet the regulations.

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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 Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 8 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: 1256912 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Parkview Care (Broadstairs) Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: Suite 56 The Brentano Suite, Solar House, 915 High Road, London N12 8QJ

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Inspector

Jan Hunnam, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: 1256912 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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