Children's Home run by Benecare Limited in Kent

Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 1 SC401927 Registered provider: Benecare Limited Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and run by a limited company. It provides care and accommodation for up to four children who have learning disabilities. The home’s stated purpose is to provide a safe, homely environment for children with challenging behaviour, which includes children who have an autistic spectrum disorder.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been on leave since 12 December 2017.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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inadequate

How well children and young people are helped and protected inadequate

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inadequate

The effectiveness of leaders and managers inadequate

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inadequate

There are serious and/or widespread failures that mean children and young people are not protected or their welfare is not promoted or safeguarded and/or the care and experiences of children and young people are poor and they are not making progress.

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inadequate

Date of last inspection: 13 February 2018

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inadequate

Overall judgement at last inspection: sustained effectiveness

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inadequate

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

13/02/2018 Interim Sustained effectiveness 19/09/2017 Full Requires improvement to be good 07/03/2017 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2016 Full Requires improvement Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 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 leadership and management standard is that the registered person enables, inspires and leads a culture in relation to the children’s home that—

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Requirement Due date

helps children aspire to fulfil their potential; and promotes their welfare.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home has sufficient staff to provide care for each child;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child. (Regulation 13(1)(a)(b), (2)(a)(c)(d)(e)) 11/07/2018

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Requirement Due date

* The protection of children standard is that children are protected from harm and enabled to keep themselves safe.

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

assess whether each child is at risk of harm, taking into account information in the child’s relevant plans, and, if necessary, make arrangements to reduce the risk of any harm to the child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person; In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the 11/07/2018 Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 4 registered person to ensure—

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12(1), (2)(a)(i)(v)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff

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Requirement Due date

- seek to involve each child’s placing authority effectively in the child’s care, in accordance with the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

- seek to develop and maintain effective professional relationships with such persons, bodies or organisations as the registered person considers appropriate having regard to the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the children’s home is to provide care and accommodation. (Regulation 5(a)(d)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

If the registered provider is an organisation, the organisation must ensure that the responsible individual undertakes such continuing professional development as is necessary to ensure that the responsible individual has the skills needed for supervising the management of the home. (Regulation 29(2)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home. (Regulation 23(1)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

Full and satisfactory information in respect of the individual has been obtained in relation to the matters in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 2. (Regulation 32(7)(b)) 31/08/2018

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Requirement Due date

* These requirements are subject to a compliance notice. Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 5

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Staff and managers were unable to evidence the progress of children. Progress records are not up to date. They do not describe the goals set or children’s achievements. Significant events are not mentioned and records do not specify if changes in practice or approach are required.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

The senior managers did not manage well the ending of a young person’s placement. Despite the young person having lived in the home for many years, the transition into adult care was rushed and not thoughtfully planned. Parents reported that their child was unsettled as a result, and they were dissatisfied with how this move was managed.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Senior managers did not ensure that staff took expert advice on the effects that a serious road traffic accident may have had on the young person involved, given his complex needs. A staff member spoke to the young person on the day of the accident, but there was no further follow-up. This lack of targeted support failed to promote fully the welfare of this young person.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Managers have been ineffective in monitoring the physical environment of the home. A bedroom was in such a poor condition that inspectors had to request the staff to take immediate action to rectify the issues. A bathroom used by children needs repairs to both the tiles and fixings. Some windows in the property were not well maintained, thus posed a potential risk to the occupants’ health.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Unsafe practice regarding the administration of medication includes medicines being inappropriately stored and a lack of clear labelling with names and opening dates. Staff do not sign all medication protocols, and they do not date their signatures when they do. The protocol is to use a designated area in the office when administering medication, but no such area exists.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: inadequate

Inspectors shared with the interim manager their observations of poor engagement with a child by a staff member. Previous inspections have raised similar concerns.

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

Senior managers are ineffective in monitoring the approach to and management of risk. Risk assessments are not updated after significant incidents. The learning from these incidents is not used to improve strategies to mitigate risk. Senior managers did not consider environmental risks, such as the proximity to a railway track or access to deep, muddy water, when agreeing a stay elsewhere for a young person.

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

Managers did not ensure that staff conducted the weekly vehicle checks as per the agreed procedures. A vehicle continued to be used to transport children, despite the garage reporting a fault. This vehicle was later involved in a serious road traffic accident. Following this serious incident, senior managers failed to investigate and evaluate the Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 6 circumstances and decision-making. Therefore, no measures were put in place to avoid a repetition.

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

When risk assessments are in place, managers do not ensure that staff have read and understood them. Managers allow staff, whom they have not briefed on the risk management plans, to take the children on activities that are assessed as of high risk.

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

The most recent example of staff recruitment demonstrates a lack of rigour. This includes a failure to obtain a written reference from the most recent employer.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The registered manager has been on leave since December 2017. Interim management arrangements have been ineffective and subject to change.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

There has been an over-reliance on agency staff, some of whom are not suitably trained or experienced. This has impacted negatively on the continuity and quality of the care that children experience. A member of staff said, ‘I feel stressed because of the staffing situation.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

Senior leaders’ support for staff is poor. Staff supervision is not regular. For example, one new staff member has not had supervision for three months. A member of staff said, ‘I have not had a supervision in ages and feel very stressed.’ Staff meetings do not provide a forum for reflective discussion and mutual support. Staff feel demoralised, yet this has not been identified by senior managers or the independent visitor.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

A tired staff team described having to work additional shifts and complete records in the early hours of the morning following a busy evening shift. A member of staff said, ‘I feel bullied by the senior managers and there is no real support or leadership.’ Staff spoke highly of their peer support. However, this does not obviate the need for management support and guidance.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: inadequate

The insufficient focus and monitoring by senior managers have failed to identify the decline in both the home’s environment and staff morale. Consequently, no remedial action has been instigated. Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 7

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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 difference 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: SC401927 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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Inspectors

Sarah Olliver, social care inspector Keith Riley, social care inspector Inspection report children’s home: SC401927 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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